5 seminars I went to as a second year student of IBM

1. Slide cast seminars & reflection
Nicole Wong

2. Table of content
 Living and working abroad – Dirk Buyens
 Doing business with China – Jeanne Boden
 ACE It! – Steve miller
 International sales in practice – Eline Blanchaert
 Flyse is the limit - Flyse

3. Note
 Slide share has discontinued working with audio
since 2014. Therefore it is not possible to add
sound to this slide cast.
 As alternative my comments will be incorporated
into the slides. I will only show the slides that are
meaningful to me.

4. Living and working abroad -
Dirk Buyens,
Vlericks Business school
1/12/15– 18:15 – aula 4, Artevelde University College,
Kantienberg Gent

5. Abroad experience
 First stop: Valencia
 Second stop: Minneapolis
 Third stop: Beijing
 Forth stop: St. Petersburg
 … stop: Gent, Brussels, Leuven

6. Conclusion : abroad experience
 Always be modest and realizing how much you
might not know
 Realizing what you take for granted is not for
granted
 Life out there was lonely, everything was so
different.
 Learned the local language where ever you go
 Travel within own borders!

7. Why?: “The times they are changing”
 The world is “flat” vs. will never be flat
 The world is 1 open space, you can travel to
everywhere!
 “Being out there” is one thing, “having learned
something” is however the key question

8. What? : 5 core international competencies
1. Language skills (good enough beats perfect)
 Consider as showing respect -> good enough beats perfect
2. The outside-in-view
 Use glasses from home town to look at your home town
3. The Multi-ethnocentricity reflex
 Don’t remain superficial however every culture you will recognize
some patterns.
4. The Homelessness skill
 The need of emotional stability. Be aware of culture shock
5. Seeing through the cultural façade
 Try to adapt to different culture or at least try to understand.

9. 5 phases of international “encountering”
1. I see the nationality
2. I see a human being like me but different
3. I see things I don’t understand
4. I start to see patterns
5. I … ?

10. How to internationalise the curriculum?
“It is difficult to describe how ‘wet’ water is, without diving into it…”
But we can give it a chance by:
 The language challenge
 The proximity advantage
 Never underestimate your neighbouring countries. Even when you speak
the same language, culture can be different.
 The pragmatic solutions
 What do I want to do and how to put it into practice?

11. How to address it in a local context?
 Read/watch (international/other local) news(papers).
 Boost the Erasmus experience even if you stay
home:
 Have the internationals take the floor.
 Inform yourself on ‘their’ background
 Take internationals to your “home place”.
 Spend time with people you don’t know!
 Look for any international experience, but only leave
if you can “master” it.

12. How to prepare: ‘in advance’
 Think it over before you decide
 Learn the local language of where you go to
 Jump when you feel you have to. Don’t wait too long
 There is no ‘right’ nor ‘wrong’ place in the world to go
to
 Inform yourself on the place you go to.  show
interest
 Get to know yourself.  What will I miss about this
place?

13. How to behave once you are there?
 Reach out, because they won’t
 Show interest in them, and you will get interest back
 Look for similarities rather than stereotyping
differences
 Work hard!!!
 Open your mind
 ‘Act’ like a local
 Engage yourself

14. What is left when you return?
 Everyone is interested in your story: (for 30’’)
 Life went on, so don’t push yourself
 The repatriation is much more troublesome:
leaving is easier than coming back
 Behave ‘amongst’ your friends, not ‘above’ them
 Reflect on yourself
 Enjoy the memory

15. Short reflection
 Dare to take the step out of my comfort zone
 Never wait too long with a decision to go abroad because
the chance that I will back off is big.
 Enjoy the moment and make use of the opportunities I
get in life. E.g. Next year abroad
 Be open minded towards different cultures and
understanding. In IBM there is a very good mix
 Always be prepared whether it is for a encountering or for
a experience abroad.
 Understand that things will differ once I come back home
and be aware of that.

16. Doing business in China
Jeanne Boden
China Conduct
21/10/15 – aula 4, Artevelde University College,
Kantienberg Gent

17. A glimpse at a different
business context
Europe China
Has influence of the Roman democracy
Speak in public and everyone has a
voice
Legal system is rooted from the Roman
empire.
Private school at Beijing where they
learn how to conduct a debate.
Geographically huge. And differences in
all different parts of China.
Christian morality: Not allow to lie,
honesty and neighbourly love
Go through changes throughout the
years and has a fast speed of change
compared to Europe. Eg. building a
bridge.
Work with planning and stick to the
planning. -> Lose opportunity?
Europe as role model
Balance for work and private life

18. China’s business context
 mixture of influences:
 Confucian
 Based on Chinese ancient
philosopher Kong Ze.
 Not everyone is equal, strict
hierarchy system. Have to work for
your position
 Legalist
 Taoist
 Based on Chinese ancient philosopher Lao Ze.
 Communist
 Guan xi relationships
 Very important when doing business in China

