YT27 | This Hainanese Tells the Secret to Crack the Chinese Business Market

Meet Benjamin Cheng. He is currently the Chief Inspiration Officer for Mind Inspirations LLP. He is also the Head of training curriculum development for several companies, helping them customize their training system for Success and Master Trainer to roll out these programs globally.

Cheng talked about what it’s like to be Hainanese in Singapore and do business in China. We speak about the intricacies of doing business in China, exploring cultural nuances, and the importance of finding a common ground. Benjamin shared his thoughts on how Chinese management styles, highlighting the importance of relationships and being humble when dealing with different cultures. Tune in for an enriching dialogue that transcends borders and celebrates the beauty of cultural exchange!

Discussion Topics: This Hainanese Tells the Secret to Crack the Chinese Business Market

• Introduction: Introducing Benjamin Cheng, a Hainanese in Singapore and working with China.
• Growing up as a Hainanese: Benjamin explains the Hainanese dialect’s origin and talks about his upbringing in Singapore with a father who migrated from Hainan.
• Family and Education: We discuss Benjamin’s family background, his education journey, and being the first generation to attend college.
• Life Lessons and Failures: Growing up, loneliness and setbacks shaped his personality. He talks about his failed business at age 28 and the lessons learned.
• Doing Business in China: Benjamin’s business consulting in China, discussing the cultural nuances, respect, and the importance of understanding local customs.
• Cultural Differences and Observations: Cultural differences in communication styles, humility, and indirectness between the Western and Asian cultures.
• Tolerance in Singapore and Global Perspectives: Singapore’s tolerance, diversity, and how the world can learn from such a multicultural society.
• Parenting and Balancing: Insights into parenting, the challenges of being a strict father, and the need for balance in parenting styles.

Transcript: This Hainanese Tells the Secret to Crack the Chinese Business Market

Yana Fry: Welcome to another episode of YanaTV. Today our guest is Benjamin Cheng, who is a business consultant, speaker, coach, and trainer and we’re going to be talking about what it means to be Hainanese in Singapore, working with China and see where this conversation is going to take us. Benjamin, thank you so much for joining us today. Thank you. Let’s demystify the word, Hainanese, so what kind of dialect is it specifically

Benjamin Cheng: My father, at age of nine, It came from an island south of China Hainan Island, and it took a boat and came to Singapore. my dialect group, Hainanese.

Yana Fry: So your father and your grandparents, right? Were born there and grew up there. And so here you end up growing up in Singapore. How was that growing up in Singapore when you were little?

Benjamin Cheng: My dad at age of nine, he surviving through At age of 19, he followed an uncle working his way from an apprentice 30 years become the in those days the technology are not very advanced. And, but he’ll be away for seven, nine months. number one, I grew up quite lonely. a lot of things on my own. But probably that also helps I love to And that curiosity where I have a By the way, I’m 53 and I’m As they say, and so growing up those days we weren’t family. my mom and dad, sole salary. five

Yana Fry: So your parents, of course, didn’t go to college, right? It’s your siblings, you and your siblings were the first generation who went to college.

Benjamin Cheng: my mother

Yana Fry: Wow, congratulations to you and your mom.

Benjamin Cheng: real fighter. A very strong lady, very strong willed and very strong minded.

Yana Fry: it means that you come from a very humble upbringing and also with your father traveling a lot and not being home because he has to work. So in here you are spending so much time by yourself and with yourself and mom being busy So how do you feel all of that helped you to become who you are today?

Benjamin Cheng: I think what happened a lot by myself, and I have to imagine a lot of things. Probably because until today, I’m Because I’m a dreamer, I’m I’m willing to try things by trying sometimes you do get hurt Sometimes mistakes and from there you learn it I wish someone would be along the to do this not to However, probably that has also because in my family Nobody has gone into

Yana Fry: And you’re a business consultant now, right? So you have to educate yourself and now you also help other people to transform and optimize their businesses.

Benjamin Cheng: And because my mom, being a very when I was growing up she hard, degree, find a wife, get married, have children, work So what I’m trying to say is, however, because of my upbringing the setbacks I had very young, or I put my hands into I realized one much fun. that’s probably what up

Yana Fry: When you said that your business failed when you’re 27 28. What did you learn What did I learn or how did it impact you? tough questions today. I know Whatever

Benjamin Cheng: was at the time I really want to try my if I ever try Actually, I said the wrong thing.

