潘威廉是如何推销中国的(2)

作者:网站采编
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摘要：正如我那位在华盛顿特区的中国学生一样，我有时也会因为外国人的偏见和尖刻评论感到沮丧，但我知道很多时候是源于对方的无知。如果能帮助他们像我

正如我那位在华盛顿特区的中国学生一样，我有时也会因为外国人的偏见和尖刻评论感到沮丧，但我知道很多时候是源于对方的无知。如果能帮助他们像我们一样看待中国，他们也许可能会爱上这片土地和这里的人民。

例如，这些年来，我帮助了十几个中国城市参加国际花园城市的竞选。2002年在德国时，一位受过高等教育、见识丰富的欧洲市长对我说：“过去我不知道中国有高楼大厦。”这令我十分震撼。中国拥有现代医学也同样出乎一些人意料。而代表所谓“客观”的评审员们也有自身的偏见。

幸运的是，我理解他们，所以我能够未雨绸缪。首先，我把他们看作顾客而不是评审。因此，站在评审团前与一群专业且资金雄厚的外国团队竞争时，本该十分紧张的我却丝毫不受这影响！这当然归功于我在学校教授商科，对推销方法谙熟于心的事实。

第二，我不去和他们冲突、争吵。我深知无法在与客户或评审的争论中取胜。甚至我想争赢我的妻子都很难做到。此外，他们的一些批评也不无道理，当然，那是因为所有国家都面临着一些同样的问题！也是在认清这点后，我打开了他们的心扉。我帮助他们不仅意识到这里的人们有同样的希望和恐惧，还面临着同样的问题，与此同时，他们可以从这里学习到解决这些问题所用的创造力以及智慧。也许最重要的是，我把我的中国故事个人化了。我给他们展示一个他们从未见过的中国。

“Regime” is another word that was neutral 50 years ago but today always refers to an “evil” , like Chinese, is a living language, and changes with the historic and political ordinary, daily conversation, of course, if we’re too cautious about every word, we won’t dare open our mouth! We can’t be paranoid about this. But when we “tell China’s story”, in English or any other language, we must also “sell” that story by crafting it carefully and trying to put ourselves in our listeners’ shoes because they probably have not had the good fortune to have experienced China as you and I have.

Like my Chinese student in Washington, D.C., I sometimes am frustrated by foreigners’ prejudices and snide remarks, but most of these are rooted in ignorance. If we can help them see China as we do, chances are that they too will come to love both the place and the people.

For example, over the years I helped a dozen Chinese cities compete in competitions for livable international communities, and in Germany in 2002, I was shocked when a highly educated and well-traveled European mayor said to me, “I did not know that China had tall buildings.” Another was surprised that China had modern medicine. And the so-called ‘objective’ judges had their own biases.

Fortunately, I understand foreigners’ ignorance and prejudice so I prepared in advance. First, I chose to see them not as judges but as customers. I’d have been nervous as a competitor in front of judges, competing against professional,well-funded foreign teams. But I was not at all nervous about selling my Chinese city because I teach business and I know how to sell!

Second, I did not confront them or argue. I know I can’t win an argument with a customer, or a judge. It’s even hard to win an argument with my own wife. Besides, some of their criticisms had a little truth, but that is simply because all countries have the same problems! And that is how I opened their eyes and hearts. I helped them see that Chinese have the same hopes and fears, and the same problems, but they could learn from how Chinese have used their creativity and wisdom to solve those problems. Perhaps most importantly, I personalized my China story. I showed them a China they’d never seen—my China.

我用幽默打破障碍。我展示了警察骑自行车的图片，讲的是中国警察骑自行车工作，以促进健康的生活方式。而且我还说道：“自行车警察很难抓到汽车里的罪犯，公平起见，罪犯也骑上了自行车。”我所用的形象是外国人能理解的，比如道教的阴阳符号。他们知道这意味着平衡，借此我展示了古人如何强调人与自然的平衡，以及现代中国如何试图在发展和环保中找到平衡。这种方式非常直观。我还同他们分享了一座古城。这座古城以盆景闻名于世。继而，我展示了现代城市是如何平衡人与自然，如楼房、公园和道路之间的平衡，这就像在打造一个巨型盆景。

在我助选的国际花园城市竞赛中，除了一次其余都获得了金奖，还有3个城市获得双金奖。一位欧洲评审说：“我们不知道中国有这样的城市。你的城市不仅第一，而且第二名也难望其项背啊！”一位加拿大市长说：“我们需要教授加拿大人民像中国人民一样团结合作。”一位欧洲领导人说：“了解中国城市创造性地解决我们同样也面临的问题，真是受益匪浅。”

文章来源：《母婴世界》 网址: http://www.mysjzzs.cn/qikandaodu/2021/0624/1231.html

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