SAVANNAH, GA, USA - It tops the list of World Trade Center Savannah's three main goals: Help regional businesses grow internationally.

In less than three years, the organization has successfully connected area businesses with international trade partners, providing market and industry research, country research, business matchmaking and trade consultation.

But doing business internationally can be tricky, especially if you're not immersed in the culture and traditions of your business partner's country.

Is it customary, for example, to bring a gift? How should you greet and address them? When should you negotiate?

All the connections in the world won't help if, when meeting with your international trade partners, you insult them with an unintended faux pas.

"Now more than ever, we operate in a very competitive global market, and first impressions mean everything," said Trip Tollison, President and CEO of the Savannah Economic Development Authority, which operates the WTC Savannah.

"You may have only 15 minutes to stand out from your competition, and it's imperative that you know the dos and don'ts of international business travel, the protocol of making proper introductions, displaying cultural awareness and much more so that your business is positioned to succeed."

On Monday, WTC Savannah will offer a workshop on protocol designed to help area businesses do just that.

The training will ensure business professionals are well versed in the basics and nuances of international protocol and etiquette to avoid mistakes that could stunt or destroy relationships central to successful commercial and cultural exchanges.

Chris Young, President of International Protocol and Diplomacy for the Protocol Officers Association and the former Executive Director of The Protocol School of Washington, D.C., will conduct the training.

Among the topics he will discuss are:

• Basic international protocol and cross-cultural literacy;
• Conversations;
• Greetings;
• Titles and forms of address;
• Body language;
• International travel and effective representation while traveling abroad;
• The art of gift-giving;
• Basic entertaining;
• Processes for doing business and coordinating events where international order of precedence, customs and cultural differences are critical.

IF YOU GO

Protocol training for doing business internationally will be held from 1:30 to 5 p.m. Monday at the World Trade Center Savannah building on Hutchinson Island. Cost is $25 and registration is required. 

For registration and more information, go to www.wtcsavannah.org/events.