I should have said, if I want to

Yana Fry: 30. I didn’t know that. Older mind, right? You’re programming yourself. Nobody taught

Benjamin Cheng: me that. Yes. And so when the opportunity came, probably all the money I have borrowed some. And it looks like a good However, partners that you have Because I was young. Innocent, full of and just try it. But because I failed today when I look if I failed, But of course, nowadays when I ever get involved I become

Yana Fry: boundaries, probably right.

Benjamin Cheng: I would say that I think not many there are a lot, but there are a lot of a fun you’ve done it once, they actually I failed more than once, but, and I look at myself,

Yana Fry: So you can trust also in your capacity to actually, learn things and reinvent yourself, right? This is probably, and it’s interesting, again, because now with the work that you’re doing, I would like you to share a bit more, especially about the China aspect.

So I’m just curious how is business

Benjamin Cheng: Let me start by saying that I’m I studied and therefore write, and what happened is transform China powerhouse, took them 40 what happened is China has gone However, there are some fundamental Chinese And our, ingrained within one, still believe Very strong sometimes relationship but may not have business. May not have

Yana Fry: business, when

Benjamin Cheng: you look at business there are some transformation. However, very much that you have a clan, when we call it, each other. What I call it in China, especially if I have a business. I will get together they grow together. part in China. But unless you are

Yana Fry: And unless you’re part of this tribe, you’re not going to get peace in a big business venture, right?

Benjamin Cheng: And so being the same little dialect group course, China is the management styles, it’s learned, they’re So they’re developing a lot of things For example, you look at China, their economy model is itself, Then, I, as I but how is business in China? Every province, to have one China is doing good, China is doing bad, property is bad, There is, there are and the price has gone down. However, China, the Chinese, way we look at money and In what way? Chinese, by so as much as the younger generation like to spending pattern is very different from the Western world is a very

if you look at China, everybody say the property price has So my question is how many research. So what I’m trying to say is because of the Chinese market.

culture of trying to save for A lot of times, as much as they spend, however, they’re They spend However, there’s a trend that the it’s a very, but we’re technological Huawei. Look at in Hainan The number of Brands I’ve never heard.

Yana Fry: It’s interesting, right? You have been sharing all those experiences about being part of the club or part of the clan or tribe, you could say. Are there women there? Okay. So it’s it’s not a gender, exclusive. If

Benjamin Cheng: you were to look at gender, China, because a communist background, Right. are ladies, because I was part of China, Qionghai. It’s they have a lady she China, interestingly, standing

Yana Fry: Interesting. And what about expatriates, like foreigners, right? So people who are non Chinese and like maybe other Asians or Westerners from all kinds of other countries that would like to do business

Benjamin Cheng: So for foreigners coming to China or working Chinese people are still the Bell Road However,

Yana Fry: Expect them to respect them, yes. How do you show respect in China?

Benjamin Cheng: Asian we are not upmarket. We’re more subtle. I don’t say, I’m Benjamin Chang. I’m good. We like people that. So we like the

Yana Fry: And so I can say this is Benjamin and he’s really good at that. But you can’t say it yourself. Yes. And then you humbly say, thank you. And so

Benjamin Cheng: there is that part where the Western world are Yeah.

Yana Fry: so it comes a bit of arrogance, right? Sort of, it could be perceived as you, you coming across as a bit of an arrogant or maybe too pushy, too full of yourself and then people don’t trust you, right?

Benjamin Cheng: then a lot of people look at I hear

Yana Fry: it very often, yes.

Benjamin Cheng: You guys don’t talk about yourself. Again, it’s a Not just I’m Tend to indirect. because And if you come across the world. So if you

Yana Fry: have been sincere and humble, this is what you’re talking about, right? Especially if you’re coming from the Western world, don’t open, I don’t know, the door with your food and start yelling how amazing you are, right? Send some presents. Maybe it’s always good and be gentle about how you approach people.

Benjamin Cheng: the Asian culture, So when they come over, a meal, nice meal. However, I know the Western world, they like to go

Yana Fry: That’s very often happens. Yes. Never in Asia. You never do this when you host. I’ll pay for

Benjamin Cheng: you and all that. I’ll pay for a meal. You pay for a meal. And again, that’s a very cultural thing. One story, we were having dinner After when we decided No names mentioned. Someone

Yana Fry: Yeah, which you don’t do.

Benjamin Cheng: For us, from Singapore, we do understand the different culture. We understood what happened.

