Illustration—Sharing Tea
What if your introduction to a new culture began with an experience as straightforward as a shared cup of tea or coffee? On a recent broadcast, National Public Radio spoke of a book of cultural dos and don’ts published in 1943 called Instructions for American Servicemen in Iraq During World War II; on the subject of coffee drinking, it suggests the following advice:
"Do not refuse it or throw it away half-drunk, even if it does not taste like our American coffee. If you are offered a second cup, take it, and also a third. But it is customary to refuse a fourth."
Army Lt. Col. John Nagl, who wrote the forward of the new edition, said that he drank many cups of tea in Iraq. What he teaches soldiers leaving for Iraq today is that "the relationships that you build over cups of tea with your Iraqi partners are perhaps the most important component to our eventual victory in this war."
How do you persuade your customers to join you in a cup of tea? Let’s begin that journey together.
Won’t you join us over a pot of tea and a basket full of warm cranberry muffins? Or scones? Or apple strudel? Contact Us.
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