What Americans really think about doing business with Brits

Richard Goring, managing consultant at BrightCarbon, is British and has lived in the US for just over a year.

I started working with Americans straight after university. On my first business trip out here I found Americans loud and gregarious, and I didn’t really get it. Their enthusiasm seemed false; I’ve since come to realise it’s not. Americans tend to be more optimistic and celebrate success far more than the British.

Americans blur work and personal lives a lot more, so you’re more likely to see colleagues and clients in a social setting and friends and acquaintances will be far more interested in your job. Networking seems to be a bigger deal in the US than the UK.

As much as I love and admire many things about America, humour is not one. I have been brought up on satirical, sarcastic and subtle humour, which – Jon Stewart aside – is difficult to track down here. It may be because the British find it much easier to laugh at themselves.”

Judith Clegg is founder and CEO of consultancy firm Takeout. Clegg is British and lives and works in New York.

Americans and Brits both have a fabulous sense of humour. Brits should watch their self-deprecating streak in the US though. If you play down your achievements, Americans take it at face value.

Sport is a small-talk staple in both countries and many Americans are clued up on the Premier League, which is fun if your team is playing well. But I’ve noticed Americans seem more keen on celebrity chit chat than Brits.

The British way of speaking and presenting needs adjustment to be effective in the US. Brits often imply meaning without making it explicit. Americans don’t, so Brits have to learn to be a lot more direct to be understood. Americans have a much more straightforward approach and are comfortable talking about their strengths.

In New York, it’s not unusual to go to three or four business events in one night so you are expected stay for a shorter time at each. In the UK, there may be more emphasis on building trust through relationships that have been cemented outside of formal business meetings.”

Richard B. Taylor is a shareholder and accountant at HLB, Gross Collins in Atlanta, Georgia. He is American, with a number of British clients.

Dealing with UK business people is closer to dealing with American business people than any other country. But our accents set us apart – I sound like a redneck from the south and Brits have a sexy tone.

Brits are very matter of fact in business; they rarely get emotional, whereas American CEOs get worked up. The British are pretty direct too – I’ve never lost a UK client because they’ll tell me about any problems.

My lack of knowledge about British terms can cause confusion. One time I was talking about my kids playing in the ‘yard’ to a British client and we were on a totally different page for a minute or two.”

James Anthony, president of Enrich, is British. He’s worked in New York, Detroit and Atlanta.

Business in the US is more about getting the job done than spending time on pleasantries. Meetings tend to be sharper; Americans get on with it and get out of there. That translates to emails too – Americans’ messages tend to be more of a stream of consciousness; they wouldn’t set an email out formally like Brits do.

Money is much more a focus here than in the UK – it always comes up in meetings. Return on investment is much faster here.

Americans talk about sport all the time. A lot of importance is placed on college [university] sports here; everyone’s got an opinion on them. And Americans tend to use sport analogies in business.

Everyone knows Americans like the British accent – that’s a real asset in business. People automatically think you’re intelligent and that gives you a head start. The American sense of humour works better in business though – it’s more direct. Ours is darker, more sarcastic and can be inappropriate in a work environment.”

Faith Dwight is an American living in the UK. She’s run her photography business, Faith Dwight photography, in Bedford since 2011.

When I first moved to England I tried to tone down my ‘Americanness’ because I thought it might make people uncomfortable. But I’ve realised that my Americanness – my southernness more specifically – is a bit of a unique selling point. So I’ve made the most of my bubbly and familiar nature here.

I’ve noticed that Brits seem to despise phone calls; it’s all about email. Occasionally, when I ring a client, they seem a bit shocked.

We’re masters of small talk in the American south. We tell the person next to us in the supermarket queue our innermost feelings. I’ve had to tone that down in the UK.

That stereotype about Brits and the weather? Totally true. Now that I’ve lived here for a few years, I’ve mastered the art of weather-related small talk. You can see why people talk about it so much. It’s really bad a lot of the time, and that’s something you can instantly bond over.”

Iain Bluett is the co-founder of Ticket Alternative, Freshtix and TA Ticket Printing. Bluett is British but he’s lived and worked in the US for 20 years.

I remember thinking how much friendlier Americans were when I first arrived. When I walked to the bus stop each morning, people in the neighbourhood would say hello as I passed. It’s not that way back home; you walk down the street trying not to make eye contact. The American approach is better for business. It’s much easier to get a conversation started here, which means networking is easier, too.

I lived with a fellow Brit when I first moved here, so I’ve kept my accent – and it’s a good ice breaker. Americans like to talk about Britain. I still love it when Americans ask if – because you’re from England – you know their friend James who lives there.

America really is the land of opportunity and you get a pat on the back and a ‘congratulations on your success’, which you don’t get as much in the UK.”

Matt Reents is American. Reents has worked in the UK for eight years, mostly in the civil service.

Americans are more straight-forward, which can seem blunt to Brits. It’s the Brits’ roundabout politeness that I find the most different. I’ve learnt to read between the lines: when a Brit says ‘that’s interesting’, it normally means the opposite. Americans are also more comfortable with self-promotion; this can come off as a bit gauche in Britain.

Meetings in America are more transactional – we stick to an agenda, usually start on time and there isn’t a lot of chit-chat (we save that for the networking drinks or meal). In Britain there are a lot of pleasantries and talking around the topics before diving into the agenda.

I love the self-deprecating and witty way Brits handle touchy situations. Brits have the best sense of humour, hands down.”

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