Yana Fry: Yes. It is just not aware of the cultural

Benjamin Cheng: aspects,

Yana Fry: so what would be then the correct thing to do for a foreigner in this situation? To

Benjamin Cheng: ask. To ask. I think it’s always to ask. Okay. And to observe. Because interestingly, The Western media covers only themselves . Sadly, they don’t even know Singapore

Yana Fry: That’s why we’re having this show. So we are, bringing more opportunity for people in Asia to just showcase themselves and, for their voices to be heard. And also in a way it is edutainment, right? That’s why we’re we’re not lecturing anyone, but instead I’m learning here.

So I’m doing it, right? I’m the one who is asking questions. But I also hope then the audience learns through our conversation.

Benjamin Cheng: if you look at two one, China, U. S.

Yana Fry: Not interested in Asia, I’m sorry to say. Yeah, in anybody else except.

Benjamin Cheng: Except U. S. Now suddenly when two persons from two different cultures come you realize that Singapore, as much as still can play we are

Yana Fry: Yes, and also there is a great level of tolerance here. As you said, I hear it often from experts, even though I don’t like the way when they say that Singapore is in Asia for beginners, I find it’s a strange way to say it. I can’t agree with this. It says to me, just people are just more understanding and the tolerance again is a bit higher here.

So it’s just with your example, even if someone does something which is culturally is not correct, no one really going to hold against, it because they will understand, maybe you’re new here, you don’t know the rules, so we pretend we have not seen that.

Benjamin Cheng: It will take a while, and again. even America, And then today, Right now China, for the next really survive and do good, I think the word can help to moment can, help both can start the it. will take the world is a tolerant,

Yana Fry: Ethnicity, religion, I mean everything.

Benjamin Cheng: We are the one that which other country in

Yana Fry: as Singapore. I don’t know. I don’t know one, and I traveled, I think all over the world. So that’s why I love Singapore

Benjamin Cheng: countries. I’m a Singapore.

Yana Fry: Which is an example, in how many other countries you would actually have people who look so different. Let’s say like you and I, and we would hold the same passport and there would be peace around it. And so in Singapore, so like for my experience, for example, it was very interesting that actually how happy local people were and how welcoming I’m like, wow that’s very heartfelt. It’s wonderful. Yes.

Benjamin Cheng: coming back to China, doing business with China, Beijing is very different from Shanghai. New York Angeles, Again, the Delhi, it’s very Yes. So again, China is so big. I and people come to oh, I heard the problem,

Yana Fry: which specific part of China industry are we talking about?

Benjamin Cheng: Yes. right now. You look at the phone, BYD a mobile phone, Huawei , and how? Which industry right? just want and think about your Children,

Yana Fry: you have to write so that grown up pretty much finished Still growing up. Still growing up. So when you look at them, you see them, the younger generation. And, of course, I can see you probably have been, are you a strict father? I think so. You probably are a very strict father. father. So here they are, grow up with you in a probably traditional strict Asian type of, interactions and family with everything that it comes with.

And so they’re the new generation. It’s still very exposed to the best and liberty and freedom, free of choices and everything. What is like the main message that you actually would like to say to your own Children and everyone else who are around their age?

Benjamin Cheng: It’s not easy being a parent. You hold the string too tight, they’ll You hold the so it is a balancing At times you need as a parent, A bit more liberty. A bit let It’s

Yana Fry: like a good cop and bad cop. In a way. You’re the bad cop.

Benjamin Cheng: yes. And the only way I men as they are. Get the We only can kind of decide what kind of And as parents, that’s everyone has their as much as from

Yana Fry: Thank you so much, Benjamin. That was a fascinating conversation about culture in China and Singapore and languages and ancestors and children and doing business and also common ground, but culturally common ground.

So thank you for joining us today and absolutely would love to hear from you guys that we have here. Chinese. Do we have here experts? Do we have here any other nationalities listening to us today? Please connect. And they love how Benjamin shared today that it’s all about finding the common ground. And we might look different.

We might speak different languages, believe in different things, but fundamentally we’re all humans. And that’s where we are connecting. And thank you very much to Muse Studio for hosting Kiana TV. We love being here and for you guys for being such a great audience. And if you would like to support us even more, So please share this episode with friends, invite someone to our channel, and I’m going to be seeing you next time.

Benjamin Cheng: And of course, for people who live in long enough, we have a very famous cuisine called Hainanese chicken rice, and everybody

Yana Fry: If you’re a foreigner visiting, absolutely try it.

Benjamin Cheng: Absolutely.