Diversity and multi-culturalism foster sensitivity and good business practices

Diversity and multi-culturalism foster sensitivity and good business practices

Living in the Bay area of California gives us the opportunity to interact with so many nationalities and cultural origins. It becomes a challenge sometimes to know what behaviors are acceptable and what are not. Part of our business practice via diversity training is awareness of and respect for multi-cultural do's and don'ts.

NAR (National Association of REALTORs) has a class called At Home With Diversity. It is a good idea to look into this, and add this knowledge to one's tool box of marketable and marketing skills.

May I shake your hand?

I always ask if it’s acceptable to shake hands -- some cultures frown upon men shaking women’s hands, and some simply prefer to refrain from shaking hands. The best advice is to ask, and by simply asking, one generates a measure of goodwill.

Lucky number when listing, writing offer

There is a large Asian population and many of us have certain superstitions. For example, the number “4” is considered very unlucky by the Chinese because of its association with death. The number “8” on the other hand is very lucky. So if we have a listing in the $400K range, we will insert the number 8, so the price could be $408K, $468K, $488K or something like that. Knowing who owns the property also make us write offers that may be attractive to that owner.

What NOT to include in staging

One of my first listings is for a builder (born in Syria, educated at University of California in Berkeley). I proposed staging the property which had a difficult floor plan.  

When we were finished, I should have been immediately sensitized to what’s important to my client when he took off his shoes upon entry to view the completed project. He loved the staging, but requested that we remove any pictures/images of live creatures, any bottles (or image) of wine.  

Turns out he is a devout Muslim and these are not proper in his religion. Furthermore, although he accepted my hand when I extended it, his preference is not to shake hands. Luckily, the house sold in less than two weeks, so he was very happy. I’ve sold a few more houses for him since then.

Knives are NOT good gifts

I have a Brazilian client --- fiery, strong personality. A book I read said that “letter openers, scissors or knives mean you wish to end a relationship.” Unless I want to piss her off, I won’t give her any of these things, not even as a closing gift. (And on a side note, according to feng shui principles, it’s not a good idea to give sharp objects like knives as a gift anyway.)

Food no-no?

One of my friends is Hindu, and she calls herself a Pescatarian. So whenever we get together, we dine on sushi. No steak houses for her!

I also have Jewish friends and clients. I was so careful about not offering them pork to eat, and then it turns out that some of them are unorthodox and will eat pork from time to time. One never knows unless one asks!

Yesterday, I took my Mexican handyman to lunch at a Chinese dim sum place. It was so interesting to watch his fascination at the dim sum carts. He told me he eats only Mexican food, so this type of food was new to him. Thankfully, he had no hesitation in eating anything I ordered. I was just glad I didn’t have to be careful in avoiding certain foods forbidden in his religion. I assumed --- correctly --- that he’s Catholic. And although it was Friday, we both ate red meat.

Resources

NAR (National Association of REALTORs) offers a class  At Home With Diversity.

Here are books I refer to from time to time to keep me attuned to diversity --- and they’ve helped me not only when dealing with people in this business, but also when traveling abroad.

If anything, they are fascinating reading!

Take a look at:
DO’s and TABOOs of Hosting International Visitors
Multicultural Manners The essential rules of etiquette for the 21st Century
Behave Yourself! The essential guide to international etiquette


Diversity and multi-culturalism foster sensitivity and good business practices