What do you think?
Rate this book
Say Anything to Anyone, Anywhere: 5 Keys To Successful Cross-Cultural Communication
The five steps to successful selling, negotiating, and managing multi-culturally Say Anything to Anyone, Anywhere gives readers five simple key guidelines to create rapport and organize strategies for success across different cultures. This book teaches to be proactive, not reactive, in your cross-cultural communications and shows how to use simple rapport tools to create trust with the cultures you work with or travel to. Learn how to organize productive interactions in person, on the phone, and by email. Discover interpersonal communication skills and virtual strategies that build strong relationships. This step-by-step guide to cross-cultural business will help you build strong relationships and manage successfully, no matter the cultural differences.
- GenresCommunicationNonfiction
256 pages, Hardcover
First published March 19, 2013
7 people are currently reading
46 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
February 4, 2025
Say Anything to Anyone, Anywhere sounds like the kind of book that’s going to unlock the mysteries of cross-cultural communication, offering deep insights into how to navigate different customs, languages, and business etiquette around the world. But reading it feels less like discovering new strategies and more like sitting through an extended promotional pitch for the author’s consultancy services.
The book is structured around five key principles, promising to help readers communicate effectively across cultures. While the framework is clear and easy to follow, the actual content feels somewhat surface-level. Most of the advice is pretty basic—things like “be respectful,” “observe body language,” and “don’t assume everyone thinks like you.” Solid reminders, sure, but nothing groundbreaking if you’ve had even minimal exposure to international environments or diversity training.
Cotton shares anecdotes from her consulting experiences, which add some real-world flavor, but many of them seem to circle back to a subtle (or sometimes not-so-subtle) message: “Hire me, and I can teach you more.” It’s not that the stories aren’t interesting, but they often feel like case studies designed to showcase her expertise rather than to dive deeper into the complexities of cultural differences.
If you’re new to the idea of cross-cultural communication, this might serve as a gentle introduction. But if you’re looking for in-depth strategies, fresh perspectives, or cultural insights beyond the basics, you’ll probably finish the book feeling like you’ve skimmed the surface—and that the “real” content is waiting for you in a paid seminar.
My Key Takeaways
1. Do Your Homework
Research basic cultural norms, values, and business etiquette before meetings.
Understand hierarchy, gender roles, and communication styles.
2. Be Mindful of Communication Styles
High-context cultures (Asia, Middle East): Indirect, value relationships, non-verbal cues matter.
Low-context cultures (US, Germany): Direct, task-focused, clear verbal communication.
Adjust tone, formality, and body language accordingly.
3. Active Listening is Key
Don’t assume understanding—paraphrase to confirm.
Observe non-verbal signals: silence, pauses, gestures often carry meaning.
Be patient with language barriers; avoid slang or idiomatic expressions.
In some cultures, silence is part of respectful communication—don’t rush to fill it.
4. Show Respect for Cultural Differences
Greet appropriately (handshake, bow, nod) based on local customs.
Learn a few basic phrases in the local language—it shows respect.
Avoid sensitive topics (politics, religion) unless you’re sure of the context.
5. Flexibility Over Assumptions
Don’t assume your way is the “right” way—be adaptable.
Be open to different negotiation styles: some cultures prefer building trust before deals, others go straight to business.
Understand time perception:
Monochronic (punctual, scheduled—US, Germany)
Polychronic (flexible with time—Latin America, Middle East)
The book is structured around five key principles, promising to help readers communicate effectively across cultures. While the framework is clear and easy to follow, the actual content feels somewhat surface-level. Most of the advice is pretty basic—things like “be respectful,” “observe body language,” and “don’t assume everyone thinks like you.” Solid reminders, sure, but nothing groundbreaking if you’ve had even minimal exposure to international environments or diversity training.
Cotton shares anecdotes from her consulting experiences, which add some real-world flavor, but many of them seem to circle back to a subtle (or sometimes not-so-subtle) message: “Hire me, and I can teach you more.” It’s not that the stories aren’t interesting, but they often feel like case studies designed to showcase her expertise rather than to dive deeper into the complexities of cultural differences.
If you’re new to the idea of cross-cultural communication, this might serve as a gentle introduction. But if you’re looking for in-depth strategies, fresh perspectives, or cultural insights beyond the basics, you’ll probably finish the book feeling like you’ve skimmed the surface—and that the “real” content is waiting for you in a paid seminar.
