News and Reviews

November International Business Etiquette Part 2 Quiz Answers!

Question 1: c) c) Nemawashi is a kind of consensus-based decision-making, where all possible stakeholders are consulted about a decision, usually in a very informal way to start with. Through this process, a consensus slowly emerges. It can take a lot of time, but implementation is usually quite quick, because all the stakeholders know the decision is in the pipeline, so are prepared for it, and also feel a certain amount of "buy in".

from "The Lowdown: Business Etiquette - Japan " by Rochelle Kopp and Pernille Rudlin

Question 2: c)You can take the garland off when you’ve finished formal introductions and get into your meeting. In fact, you’ll want to do that, because in my experience once the flowers begin to droop they can mark your clothes. If you get a sandalwood garland it will smell delicious and you may want to save it to hang with your clothes when you get back to the hotel.

from "The Lowdown: Business Etiquette - India" by Michael Barnard

Question 3: a) Networking. Belonging to a network of relations is critical to success in China. It has many benefits in terms of sharing resources and making contacts.

from "The Lowdown: Business Etiquette - China" by Florian Loloum

Question 4: b) Tips in Russia are usually 15 per cent, or slightly higher if the service and cuisine are excellent – and they normally are.

from "The Lowdown: Business Etiquette - Russia" by Slava Katamidze and Charles McCall

Question 5: d) You have made it if you are greeted with an "abrazo" rather than the traditional handshake. This is something very Mexican. It's a handshake quickly followed by a light embrace involving two mutual pats on the back, closely followed by a second handshake. People unfamiliar with the process can find it disconcerting. "Abrazos" are only between men.

from "The Lowdown: Doing Business in Mexico" by Christopher West

News

Just published! "Solid Air - the Life of John Martyn" by Chris Nickson.

Just published! "The Lowdown: A Short History of the Origins of the Vietnam War" by Dr. David L. Anderson.

5-star reader reviews for A Tiger's Wedding! "A Tiger's Wedding - my childhood in exile", actress Isla Blair's memoir. Available in both eBook and audio formats.

Crime Fiction! We've launched our new eCC Creative Crime imprint! We have some fantastic titles by Maureen Carter, Kaye C Hill, Mary Andrea Clarke, Roz Southey, Linda Regan, Tracey Shellito and Penny Deacon. All are available from Amazon.com, Barnes and Noble, Waterstones.com and WHSmith.com and other well known e–Retailers

Osprey Creative Audio! We've launched our first audio co-productions with Osprey Publishing! "Command: George S. Patton" and "Command: Henry V" are available from all our audio retailers.

A Short History of World War I and A Short History of the First Gulf War! We've published the first two titles in our new military history series, both of which are available as audio downloads and eBooks from all of our retailers. We also have a podcast interview available to download free on our website so don't forget to check it out!

Audible Editor's Pick: We're proud to announce that the latest in our Business series: "Dodging the Bullet – Effective Risk Communications," is Editor's Pick in Audible UK's business books section!

Bestseller! We’re proud to announce that one of our first titles, Improve Your Speech – British English, was an iTunes bestseller!

YouTube! We now have our own YouTube site featuring extracts from our titles and a "behind the scenes" video at one of our recordings! Click here for more information!

Love a title? Get it on CD! Our titles are all now available from Tribeka as ’burn on demand’ CDs. More information here.

Blog! You can visit our blog at www.CCTheLowdown.blogspot.com

Twitter! Read our tweets on our CCTheLowdown Twitter page, and "follow" us for the latest updates.

Facebook! Come and like our FB page! www.facebook.com/CreativeContent

Reviews

Command: Henry V

Written by Marcus Cowper, read by Jamie Glover. Brisk pacing and firm articulation define this short history of Britain's legendary warrior king. It took Shakespeare three plays to condense Henry V and his milieu. (He appears in HENRY V and both parts of HENRY IV.) Cowper's text and Jamie Glover's reading reduce his story to a little over two hours, capturing the essentials of dynastic conflict and medieval land claims while telling a rousing and glorious story. A valuable resource for students, teachers, and anyone who has ever stumbled through Shakespeare's cycle devoted to those bewildering shifts in rulers and domains, this is a title that will also appeal to history buffs and fans of military history. (D.A.W. © AudioFile June 2011)

A Short History of the First Gulf War

Written by Dr. Rob Johnson, read by John Simpson. "As Saddam Hussein intended, the Gulf War of 1990-1991 took the world by surprise. Hoping that no one would either notice or oppose his invasion of Kuwait, Saddam miscalculated, and a sleeping lion called The Coalition awakened. In less than two hours, the author paints a big-picture view of the Persian Gulf conflict, with a little history before and after. British narrator John Simpson enunciates clearly, smartly aiding listener comprehension. Simpson inflects his speech to a pleasing conversational tone, thus avoiding the droning monotony too often heard in nonfiction. This wise combination of brevity and skilled reader should appeal to many listeners." (J.A.H. © AudioFile Magazine, November 2010)

The Babyjuggler

The Babyjuggler - Sara Lloyd – read by Adjoa Andoh How to juggle "three kids, two jobs, one life" – the recurring circus metaphors are both apt and catchy in this clear–sighted, practical advice from a successful working mum who has retained her sense of humour. As she says, in this business if you don’t laugh you’ll cry. (Rachel Redford – The Observer, 14th February 2010)

Business Etiquette – India

’This is an excellent introduction to commercial manners in India with clear explanations of their confusing monetary system (how they divide up rupees into crores and lakhs) and great advice on how to relate to a client or supplier when doing deals.’ (Audible listener review, UK)

Business Etiquette – Russia, Business Etiquette - China

’I was impressed by new audio company Creative Content’s offerings. In a world where business is so global, they focus on helping businesspeople make the most of their negotiations by making them aware of the way to behave in the country they’re in. THE LOWDOWN: BUSINESS ETIQUETTE CHINA (Creative Content, download only, £5.99 audible.co.uk) is read by Lorelei King and Trevor White and clearly explains the Chinese philosophy of doing business and their attitudes to "face" (mianzi) and "networking" (guanxi). There’s information on what to do and what not to do in meetings, why colours and numbers are important in Chinese culture and how to deal with social invitations. In a world where "respect" has become almost a dirty word, this is a timely reminder that a little of it can go a long way in helping the world turn beneficially. BUSINESS ETIQUETTE RUSSIA is in the same series. Load onto your iPod and travel well!’ (Daily Express Reviewer)

Business Etiquette – Russia

’Deals with more than just etiquette! Gives insights into the way Russians do business, too. Recommended.’ (itunes listener review, UK)

Business Etiquette – China

’Obviously the author has a great piece of experience in China, the advices are very clear und knowledgeable. Useful! After listening, you want to know much more about China! I encourage the author to continue publishing his knowledge about the Chinese culture and business behaviour Thank you!’ (Audible listener review, France)

Improve Your Speech – British English

’The voice exercises are highly effective and very helpful, just like having your own personal and professional voice coach! I would recommend this for anyone wanting to improve their vocal skills or public speaking as it will give them more confidence and enable them to be clearly understood.’ (Audible listener review, UK)

Improve Your Speech – US English

’Fun and practical. Not too complicated. Mark Caven is very entertaining.’ (Audible listener review, Canada)