Knowing what kind of communication culture your dialogue partner has can help you avoid getting lost in translation.Anthropologist Edward T. Hall (Columbia university) divided communication cultures into two types: high-context and low-context cultures. In short:

• Low-context cultures ppl (USA, Canada, Germany, Russia) tend to speak directly, they want to hear a clear “yes” or “no” right away.
• High-context cultures ppl (Arabic and Asian countries) lean towards a more subtle way of speaking.

In this article, we will focus more on the latter. If you want to read more about business approaches with low-context cultures, click here.

• people often use connotations: what is not said (context) has the same meaning as what is explicitly said.
•  eye movements, facial expressions, gestures have great significance.
• people need to know the cultural context well in order to understand the essentials when their dialogue partner glosses over something or uses polite phrases.

Cold outreach in email won’t be very effective when pitching Arabic investors.Before reaching out to an Arabic investor with your business proposal by an email, try to connect with them personally at events, via shared network, or at least on LinkedIn, where you can introduce yourself in a personal message, advises Vera Surzhenko, an independent communications coach, based in Dubai.

A zoom call won’t replace a meeting in person for establishing a trusting relationship. No serious decisions can be made if partners only communicate in zoom. It also helps immensely if you’re based in the UAE: arabic investors will be more interested to discuss an investment round if even only a part of your team is based here.

There should be a deadline in the email, said Dr Alzubaidi. It’s better to take into consideration longer deadlines in case you and your Arabic investor are doing a joint project for the first time. There should be enough time for both of you to get to know each other and learn more about the startup product. So don’t rush your first deal.

In a typical situation in the startup world, when a company sends a pitch to the investor in an email, the response can take two or three days, Dr Alzubaidi said. Urgent questions can be discussed in messengers, said Mikhail Tugin, client relations specialist at NSV Consulting.

Mrs Surzhenko recommends sticking to a general guideline:

• it’s reasonable to wait for about one to two weeks before first polite following up. This follow-up is crucial as it demonstrates your interest and commitment without being overly persistent.
• If your follow-up still doesn’t elicit a response, you might consider waiting another couple of weeks before attempting one last follow-up. Beyond this point, it’s generally advisable to refrain from sending more emails to avoid appearing pushy.
• Expert does not advise to send a second follow-up. One should be enough.

In the opening phrase in a letter to an Arabic investor it’s respectful to acknowledge the investor’s position and reputation, advises Mrs Surzhenko: “I am writing to you with great respect for your expertise in …and your well-known contributions to…”

Finally, after successful emailing and messaging, you’ve come to discuss your future meeting.

Ask investor if you could meet in one of these places:

• Your office. In this case prepare drinks and snacks in advance.
• Office of your partner. When offered food, it’s polite to accept it, compliment its quality and hospitality.
• A neutral place like a cafe.

If you are the one who has to make a choice, go for a mid-priced place in the city centre, advised Ms Pogodaeva. The best option is a well-known coffee house chain, as these establishments have service standards and will therefore not cause any inconvenience.

Don’t choose an extravagant place:

note: it’s possible that your investor will ask you to join them on a dinner at their home. “It doesn’t happen often, but when it happens, it means that a personal relationship has been established,” said Mr AlMajid. However, as he noticed, it doesn’t guarantee that there’s an agreement on the investments so don’t get over excited.