My Key Takeaways
1. Do Your Homework
Research basic cultural norms, values, and business etiquette before meetings.
Understand hierarchy, gender roles, and communication styles.
2. Be Mindful of Communication Styles
High-context cultures (Asia, Middle East): Indirect, value relationships, non-verbal cues matter.
Low-context cultures (US, Germany): Direct, task-focused, clear verbal communication.
Adjust tone, formality, and body language accordingly.
3. Active Listening is Key
Don’t assume understanding—paraphrase to confirm.
Observe non-verbal signals: silence, pauses, gestures often carry meaning.
Be patient with language barriers; avoid slang or idiomatic expressions.
In some cultures, silence is part of respectful communication—don’t rush to fill it.
4. Show Respect for Cultural Differences
Greet appropriately (handshake, bow, nod) based on local customs.
Learn a few basic phrases in the local language—it shows respect.
Avoid sensitive topics (politics, religion) unless you’re sure of the context.
5. Flexibility Over Assumptions
Don’t assume your way is the “right” way—be adaptable.
Be open to different negotiation styles: some cultures prefer building trust before deals, others go straight to business.
Understand time perception:
Monochronic (punctual, scheduled—US, Germany)
Polychronic (flexible with time—Latin America, Middle East)
July 26, 2017
Ms. Cotton should have written this book in a different format. She should have simply reviewed other academic literature on these topics and interjected her opinions and experiences and anecdotes. The fact that I felt like she was just shooting from the hip the whole time gave me pretty serious credibility issues to her theses because I didn't think they were fleshed out with actual research.
Lean on the body of scholarship that is already out there and your anecdotes would come to life.
This book was well-written and fun to read, it was just not as substantive as I would have liked.
This is a useful book for Ex-pats and students who need cultural IQ.
Lean on the body of scholarship that is already out there and your anecdotes would come to life.
This book was well-written and fun to read, it was just not as substantive as I would have liked.
This is a useful book for Ex-pats and students who need cultural IQ.
March 10, 2016
A good book on cross-cultural communication full of fun facts, tactics for gaining credibility, friendship-inducing phrases, and faux pas. A wide range of obstacles to communication prevent the achievement of global, regional, and individual goals. This book highlights some of these obstacles and provides philosophies, perspectives, and practical tips to help readers improve communication.
Listening skills, maintaining eye contact, being sensitive to specific cultural differences, and many more topics were discussed. I'm not a communications expert, but I also knew much of the material in the book. Many people fail to communicate by simply failing to see the activity as a 2-way street. It is not what is said (verbal, written, or body language), but what is heard that truly matters. Of course, the sender's intent plays a part, but so does the receiver's. As a Toastmaster, I like to say that people speaking need to learn to listen more and people listening need to learn to speak more for the best quality speaking engagements (for both speaker and audience). The same applies to all forms of communication and cultures. This book addressed some of the nuances regarding cross-cultural communication.
The book was a little redundant at times. With just a little work I believe it could have been about 1/2 the length. I now "really" know how to (and how not to) beckon someone toward me in different parts of the world. The story was told about 5 times throughout the book.
Overall a good book and anyone interested in international business or travel (beyond the resort) could take a look at this introductory book on cross cultural communication.
Listening skills, maintaining eye contact, being sensitive to specific cultural differences, and many more topics were discussed. I'm not a communications expert, but I also knew much of the material in the book. Many people fail to communicate by simply failing to see the activity as a 2-way street. It is not what is said (verbal, written, or body language), but what is heard that truly matters. Of course, the sender's intent plays a part, but so does the receiver's. As a Toastmaster, I like to say that people speaking need to learn to listen more and people listening need to learn to speak more for the best quality speaking engagements (for both speaker and audience). The same applies to all forms of communication and cultures. This book addressed some of the nuances regarding cross-cultural communication.
The book was a little redundant at times. With just a little work I believe it could have been about 1/2 the length. I now "really" know how to (and how not to) beckon someone toward me in different parts of the world. The story was told about 5 times throughout the book.
Overall a good book and anyone interested in international business or travel (beyond the resort) could take a look at this introductory book on cross cultural communication.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews