Welcome to business in the 21st Century! I’m sitting here, trying to get quotes from Chinese companies on shipping personal effects back to the US from Shenzhen. Except rather than be involved in a long phone discussion, or a series of back-and-forth emails, I am doing all of this through IM via MSN Messenger. In this particular scenario it is because the person helping me doesn’t speak English well but can write it without problems. Since my spoken Chinese for business isn’t much better, I have agreed to take this rather unorthodox approach to doing business, and as it turns out, I like it! It somehow feels more personal than a phone call. Maybe it’s because I associate using IM’s with close friends. In any case, I appreciate the fact that both of us can pay attention to each other while simultaneously doing other things. Whereas on the phone you have to be on the line the whole time, leaving no room for distraction really, through IM you can type a message, go do something else (such as pack, weigh, then measure a box), and then when your PC beeps, it’s time to go check the IM window. Amazing…
Who knows, maybe some day we’ll order Pizza, doctor’s appointments, or repair people in this manner too… I look forward to that day. Of course, I don’t look forward to IM’s from telemarketers…. yuck!
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September 15, 2007 at 8:06 am |
Hi CCellist,
I have a question which you may be able to help me with. I’m the Head of Music Staff at the Nuremberg State Opera. We are coming to Shenzhen at the end of October with a production of Gluck’s Orpheus. We’ve been told there is no harpsichord available in Shenzhen. I find this hard to believe. Did you see and hear an adequate harpsichord in your time in Shenzhen? I’d be most grateful for your advice. Hope you’ve managed to get back to the States!!
Cheers,
Graham