Taking Your Own Interpreter is a Good Idea
You should take your own interpreter if possible. It is reasonably common for leading Chinese business people to speak some English but rare for them to negotiate in the language.Expect that all business will be transacted in Chinese. An interpreter is necessary and the Chinese will supply one, who will usually translate accurately enough. However there are several advantages of bringing your own interpreter with you. If you are negotiating a deal or agreement that contains complicated legal or business ideas, or has a mass of details, you can brief your own interpreter before you leave your own country and make sure that he or she understands what you want and what the technical phrases actually mean. This can prevent a lot of misunderstanding once in China. Another reason is that your own interpreter can choose to soften your language, or select the best phrase to put a blunt point over, or correct the other person’s name if you get it wrong. Their interpreter has nothing to gain from doing these things to help you. Finally, just like an Overseas Chinese team member, your own interpreter can tell you what they are saying among themselves, watch their body language, check that they really do understand, and provide a route for indirect communications.
By convention, if you take your own interpreter, he or she translates what you say, and the Chinese-supplied one translates what the other side says.
If you cannot take an interpreter with you, then before going to China you should make a list of all the technical terms that you think might be used and get them properly translated.
You could usefully send a copy of the list to the Chinese side before you leave, to allow their translators to brush up in these areas, which can reduce misunderstandings and speed up the negotiations.
Speak slowly and carefully
It is important to speak clearly and concisely when negotiating. It is easy for lack of communication to exist and for the Chinese side not really to understand what is being said.
This is especially so if the interpreter is young or is not familiar with your sort of firm or business. If you have your own interpreter or an Overseas Chinese on the team, warn them to listen to the translation and check it. When you are not getting your message across, the Chinese are unlikely to admit they do not understand (they would lose face), and in any case they may think they understand but really have an incorrect picture of what you are saying.
It is a good idea to repeat your points using different words, and hammer home the essence of what you want to say. Good teachers have been described as those who tell you what they will say, say it, then tell you what they said; the same approach can pay off for you. Only if your opposite number has excellent English should you not do this. Naturally if he lived in New York for fifteen years and is totally fluent, you would only annoy him—such people are however rare.
You should never feel embarrassed at repeating points made earlier by a colleague on your team—Chinese negotiators like repetition, and it helps them to see your team as being united and with a common message. This can lead them to trust your company more quickly.
If different members of your team say different things, they might worry that you are unreliable and possibly are trying to treat them unfairly or rob them in some devious foreign way.