You forgot to remind the hotel receptionist to wake you up. After a night of mulling over what you are going to say in the meeting, you woke up to find out that you have overslept. Once again, you found yourself rushing to another meeting. You arrived twenty minutes late. You felt very uneasy as you entered the conference room. Nine pairs of eyes suddenly focused on you. And you couldve sworn you heard one of them say spt wieder, in a soft disapproving voice. Late again! You winced, knowing the impact of this blunder to your negotiations and silently hoped the situation ahead wouldnt be as grave as you thought it would be.
Youre late!
Sie sind spt! Siete in ritardo! Vous tes en retard! Voc est atrasado! Osoi desu! These are the words that you dont want to hear. Being late does leave a bad impression on people. It makes you look unreliable, irresponsible and inconsiderate. No one would like to make a deal with someone who would give him more stress and problems. Your clients impression of you can make or break your business opportunities.
You should also take into consideration that the embarrassment of being late can ruin your composure. No matter how...