When in Rome, do as the Romans do.

Closing a deal has its tricks, but when you take the game overseas, you’ll quickly learn every culture has its own rules.

On this episode of Speak in Flow, global consultant Jonathan Holburt joins Melinda Lee to unpack how you win buy-in across borders. From breakfast meetings in Korea (with zero business talk) to launching a Guinness campaign that starred a "Nigerian James Bond," Jonathan shares lessons from 27 years of working across 20+ countries.

You’ll learn why listening is your most underrated tool, and how candor, competence, and concern create instant credibility, even over Zoom.

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

The 5-Step Buy-In Blueprint

Persuasion starts with decoding the room:

• Who really decides?

• Who influences quietly behind the scenes?

• What are they assuming you know?

• What’s unspoken, but crucial?

• Should you adopt, adapt, or invent your strategy entirely?

The 3 C’s of Trust

Trust may be universal, but the way you build it must be intentional. Jonathan breaks down what he calls the “3 C’s of Trust”: candor, competence, and concern. When all three are present, trust accelerates.

“They need to know you’re invested in their stakes, not just your pitch.”

Cross-Cultural Pitfalls (And How to Avoid Them)

• The Breakfast Test: Why Jonathan flew 7 h to Seoul for a social breakfast (no business talk!) to secure a Korean client’s trust.

• "Yes" Doesn’t Always Mean Yes: How silence in Japan or "We’ll do our best" in India often signals no.

• Remote Challenges: Why reading body language on Zoom is harder (and how to compensate).

At the heart of all these strategies is a simple but powerful principle: great leaders listen deeply. Jonathan encourages professionals to go beyond surface-level responses and instead tune into the deeper question behind every question.

"Be a good listener- people will reciprocate. Listen beyond the words: What’s the real question behind their question?"

Connect with Jonathan Holburt

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathan-holburt-38b28a4/

About the Guest:

Jonathan Holburt is a consultant at Reveal Growth, an Ohio-based firm, specializing in cross-cultural marketing and presentation skills. He spent 27 years in Asia leading campaigns for global brands like Procter & Gamble, McDonald’s, and Nokia, earning two Effie Awards along the way. He’s a Magna Cum Laude graduate of UCLA and currently lives with his wife in Orange County, California.

Fun-facts:

• 🌍 Around the World in 140 Stamps: Jonathan has traveled to 140 countries and is about to launch a travel blog to share insights from his global adventures.
• 📚 From Boardrooms to Big Screens: His novel Shadow Emperor was optioned by Cate Blanchett’s agent.

Melinda Lee is a Presentation Skills Expert, Speaking Coach, and nationally renowned Motivational Speaker. She holds an M.A. in Organizational Psychology, is an Insights Practitioner, and is a Certified Professional in Talent Development as well as Certified in Conflict Resolution. For over a decade, Melinda has researched and studied the state of “flow” and used it as a proven technique to help corporate leaders and business owners amplify their voices, access flow, and present their mission in a more powerful way to achieve results.

She has been the TEDx Berkeley Speaker Coach and has worked with hundreds of executives and teams from Facebook, Google, Microsoft, Caltrans, Bay Area Rapid Transit System, and more. Currently, she lives in San Francisco, California, and is breaking the ancestral lineage of silence.

Website: https://speakinflow.com/

Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/speakinflow

Instagram: https://instagram.com/speakinflow

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mpowerall

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