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Clickcornertoturn10ClubNoticeBoardCNBaSuffolk-basedsmallbusinesswith6staffhasbeenbuildingwebsitesforovereightygolfcoursesaroundthecountryforthelastnineyearsandhasrecentlybrokenintooverseasmarketsbothinEuropeandbeyond.Visitorsfromoversixty-onecountriesalsoaccesstheirwebsiteswithastaggering25millionhitsperyear.ThecompanyspresenceinChinastartedwhenIanDuncanwhorunsCNBrespondedtoanenquiryfromChinaviatheirwebsiteinwhichhewasinvitedtovisittheGuangzhouGolfShow.AlthoughthecompanyfeltitcouldnotjustifytakingstandspaceattheshowitdidoffertohelpinthedevelopmentofgolfinChina.IanconfirmsthathewastheonlyEnglishmaninvolvedinthedevelopmentduringhisvisittoChinayetmanyothernationalitieswererepresented.AsIanpossessednoknowledgeoftheChineselanguageatthetimeandhisChinesecontactsspokelittleornoEnglishhespentmuchofthetimesittingonthestandinsilence.ThemostembarrassingpartofgoingtoChinawasnotbeingabletounderstandmuchofwhatwassaid.WhenonthegolfcourseIcouldntevenperformabasictasksuchasaskthecaddiestheirname.IwastalkingtothetoppeopleintheChinesegolfingcirclesandcouldntevenhaveaconversationwiththem.OnhisreturntoEnglandandsubsequentparticipationintheUKTradeInvestmentPassporttoExportprogrammeIanheardabouttheEuropean-fundedLanguageandCultureforBusinessprogrammeinSuffolkwhichwasabouttostartabeginnercourseforlocalbusinessesviavideo-conferencingoutofalearningcentreinEye.IanpromptlyjumpedattheopportunitytolearnChinese.SaysIaneverybodysaiditwasahardlanguagetolearnbutIlookedforwardtoTuesdaymorningsasitwassomuchfunandIcouldnetworkwithotherclients.IhadtoworkhardatitbutalthoughImfiftyIdidntfindthatIwastoooldtolearn.Themostusefultopicswereintroducingoneselfhotelbookingsbusinesstalkmeetingsandgeneralsocialice-breakersentences.IanalsomanagedtopracticeonhisChineseneighboursandthelocaltakeawayNoticingthedistinctcompetitiveadvantagethataknowledgeofthelanguagecanbringIanconfirmsthatnowwhenIvisitChinatheChinesefalloverthemselveswithmybasicconversationbutIamtheonlyforeignerinthedevelopmentgroupwhocouldspeakChineseandmystandinginthepeergroupwasenhancedconsiderably.TobeabletogooutforamealandorderthefoodonbehalfoftheUSandFinnishmanagerswasadefinitebonusnotonlyweretheyimpressedbuttheChinesewereamazedasatfirsttheywerentexpectingmetotalkinChinese.IwasfarmoreconfidentandwasalsoabletonegotiatewiththetaxidriverwhomIknewwasoverchargingme.LearningChinesehasimprovedmyFrenchaslearningonelanguageleadsyoutobuildtheskillsandgaintheconfidencetolearnanother.ClubNoticeBoard