A Canadian team of two men representing Canwall, a wall$-$ time to rest. In the late afternoon one of the manager's

paper printing equipment manufacturer, went to a town English$-$speaking employees came by with the news they

north of Shanghai in$,$ the province of Jiangsu, China, to would be taken to see a local dance company's performance

negotiate a sale to a new wallpaper production company. that night.

Charlie Burton, president of Canwall, traveled with his The third day they finally sat down to meetings.

marketing director, Phil Raines. The company had never Progress seemed very slow$-$each side giving generalizabefore sold its equipment outside Canada, an$$d the two tions about itself that seemed unrelated to the sale. The

$.$ Canadians were delighted with the warm reception they $.$ Canadians used an interpreter, supplied by the Chinese,

enjoyed in China. who was eager to please them, so the Canadians felt

This wasn't the first meeting between the Canadian comfortable with her, but translation slowed down corncompany and the Chinese wallpaper factory. The manager rnunication. Their interpreter seerne$$d to be unfamiliar$$ with

of the Chinese company, Mr$.$ Li$,$ had been a member of a te$.$chnological terms since she and the interpreter from the

delegation to Canada. He had met with one of Canwall's factory spent some time discussing the terms between

se$\_$nior salespersons and the director of $$manufacturing$.$ themselves. After listening to various apparently unrelated

Subsequently, a trade representative from Canada had been points, the Canadians thought, $"$So what?" The Chinese

in China representing Canwall's interests to the Chinese also spent a lot of time talking about the Canadian trade

manager. After these meetings and numerous letters and $$ agent who had been in their town earlier. Burton wasn't

faxes, Canwall's top people were now ready to negotiate able to tell them much about that person, since he had

the sale. never met him personally.

Th$.$e day. they arrived they were met at the airport in When the Canadians at last were able to make the

Shanghai by manager Li himself and transported in a presentation they had prepared, they were surprised at

chauffeur$-$driven car $90$ miles to the town. Their accornrno$-$ the number of pe$9$ple who showed up$.$ There were two of

dation was in a newly built hotel, and while itwas not luxu$-$ them, but there were ten Chinese facing them across the

rious, it was certainly comfortable. A few hours after their table. Still, the Chinese frequently nodded and smiled, and

arrival, they were treated to a $12-$course banquet given by said yes. Burton and Raines had prepared sales data and

$0$

thefr host, with several high$-$level municipal officials pres$-$ showed$-$effectively, they thought$-$that within five years

ent. This red$-$carpet treatment made them feel optimistic the factory could double its present production. At the end

at;Jout the sale. of the day, the jubilant Canadians returned to their hotel

The next day they were taken to see the $ights nearby: rooms confident they had sold the equipment.$$

a large, new port for container ships and several factories The next day they were asked to explain once again

that indicted the prosperity of the region. They were eager things they thought had been covered already to a Chinese $$

to begin discussing the sale, but after lunch they were given team with four new faces in it$.$ They were confused about i