19.  Hierarchy is very important in China. They
always have 1 head who is on the top.
 Currently: Xi Jing Ping is seen as the emperor
as the old days
 Information in China is always centralized
 Only 1 Press, controlled internet information
China’s business context
This is the hierarchy as in the
old days

20. Group dynamics
 Chinese follows 1 leader and he has the moral
power
 Relationships between people are hierarchical.
 E.g. group meeting: most important person will
be arranged in the middle. Important guests are
always in the right hand side + extra members to
show status

21. Group dynamics
 Business card  show status. Emphasize on
achievements. The leader has the most
influences on group dynamics
 Chinese speaks with 1 voice vs European just
say what they think and feel
 Walled complex
 They think with “outsiders” and “insider”.
 Everything is built like an unit, everything is in
walking distance once you enter an unit behind
those “walls”.

22. Way of working
 Guan xi: build up in the network takes time, before
you have a trustful relationship. The person should
be introduced in a right way.
 Tasks: clear outline and everyone is aware of their
place in the hierarchy.
 Life motivation is to climb up the ladder
 Decision making: Ying and Yang  always strive for
balance between black and white
 Language: try to learn their language  sign of
commitment.

23. Confrontation
 When there is a problem, talk to the person
individually instead of throwing on the table:
 Don’t ask personal opinion in public
 Soft power: building in a sneaky way that we
don’t even notice it. Very strategic but doesn’t
grow in a structured way!
 Avoid eye contact to
show respect

24. Short reflection
 I want to know about how Westerns business people
perceive working with Chinese people as later I will want
to work in China or with China
 As I probably will be perceived as “insider” because I
speak the language and have Chinese root, I want to
learn how Chinese people perceive working with
“outsiders”
 I understand deeply the system of hierarchy as I have
experienced it myself
 The concept of Guan xi is very important but can never
be fully explained because it differs with everyone. What
kind of relationship you want to build.
 Theory remains theory, the key is to use them wisely.

25. ACE It!
Steve Miller
Leadership coach & Trainer
09/02/16 – L.02.11 – 15:00 – Arteveld University College,
Kantienberg Gent

26. ACE It!
 To ace something (v)
 To complete with excellent results
 Ace (n)
 A person who excels at an activity
 Ace (pron)
 something, what ever you want to be. What you
are capable of living

27. The Game Plan
 Playing
 Deciding
 Responding

28. Playing
There is no passion to be found playing small -
in settling for a life that is less than the one you
are capable of living. – Nelson Mandela
Playing for outcomes:
 Action: tangible results, skills, impact
 Challenge: self-development, confidence,
learning
 Experience: fun, creativity, passion, new
perspectives

29. Playing tool: ACE model

30. Deciding
In any moment of decision, the best thing you can do is
the right thing, the next best thing is the wrong thing, and
the worst thing you can do is nothing. – Theodore
Roosevelt
 Deciding tool: Cartesian question

31. Responding
It's not what happens to you, but how you
respond to it that matters. – Epictetus
I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to
me and 96% how I respond to it. – Scipio
Africanus

32. Responding tool: SODA
 Respond effectively:
 Stop
 Observe
 Decide
 Advance

33. Short reflection
 I have learned the real meaning of ACE during this
seminar. When ACE become a pronoun, become
something I am capable of, then work is not work but
play. In general I only focus on ACE as a noun which
means I only focus on the achieving part but not self-
development.
 The tool out of the 3 different tools that I like the most is
the SODA. Often I respond too intuitively and regret
afterwards. I think this tool can be very useful in terms of
effective communication.
 Such seminar workshop on the practical side of daily
communication has more added value than theory
lessons in my opinion. These are the things you can
bring to practice later.

34. International sales in practice
Eline Blanchaert
Klingele Chocolate
10/11/2015– Aula 5 – Arteveld University College,
Kantienberg Gent

35. International business
 If you want to be successful, first your products
needs to be good.
 Next you have to make the decision of
distribution. Where do you want to sell them?
Where would your shelf be?
 “Every country is different and you will learn by
doing it.”- Eline Blanchaert
 A new customer doesn’t always means it’s a
good customer

36. Countries
 Japan: very strict but you know what to expect. They like to
check the samples. They ask 500g per flavour so they can check
in a laboratory. Also the price are easily accepted.
 UAE: a lots of diabetics so they are an important market. In the
meeting they constantly disappear because they need to pray.
Also no handshake with woman!
 Sweden, punctuality is very important. If you say you will call at 2
then it has to be at 2!
 Germany: they are very strict as well. Discipline and puntuality
 Australian: likes to party first.
 U.S.: you have to reply mails within one hour. If you are doing
business with them they are your best friends but when you don’t
do business with them anymore or having trouble, you don’t hear
anything from them anymore.

