The Difference Between American and Russian Cultures in Business
Communication Style
Russian businesspeople place greater emphasis on the spoken word than do professionals in the United States. While American businesspeople do much of their business via written communication such as email, letter or fax, Russian professionals prefer to hear things directly from people they trust. Face-to-face meetings (личные встречи) are usually more productive than written correspondence because they allow participants to more fully discuss and explain issues. Russian business people also demonstrate much less body language than American professionals, especially in meetings. They might listen silently without even nodding in agreement (кивать в знак согласия), confusing their American counterparts who rely on visual cues (визуальные сигналы) such as eye contact and posture.
