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| A cross cultural shopping experience can be much more... |
Shopping in Morocco…
If it’s your first time in the Arabic culture, this might be …a nightmare?
I remember my first times, trying to get good deals on cement tiles that I would have to transport to Europe.
My idea of coming here, picking what I wanted and prepare for export was NOTHING like I could have imagined in my wildest dreams.
Some of the issues I had to deal with: (just some!)
- They all convinced me that theirs were the best.
- I was not really sure if they got what I wanted because everything I got to see was, huh, kind of not at all what I asked for. ‘Was it me?’
- How could I ever get anything done here? And how was my client in Europe going to respond on my useless attempt to get these beautiful old tiles for his farmhouse….
I can tell you…that first client had to go for an easier option and I, I was done with it! NEVER would I come here and spend any more of my precious time with people that were just trying to get a deal without even trying to look at it from my perspective.
My deadlines, my criteria for perfection and …my ego.
I had no clue about the culture and I made a big mistake! Ignoring one of the most important rules in negotiating and trading in Arabic culture. “TIME”
My love for the souks made up for a good deal, and my promise of Never Again was respected just as far as my next project :).
And I kept coming, learning and negotiating. My curiosity figuring out what was needed for smooth deals resulted in endless litres of mint tea (bitter AND with sugar).
Did I made one ‘mistake’? No, I made several and the AHA moment came when I realised no-one was making mistakes.
Everyone was acting, thinking and arguing from within his or her cultural patterns.
Anthropology was one of my favourite subjects at university and here I was!
When the student is ready, the teacher appears.
I WAS ready and eager to find out all there was to know in this process of interacting and setting a value to anything that is for sale!
Shopping had become, without me realising it, the topic for a study in the interaction between 2 cultures.
I made all the ‘mistakes’ there were to make. I went through all the emotions when negotiating and buying. From anger, frustration, despair and weird enough, shame!
But TIME is the best teacher. Time is beneficent for many things and so it was for me understanding the unwritten rules in sourcing and buying anything in the souks.
- Neither of the parties involved is wrong or right.
- When getting upset, take a break!
- Don’t take it personally!
- Make it fun! Fun and feeling good are the two most important steps in buying something here.
The next weeks, I will dig deeper into the 10 essentials for a stress-free souk experience.
Not only to get some things clear to you before you come here, but I truly hope, it will give you a new perspective on your own cultural behaviour too.
‘It’s in the non-judgement you can find the real deals'
The first essential we'll cover is...you can guess it by now: TIME.
Time is like a hand full of sand grains. The more you try to have a grip on them, the more you'll lose.
Stress is not because you lack time. It's because you packed it too much.
When you come to Morocco, leave your watch at home! It 'll work way easier ;)
If you're only interested in the fast way to get smooth deals, without the cultural ethics behind, there is my e-book! The easy 10 steps within the pocket no-nonsense advice. Get the book here
And what if you want a personal sourcing?
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