Our previous CNY 2022 Special has illustrated the tendency of not saying No in Chinese culture and the reasons behind this mindset. Many Chinese people have been raised to not say “NO”, or at least to indicate in an unnoticeable way, regardless of the circumstances. In the case of communicating with a supplier from China, Saying yes or “ke yi可以 (can do)” will be the most likely reply you’d get when asking a supplier if they are able to produce something.
But unfortunately, just like our last feature explains, this may not be true. Saying no can carry bad news for their social status. In Chinese culture, this is another specific concept you may have heard of a lot, “Face（面子）”.
In China, “Face” is a cultural aspect deeply integrated in the society. Charles Custer, a renowned writer on China, says that just like in the English expression “saving face”, the “face” we’re talking about here isn’t a literal face. Rather, it’s a metaphor for a person’s reputation amongst their peers. So, for example if you hear someone is said to “have face”, that means that that person has a good reputation or good standing in certain situation. Someone who doesn’t have face is someone who has a very bad reputation or who is mortified in a certain scenario.
The common expressions where the “face” concept is used:
• Having face (有面子): Having a good reputation or good social standing.
• Not having face (没面子): Not having a good reputation or having bad social standing.
• Giving face (给面子): Giving deference to someone in order to improve their standing or reputation, or to pay homage to their superior reputation or standing.
• Losing face (丢脸): Losing social status or hurting one’s reputation.
• Saving face（保住面子）:As commonly known, saving one from losing face.
In the business scenario, if a sales representative or even a factory refuses to do something, it can bring forth the situation of losing face, bearing the risk of a bad rep or even omen for their business.
So, how to make sure you won’t fall flat on your face when communicating with your Chinese supplier?
Ensure Your Presence
First of all physical presence is very essential. Once your selected supplier has committed to something, you need to make sure they will be able to do it and affirming something doesn’t necessarily mean that they can do it or have done it in the past. The best way to do that is by having ears and eyes onsite. You can either go to the factory yourself or hire an experienced 3rd party to do so. C2W is your great options since we have a large network of vetted factories and 3rd party inspection partners with our in-house engineers. In one word, remember that assumption is the mother of all evils: seeing is believing.
Double, or Even Triple Check
Another way to confirm that the supplier can do something is being pushy with them, confirm & reconfirm ad nauseam! If you are not sure or convinced about anything, just keep checking with them until you are clear. We are not asking you to interrogate your supplier like a criminal with the presumption of guilt, but knowledge is power. The more you get ahold of the process, the less you suffer in the end. If they are really being dishonest, there must be holes in their words. This is the only way to ensure they can do something they are committed to.
Complement, Not Confrontation
It may seem contradictory with what we have advised you previously. Yes, we do ask you to be straightforward and pushy with them, but that doesn’t mean you have to fall into an argument with them. Chinese culture centers on harmony and confrontation is the least welcome. You can totally stand firmly and clearly on your demand without being provocative. Never be the first one to lose it when there’s disagreement. For Chinese people, it doesn’t always come off easy to pick up where it left off after a confrontation. If you are willing to, give it a complement to the Chinese representative in touch with you about their English proficiency. That can set a good start to cooperation, since you have given him enough Face(面子).
In a nutshell, the point of giving face to someone isn’t just to make that person feel good, but to establish a good relationship with him/her and secure smooth cooperation. The reason behind it is another important cultural aspect in Chinese society, relationship(guanxi, 关系). Next up, we will explore its role in Chinese business.
C2W, with its UK background and 16 years of experience in China, priding ourselves for our excellent bilingual team well versed in both Chinese and western culture
Please feel free to contact us if you are interested in getting to know more about our services. You may feel like a fish out of water when it comes to Chinese culture that seems mysterious and complicated to a lot of westerners, but we are here to make sure you can stay grounded.
