2. Getting connected

Insight into the topic

There are many different traditions for addressing people in the world. In 

some cultures people use each other's first name immediately. In other cultures, the 

first name is only used by close friends and family. And in some cultures the first 

name is the family name and the second name is the given name. 

A partner in one of New York's leading private banking firms went to Singapore to meet one of his clients. In Singapore there are three different cultural tra-

ditions: Chinese, Malaysian, and English. His clients were ethnic Chinese. 

The banker wanted to do everything correctly, so on his way to Singapore he 

memorized the names of the three representatives he would meet. In the first meet-

ing with the representatives and some other business contacts, he began by ad-

dressing the top man, Lo Win Hao, as Mr. Hao. As the meeting continued, he made 

sure to address each representative by name. After a while, one of the contacts 

passed a note to the American banker. The note said "Too friendly, too soon." 

Answer the following questions in groups. 

1. What did this note mean? What mistake was the banker making? (Consult 

Appendix 1) 

2. Why is it important to know about the traditions for addressing your for-

eign business partners? 

3. Have you ever been called by the wrong name or had your name pro-

nounced incorrectly? How did you feel? What did you do? Did you correct the per-

son or ignore the mistake? 

4. How are names used in business in your country?

2.1. There are many idioms in English that describe how a relationship 

develops. Match the idioms with their definitions. 

1. to hit it off a. to like someone immediately 

2. to break the ice b. to have a good relationship 

3. to get along with c. to get past the beginning of an introduction 

4. to get to know d. to begin to like a person 

5. to warm up to e. to learn more about a person 

2.2. Complete the following sentences with the correct idioms. 

1. At first the employees were nervous about the new director. They thought 

she was too strict, but after a few months they realized she just wanted the best for 

the project and they __________ her. 2. I met a lot of people at the conference but 

I was too busy to ________ anyone very well. I hope this year I can follow up and 

meet with some of these contacts. 

3. They met at a stockholders' meeting and _______________. Within weeks, they 

were planning a new venture together. 4. The new head of sales does not 

_____________ with his employees. This will have a bad effect on the whole de-

partment. 5. On the first day of the seminar the participants all had dinner together

2.3. Often the same word can be used in the verb, noun, and adjective 

forms. Some nouns and adjectives have more than one form. Complete the fol-

lowing chart with the missing forms: 

verb noun adjective 

adapt adaptable 

contact contacted 

accustom (oneself) customary 

 impression impressive 

 information informative 

introduce introductory 

 reference referred 

 reputable 

2.4. Complete the following sentences with the correct verb, noun, or 

adjective form of the words in the chart above. Use one form of each word 

base, and do not repeat any words. 

1. She tried to _______________ the sales representative, but he never re-

turned her calls. 2. Before doing business in a foreign country, it is useful to learn 

some of the common business practices and _____________. 3. The young execu-

tive wanted to ___________ his colleagues, so he dressed his best. 4. We had nev-

er bought their products before, so the company gave us a special 

__________price. 5. We employed him because he had excellent ____________ 

from some top people in the field, but so far his work has not been good. 6. In or-

der to dominate the market, the company now makes computer parts that are 

__________ to all models. 7. The meeting was useful because a lot of new 

______________ was presented. 8. It took him forty years to build his 

____________ and one night to destroy it. One mistake can cost a political career.