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Developing A Competitive Advantage in International Logistics Communication
In the world we live in today, millions of emails, faxes, and documents are exchanged back and forth each day. In industries such as logistics, people are communicating constantly, whether it be in person, video conferencing or international calls. With ongoing global communication, these people face different challenges due to differences in language, culture, and religion.
International communication presents some challenges when it comes to logistics. One of the greatest challenges is effective communication. Different languages and cultures can be a barrier to doing business with people globally. International logistics professionals primarily communicate by e-mail; therefore, it is important to communicate clearly in writing.
The recommendation is that written communication will be simple, unambiguous and literal. In order to communicate clearly in English with foreigners, English speakers should become familiar with and use “Special English” as some techniques: limited vocabulary and short sentences that contain only one idea. As a result, the competitive advantage in international logistics is gained with useful communication techniques and methods. If professionals use those techniques the result is effective communication, leading to a friendly environment to do business.
Contributor: Luiz Lopez
About Allyn International
Allyn International is dedicated to providing high quality, customer centric services and solutions for the global marketplace. Allyn's core products include transportation management, logistics sourcing, freight forwarding, supply chain consulting, tax management and global trade compliance. Allyn clients range from small local businesses to Fortune 500 firms. Allyn conducts business in more than 20 languages and has extensive experience in both developed and emerging markets. Highly trained experts are positioned throughout North America, Europe and Asia. Allyn’s regional headquarters are strategically located in Fort Myers, Florida, U.S.A., Shanghai, P.R. China and Prague, Czech Republic. For more information, visit www.allynintl.com.
References:
David, Pierre. International Logistics, the Management of International Trade Operations. Ohio: Cicereo Books LLC, 2013, Print.