RECAP

Americans are experts at sending post-visit messages. Every single person who plays a role in a particular visit gets a nice note. This gesture is a mixture of politeness and politics. Hanging on the walls of carpet stores in Istanbul’s Grand Bazaar are such letters, signed by the presidents and vice-presidents of countries who visited the stores. Obviously there is a person assigned to note down particular moments and write the notes on behalf of the leader to the zillion people the politician met on his trip.

In business, this behavior plays a different and more important role, especially in cultures like Turkey’s. Whether they are expats or Turkish executives, I hear quite a few friends complaining about how difficult it is to convey a company’s overall strategy to their business partners in Anatolia. They pay visits to different cities in order to observe, listen, and explain their business strategies. In a large company, it takes them at least another year to visit the same place to observe the changes. It is very frustrating if the changes do not take place between these two trips.

I advise them to act like the presidents by adding five minutes to their visits when they return to their offices and writing a nice letter to thank the host and summarize what was discussed during the visit. Nowadays, you can even do this on your way back home with mobile devices, but it is not as effective as a signed letter. Writing a letter gives the impression that you are back in your own environment, but still remember the host and the details that were discussed. A letter signed in ink by an important executive from the organization will certainly be framed and hung on the recipient’s office wall. It is something to look at every day and to proudly show to other people.

The reason for this is very simple. In Turkey, business is in the middle of a transition from verbal to written culture. In most parts of Anatolia, verbal contracts are still the most common binding agreements. Word of honor is the main enforcement. Strategies are not black and white as they are for international executives. Therefore, you do not have many written documents circulating between parties. This is why such recognition letters are unique and valuable to them.

The content is also very important. It should be eloquent enough to be hung on the wall, but also delicately containing your guidance. Positive statements such as “I am sure your contribution and guidance will enable us to progress in such and such a manner” can be very effective. If written well, these letters are as effective as the financial benefits provided for such progress. Relationship management is one of the most important pillars of doing business in Turkey. At the end of the day, the extraordinary hospitality people show you when you visit Anatolia deserve a lot more than a simple thank you letter.