37. How to do business worldwide
1
2
3
4
Flanders Investment & Trade
FOLLOW UP
Combination of:
Desk research + Field
research
5
7 Networking & open your eyes and ears
Exhibitions
Sales alone will not lead to turnover
Know your product and determine
strategy & competitors
Keep up to date6

38. 1. Know your product and determine
strategy & competitors
 4 P’s: the marketing mix + the prayer ( bid)
 Price – Product – Place – Promotion – Prayer
 Market
 Competitors
 Check them in fairs
 Market information
 Market is different from country to country
 Strategy
 Focus on countries difference
 Try to differentiate themselves

39. 2. Exhibitions 3. FIT
 Exhibitions
 A place where you can meet a lot of people but
the art is to meet the right people/ right buyers. in
this case, you can send them invitation to make
sure they will be present.
 FIT: Flanders Investment and Trade
 A place where you can get international help as a
Belgium company. They also organize business
fairs.

40. 4. Follow up 5. sales alone
will not lead to turnover
 Follow up
 Keep in contact regularly through e.g. social media
like LinkedIn
 Make good arrangement
 Contact fiches
 Sales alone will not lead to turnover
 In a company there are more things that have
value.
 Respect and team work is essential
 Understand that everyone has other qualities

41. 6. Keep up to date 7. Networking &
keep your eyes and ears open
 Keep up to date
 Market changes constantly
 Don’t forget: currency rate evolution
 Other political problems e.g. middle east
 Networking & keep your eyes open
 Business etiquettes e.g. business cards
 Make use of social media tool: LinkedIn
 Either way you have to do something with your
contacts.

42. Short reflection
 This seminar is a good real life example of what we have
learned in the course Sales and Marketing in the first and
second year of IBM.
 She said” every country is different and you will learn by
doing it”. I cannot agree more on this statement. I work at
the airport where I can meet all kinds of different people
from different countries and different cultural
backgrounds. I see the difference between those people
and act accordingly to facilitate my job.
 I think that the 7 steps to do business worldwide are
important and for me in particular I need to work on step
4 (follow up). Sometime you need to find time to talk to
people just to keep in contact in case you might need
their help in the future.

44. Motivation
 How did I find this seminar?
 Through the Facebook of Richard’s friend back in
the university who also went to this event.
 Why did I choose this seminar to discuss?
 Of all the seminars I went to this year I think this
one is the most inspirational because it is given
by successful professionals in real life. As the
slides are not online I will give a summary of the
seminar through my own notes and my memory.
This way it is clear what I have obtained from this
event.

45. Motivation
 Why this topic is part of my professional interest?
 There are 2 speaker in this seminar, the CEO of Rodania
and the winner of the Gentrepreneur 2015. As a business
student studying to become a manager someday, I think it is
very interesting to hear successful managers speaking about
their experiences.
 During my work observation last year, my manager told me
that I won’t become a manager as soon as I graduate, it will
take a few years before I can really say that I am a manager
because this is something that needs time and experiences.
Just like our teachers always tell us, “manager by doing”
then why not listen to how a real manager become a
manager? what is the path they’ve gone through? And for
the startup, how did they “start”/manage it?

46. Philip Cracco
 CEO of Rodania but was not born from a rich
family. Before he become who he is now, he did
a lot of different jobs as a student. He went to
Vlerick business school with the money he
earned. The professor there says that he always
wanted to do things differently.
 He thinks that one can build the best thing by
taking ideas from different good things.

47. Philip Cracco
 One should always think positive
 Desalniettemin  DesalWELtePLUS
 Ondernemen  BOVEN GEVEN
 The sky is the limit  The sky WAS the limit
 Passion is very important. Do what you like to
do. Only way to hang on!
 Details make the difference. Stand out!
 If you want to fly like an eagle then don’t eat
with the chicken. – Philip Cracco

48. Maxim Sergeant
 Started a BVBA without knowing exactly what he
wanted to do. It was :”something with sponsors”
 Dare to take the risk. Later the company that works
with sponsors succeeded and sold to another
company.
 The 2 other co-founders launched 4 years ago the
concept of bakker.be but back then the market was
not ready yet. However, Maxim Sergeant saw that
soon, e-commerce will be booming so he suggest to
build a platform for local merchants . This is how he
started his B2B business.

49. Maxim Sergeant
 CEO = Chief EVERTHING officer
 When you have a start up, the title is not
important, it is about the things you do!
 The team is very important
 Not more than 3 (co)founders
 A good team is not about the numbers but the
work force: diverse skills
 Go to networking events
 Know how to sell yourself. What to sell? Why
should they buy?

50. Short reflection
 The fact that Maxim Sergeant had a BVBA without knowing
exactly what he is doing really struck me. I admire how much he
risk he dares to take as I am not so much a risk taker. I always
think “together strong” but never thought of too much people is
bad too.
 The path to the top for Philip Cracco was hard. He had a goal in
mind and he really goes for it. Like he said, don’t eat with the
chicken if you want to be an eagle. He also showed me how
important it is to be a lifelong learner. Keep yourself up to date to
the trends of the market and what your rivals do and be ready to
take the step to succeed!
 From both seminars I can feel the passion of both speakers for
the work that they are doing. I think it is very important in life to
know what you really want to be in the future and to work
towards that goal.

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