Recently, I had the pleasure of interviewing Sebastian Guerrini; who were gracious enough to provide readers of the China Business Connect (China Business Connect it is effective trainings, step-by-step guides, reports, case studies about business with China). Sebastian owner of Guerrini Design Island, which is a communication and design studio that uses an effective and personal approach to create brands worldwide, achieving this added value by bringing new areas of knowledge to the act of design.
His specialties: Brand design, image and identity, political campaign, advertising, image advisor, visual communication, logo design, propaganda design, NGO branding, Institutional branding and communications
China Business Connect: Why does the business partnership with China is of interest to you (your company)? Is this interest to work with the Chinese business potential or real?
It is real because I love Chinese culture and traditions. However I found difficult to consider China as the center of my activity. That is because my marketing strategy is based on having clients which accept my budgets, and my experience with China is that most of Chinese companies are rejecting to pay what I consider my work deserve. In that sense, it is profitable for me to work with companies from Germany or Italy rather than from China.
About the particularity of Chinese culture, I didn't find problem to approach it. Then, my doubts are just related to my fees.
CBC: How special, according to your point of view, is the business with China (shipment of goods, logistics, quality control of the production etc)?
According to my activity of brand, logo, web and all sort of graphic and digital design, I have no problem or limitation because files are sent by Internet. On the other hand, for me, the understanding of the identity, aims and commercial strategies of Chinese companies is not different than other ones. That is because I developed methodologies that help me so much to face these circumstances
CBC: What prospects of the business with China do you see in whole for your company?
In fact, all related to China can be connected to my business: not only the internationalization of the image and identity of their companies, but also the development of their products communication, design of web-pages based on international criteria's, etc.. In addition, I believe China requires the improvement of the institutional communication of their cities, towns and state, especially if they are willing to encourage their image for getting visitors and for improving their political perception abroad.
CBC: How do you assess the current state of being in the know and the level of knowledge according to the different aspects of vision of business with China? How important and necessary is it for your and for your company? What do you think would your customers say on this question? What do your customers think about the "made-in-China" goods?
China is now in the focus of the world, then I don't think the gap between reality and perception is so wide. Nevertheless, it is not so simple to get in touch with managers or owner of their companies because there is not an accessible business center or forum, where to be personally in contact with them.
CBC: Business education, variable seminars, courses and trainings are extremely popular nowadays. To what extent the specificity of doing business with China should be studied by the managers?
They are all valid alternatives. My experience is that the best way to learn is to be within the market. That's mean to talk, travel, share and understand their logic. Even tough I have a PhD (so I am respectful about academic studies); I strongly believe that the best way to understand each part is to start to talk.
CBC: Does the staff factor inside the company important when building the relations with China? Is it enough to manage with the only representative or intermediary which specialization is making business with China?
I think it can be a problem. I work with issues of identities, and therefore I am always looking to be in touch with the one who publically represents this identity. It can be the owner of the company or the Mayor of a city, because in many cases marketing responsible or managers have no really power to know and to introduce any change. In the Chinese case, my experience is that in many cases, the translator seems to be converted in a mediator between the CEO and me and that can be a problem. The ideal case is when the responsible of the company and you, can both speak in the same language.
CBC: What do you think will help to minimize the various risks arising when doing business with the Chinese companies?
All depends on the activity. About mine, I found that is good to talk and to see the client face to face, by using a system as Skype. That is because prejudices are diminished if you see and decodes all related information of your client. Thus, suddenly you are now not talking with a Chinese, but with a person who is willing to do business with you. A person that has pressures and fears like you and that is looking certainty to concrete the business, such as like you. We have to remember that if we have no concrete information about the other person we are dealing with, the myth about Chinese people will talk in the name of him/her, something not proper in good human interpersonal relationships.
CBC: The CEO of the company and the majority of the managers do not possess the required amount of the special knowledge on this problem. How can they solve the problem of communication with the Chinese business?
The same than with the CEO of other country: just talking. The solution is based on the understanding of the problems.
CBC: And the last question. What would you like to tell to our audience?
Nothing more than what I tried to express: we are all human being, nationalities and cultures are human creations that have to be interpreted to do business and to be a better person.
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