The Definitive Book of Body LanguageSummaryPeople do business with people who make them feel comfort-
able and it comes down to sincerity and good manners. When
entering a foreign country, concentrate on reducing the broad-
ness of your body language until you have the opportunity to
observe the locals. A simple way to learn and understand cul-
tural body language differences is to record several foreign
films and replay them with the sound off, but don't read the
subtitles. Try to work out what is happening then watch again
and read the subtitles to check your accuracy.
If you're not sure how to be polite in someone else's culture,
ask the locals to show you how things are done.Cultural misinterpretation of gestures can produce embarrass-
ing results and a person's background should always be
considered before jumping to conclusions about the meaning
of his or her body language and gestures.
If you regularly travel internationally, we recommend Roger
Axtell's Gestures: Do's and Taboos of Body Language Around
the World (John Wiley & Sons). Axtell identified over 70,000
different physical signs and customs globally and shows you
how to do business in most cultures.