Very often I am asked “What are you doing? What is your company doing exactly?”

So here is  the concise response that you can find on my LinkedIn profile:

1) Develop and implement cross-cultural communication strategies to help people from different countries work better together. (www.bucquet.us)

2 )Help start-up companies and small businesses to develop a marketing adapted to their goals and markets. (www.marketing4startup.com)

3) Train managers about the French culture by customized programs about French language and culture.(www.thefrenchlesson.com)

Of course this is just the short version, and I shall be more than happy to discuss about what I can do for YOU when we meet. In any case thank you for your attention and check my websites. Any comment (positive preferentially) will be welcomed.

A bientôt?

Jean

“it is not what you have; it is what you do with it, that is important”.

What do you think of this? Do you agree or not? and why?

Jean

Protocol and business.

In business French tend to be rather formal and conservative and they greet each others by using “Monsieur” or “Madame” with a light handshake. If you arrive for a meeting do not forget to salute and greet everybody in person.

Prior appointment is the rule and remember that punctuality is more than a sign of courtesy because if your time is precious, the other’s one too.

Social life.

To be invited to visit someone’s home is not very usual, unless you are already a good friend, and in this case remember to bring a little gift as wine (not a bad one!) or flowers. French people have a different way to see privacy; so do not ask to visit the house or the apartment.  Very often the bathroom is “la salle de bain” where you wash yourself and that’s it, so if you need to satisfy another necessity ask for “les toilettes”.

Cuisine is a very important part of French way of life; so do not forget to compliment the Chef. Don’t be surprised that your plate is not completely full because French people know what is portion control.

About the topics of conversation,  try to avoid personal questions, politics and money. Good topics are culture, (anecdotes about the differences between your country and France without any critics), literature, and movies, the weather, the travels in other countries with any anecdote.

And the most important: try to speak a little of French as

-“Merci” for thank you

-“S’il vous plait” for please

-“Bonjour” for hello

-“Au revoir” for good-bye

this is the minimum you have to know.

This sort of day that you will remember when all is grey around you.

You can be anywhere, alone or not but you know at this very moment that you ARE, fully.

And you are grateful for this simple moment, for all what made this time happening.

Holidays are finished for most of us, but you harvested these memories to go through the other days.

Remember the smell of the ocean in this end of afternoon?

Nobody can take that away from you.

maybe it is what some call happiness? Maybe…

Jean