Dos and Don'ts of Dealing with the Reds

NEGOTIATING with the Communists in their home countries can be a vexing and perplexing experience for Western businessmen. A brief guide:

> Be yourself. Communists are eager to meet a genuine capitalist. One Manhattan lawyer suppressed the fact that his offices were on Wall Street, until he learned that his negotiating partners were intrigued by the thought of dealing with a real Wall Street lawyer.

> Bring your negotiating partners gifts --small ones. Anything from the West is apt to interest them.

> Discuss politics, if the other side wants to, but keep your cool. Most Communists at the negotiating level are relatively sophisticated politically and will respect a candid explanation of a Western country's position. Don't expect them to agree with you. The best you can hope for is a good-humored standoff.

> Don't try to speak the local language during negotiations, even if you can. Translators are more precise, and give both sides time to reflect before making replies.

> Invite your negotiating partners to visit you in your country. They may not be able to accept, but they will be flattered.

> Arrange for arbitration by neutral parties of any disputes that may eventually arise under the deal. The Swedes and Swiss or the International Chamber of Commerce in Paris are sound choices.

> Don't bring your wife, unless she likes to read, walk or visit museums; she may become lonely. Communist negotiators do not take their wives to the dinners that they will give for you.

> Don't try to appear sympathetic to Communism. Show respect for their system and compliment them on what they do well, but any overdone praise of Communism is likely to seem phony.

> Don't break any of the currency regulations. The black-market exchange rate for Western money will be much higher than the official rate, but a violation could weaken your position as a negotiator. Also, leave the local girls alone; they probably report to the secret police.

> Don't try to talk tough to speed up the negotiations. Your negotiating partners are required to check back with superiors and clear everything through many layers of bureaucracy. They may be moving as fast as they can. Occasionally, however, a ruse can help. One Western negotiator recently called his secretary back at headquarters and told her to expect him home soon because it was impossible to bring off the deal. He was hoping that the call was bugged. The next day his Russian negotiators said that they were ready to sign a contract.

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