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Outsourcing Expert: American Firms Should Learn from NBA Star Jeremy Lin’s History

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St. Peters, MO-The good reputation for professional basketball player Jeremy “Linsanity” Lin, the initial American in the NBA of Chinese descent, might help American firms study the dos and don’ts of outsourcing to China, revealed interviews with international business expert Gary Kellmann.



The 1st lesson, said KDK Consumer Solutions CEO Kellmann, could be the importance of learning about a different business partner as a way to establish a relationship according to respect rather than distrust.



“Jeremy ‘Linsanity’ Lin struggled with cultural misunderstandings for decades when dealing with NBA scouts and coaches,” said Kellmann. “The outsourcing lesson for American businesspeople would be to have some humility when confronted with an international business partner. Many Americans head to Asia with a chip on their own shoulder and lose credibility immediately with their potential business partner. If you need to get anything accomplished, find out more about your future partner and their culture before meeting them.”



Kellmann also emphasized the value of looking into an international partner’s history, available testimonials, and past successes.



“‘Linsanity’ wasn’t offered any athletic scholarships away from high school, went undrafted taken from college, and was neglected by scouts and coaches professionally,” said Kellmann. “If these scouts and coaches had simply looked over his past successes and character, which were a resume for his future success, maybe they would have given him an opportunity earlier. This is exactly why American businesspeople want to do their homework in relation to potential overseas business partners-research can change up surprising results. I have had many first time clients come to us because they didn't do their homework with their first Asian partner and so they lost a lot of money, over used on molds, and lost production time, thus losing valuable orders from other customers.”



Finally, Kellmann stressed the importance of scrutinizing a future partner’s background with regards to education, experience, and community involvement.



“Harvard graduate Jeremy Lin’s smarts and experience were actually a disadvantage when trying to acquire noticed by the NBA,” in accordance with Kellmann. “They failed to identify this bright Economics major who has been involved with his community attending college as a future basketball star. What American businesspeople need to read is that the value of a well-educated partner with plenty community involvement and business experience will not be underestimated. I know many small , medium-sized companies that don't take a look at these strengths before they begin working with Asian partners. They just look at the ‘sizzle’ of a big showroom, tradeshow booth, or clean factory, not the particular people behind this ‘sizzle.’ And because of that, they lose out on future business partners who have the talent rather than the flash.”



Kellmann also stressed that, despite these potential pitfalls, the storyplot of Jeremy Lin’s ultimate success shows simply how much can be gained from relationships between American and Chinese partners.

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More resources for navigating Chinese culture or doing business in China, please contact Gary Kellmann at Gary@kdkcs.com or visit his company website at KDKCS.com.