Scenario: Imagine that you are a co-owner and/or executive-level manager of a medium-sized business.

A group of business leaders from another country has expressed an interest in purchasing a franchise of your company and has invited you and your colleagues to their country to discuss this potential with them.

You are interested and very excited about this opportunity for your business to enter the competitive international marketplace.

A meeting has been arranged between you, one of your colleagues, and three representatives from the business group to discuss the details of the proposed franchise.

You have agreed to travel to the business group's country for the meeting. You realize that this is a very important meeting because it involves networking with key individuals who will heavily influence the outcome of this attempt to expand your business. You also realize that the values and norms in the other country could possibly be very different from your own.

For the purposes of this Discussion, choose a country other than your own and conduct an online search to learn about the cultural norms, business and meeting practices, and values in the country that you select. (Cite your outside sources.)

Prior to the meeting, what are some things that you need to know about the other country and the business group so that you can establish and maintain a good rapport and make the best of this opportunity to expand your business into the international marketplace?

Include information about greeting rituals and nonverbal behavior as they apply to the protocol for your meeting with the group.