As the English language increasingly takes over as the dominant tongue of global business how much is this trend mirrored by British mannerisms and etiquette similarly sweeping the globe?

Is tea becoming the beverage of choice for executives in Moscow and is small talk of the latest cricket test translating to a precursor of deal making in Venezuela?

The answer has to be a resounding no, nein, non, niet. For English, especially in IT and high tech industries may becoming increasingly the language of choice anyone looking to do business abroad still need to do their homework on local customs and get the cultural translation right.

A failure to interpret this body language translation correctly could break the deal before they've even sat down.

Each region of the world is very much hanging if not reinforcing its own business customs and culture maybe even as a bulwark against the seemingly unstoppable march of the English language.

Whereas in the UK business cards tend to be sloppily thrown over the table given a casual glance and tucked away quickly into the wallet or handbag in South Korea such behaviour would set you off on the very worst footing.

In the Far East business cards are respected, an exchange to be studied and questions to be asked about. Anything less would be seen as a great insult. And always, always presented with two hands.

To make an even bigger impression get it translated on one side into Korean. Little touches like this is one step closer to speaking the language of business on their terms.

It takes time to seal the deal in Asia. New colleagues cannot be rushed. The language they use will all be all around learning about their business colleagues. They appreciate the worth of personal relationships over recommendation or track record and the language the this takes time.

Across the Pacific though the opposite is true. Business in the USA can be blunt to the point of rudeness. They may speak the same language but the reserved UK entrepreneur may find it all just a little too brusque. For Britain prizes subtlety as a cornerstone of the negotiating process with nuances foreigners may lose in translation.

If the British entrepreneur is reserved to an an African this might translate as aloofness, for here personal space is not so important. Kissing newly introduced colleagues three times on the cheek is normal – for males and females, but even between male on male colleagues it is common to see hand holding. Not something that would translate generally well to the City of London.

But how to read the signs? Research is the key and getting a good translation service on board is as good a starting point as any. Translation services are a godsend for anyone venturing into a new market for the first time. Getting a professional who knows the local language and customs who can provide briefings and contacts can mean the difference between a successful trip and a failure.

So although English is on an upward spiral as the lingua franca, to successfully seal the deal there is nothing like a little local knowledge gleened though a good language service to smooth the way.