21:05
Faizan
We have been in Guinea just over a week. We have business looked at goods and have shown the mine owners exactly what we want and what we cannot accept. We have an appointment for Thursday to buy. Because we have figured out how to eliminate the risks for all parties, it has taken longer to get through the process.
Before we came to Guinea, we had completed all due diligence. While in America, we slowly forged our relationships with the respective banks. It took over a week, but the banks finally agreed upon the verbiage for our financial instruments. All banking was completed before we came and we had completed and signed our contracts with the mines.
To most Westerners, who have not worked in Africa, they would think what was left would be quick and easy. Go to the mine office, pick out the goods, negotiate a price, give mazol (mazol means to close a diamond deal) send diamonds to get Kimberly Certificates, ship and go home. This is how it would happen in the West, but not in West Africa.
In Africa, everything slows down by a factor of 10. Everyone wants to have a pre-meeting to the meeting. Usually they want to meet you at your hotel. Of course, it is almost never a meeting with one person. Even though the other people may have nothing to do or say at the meeting, they will come.
Because they come to your hotel, African etiquette demands you offer them a drink or if it is near breakfast, lunch, or dinner, something to eat. It is funny how nearly all meetings happen at chow time, even when you schedule them for in between meal times. In all the times I have been to Africa, not once has anyone offered to pick up the check.
Years ago, this used to bother me. Why would a vendor expect the customer to pick up the check? Now, I just pick up the check and make up the expense in my price negotiation. Perhaps it is better this way, when a vendor pays for a meal you feel an obligation, even if it is subconscious. When I pay for the drinks and meals, I feel they owe me, and there is nothing unconscious about it, I want my money back.
When you finally sit down to look at goods, especially with new vendors, they rarely show you what you came to purchase. They want to test your knowledge. You expect D-I color, you see M-Z. You asked for clean goods, they show you Pique (heavily included) stones.
Only after, you have finished the compulsory 'dance' will they actually show you what you came to buy. Do not expect the parcel to resemble the manifest, not going to happen. You will have to examine the parcel as if all your conversations, manifests and contracts never existed. There is no sense in getting angry or upset. Accept it, and pick out what you want.
Before we came to Guinea, we had completed all due diligence. While in America, we slowly forged our relationships with the respective banks. It took over a week, but the banks finally agreed upon the verbiage for our financial instruments. All banking was completed before we came and we had completed and signed our contracts with the mines.
To most Westerners, who have not worked in Africa, they would think what was left would be quick and easy. Go to the mine office, pick out the goods, negotiate a price, give mazol (mazol means to close a diamond deal) send diamonds to get Kimberly Certificates, ship and go home. This is how it would happen in the West, but not in West Africa.
In Africa, everything slows down by a factor of 10. Everyone wants to have a pre-meeting to the meeting. Usually they want to meet you at your hotel. Of course, it is almost never a meeting with one person. Even though the other people may have nothing to do or say at the meeting, they will come.
Because they come to your hotel, African etiquette demands you offer them a drink or if it is near breakfast, lunch, or dinner, something to eat. It is funny how nearly all meetings happen at chow time, even when you schedule them for in between meal times. In all the times I have been to Africa, not once has anyone offered to pick up the check.
Years ago, this used to bother me. Why would a vendor expect the customer to pick up the check? Now, I just pick up the check and make up the expense in my price negotiation. Perhaps it is better this way, when a vendor pays for a meal you feel an obligation, even if it is subconscious. When I pay for the drinks and meals, I feel they owe me, and there is nothing unconscious about it, I want my money back.
When you finally sit down to look at goods, especially with new vendors, they rarely show you what you came to purchase. They want to test your knowledge. You expect D-I color, you see M-Z. You asked for clean goods, they show you Pique (heavily included) stones.
Only after, you have finished the compulsory 'dance' will they actually show you what you came to buy. Do not expect the parcel to resemble the manifest, not going to happen. You will have to examine the parcel as if all your conversations, manifests and contracts never existed. There is no sense in getting angry or upset. Accept it, and pick out what you want.
Posted in: business
