{"id":1066,"date":"2026-08-13T16:08:26","date_gmt":"2026-08-13T08:08:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/hq-kitchen.com\/?p=1066"},"modified":"2026-08-13T16:08:26","modified_gmt":"2026-08-13T08:08:26","slug":"what-can-you-learn-from-tv-shows-as-an-international-salesperson","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hq-kitchen.com\/?p=1066","title":{"rendered":"What Can You Learn from TV Shows as an International Salesperson?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>For many people, watching TV is simply a way to relax after work. But if you work in international trade, sales, or export, the right TV shows can also become a useful learning tool.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You do not need to watch business documentaries all the time. In fact, some dramas and comedies can help you improve your English, understand communication styles, and even learn useful lessons about negotiation and business.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Here are several types of shows worth watching.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">1. Shows for Improving Spoken English<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>If your customers are from different countries, good communication is one of your most important skills.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Shows with a lot of natural conversation are especially useful. Sitcoms and workplace dramas are great because characters usually speak in everyday English rather than formal textbook English.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For example, shows such as <em>Friends<\/em>, <em>The Office<\/em>, <em>Suits<\/em>, and <em>Modern Family<\/em> contain many common expressions, small talk, jokes, disagreements, and casual conversations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Do not try to memorize every sentence. Instead, pay attention to short expressions that you could actually use with customers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For example:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li>\u201cLet me check and get back to you.\u201d<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>\u201cThat sounds reasonable.\u201d<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>\u201cI see where you\u2019re coming from.\u201d<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>\u201cWhat would work best for you?\u201d<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>\u201cLet\u2019s see if we can find a solution.\u201d<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>These expressions are simple, but they appear again and again in real business conversations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">2. Shows for Learning Negotiation<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>If you want to improve your negotiation skills, <em>Suits<\/em> is an interesting choice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Of course, the show is exaggerated and should not be treated as a real business textbook. However, it provides many examples of how people use information, questions, timing, pressure, and silence during negotiations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>When watching a negotiation scene, try asking yourself:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>What does each person actually want?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This is more important than simply listening to the words.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For example, a customer may say, \u201cYour price is too high.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The obvious response is to discuss the price. But a better salesperson may ask:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>\u201cCompared with which option?\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The customer may actually be worried about delivery time, payment terms, quality, or internal approval rather than price itself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Good TV shows can remind us that negotiation is often about discovering the real interests behind someone&#8217;s words.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">3. Shows for Understanding Business<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>If you want to develop your commercial awareness, business dramas can be very useful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Succession<\/em> is a good example. It involves family business, corporate power, investment, management, and internal politics.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Mad Men<\/em> is another interesting choice because it focuses on advertising and sales. It shows how companies understand customers, create value propositions, build brands, and present ideas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You do not need to understand every business detail. Instead, observe how people think about:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>customers \u2192 value \u2192 competition \u2192 money \u2192 risk \u2192 relationships.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>These are also fundamental concepts in international trade.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">4. Shows for Understanding Customers and Relationships<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>International sales is not only about products and prices. It is also about people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Shows with strong interpersonal relationships can help you notice emotions, hesitation, conflict, trust, and different communication styles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Even a comedy can teach you something.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For example, when a character avoids saying \u201cno\u201d directly, you can ask yourself:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Is this really a yes, or is it a polite no?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>When someone says, \u201cI\u2019ll think about it,\u201d what might they actually mean?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>When a customer suddenly becomes quiet, are they interested, confused, or simply busy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>These questions are very relevant in sales.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">5. How to Turn Watching into Learning<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>You do not have to study while watching every episode. That would make relaxing feel like another work assignment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A better method is the <strong>80\/20 approach<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Watch 80% for enjoyment and 20% for learning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Choose only three things from each episode:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>One useful expression.<br>One communication technique.<br>One business idea.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For example, after watching an episode, you might write:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote\">\n<p>Expression: \u201cLet me get back to you.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote\">\n<p>Communication technique: Ask questions before defending your position.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote\">\n<p>Business idea: The cheapest supplier is not always the best supplier.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>That is enough.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You can also replay a short scene and imitate the speaker&#8217;s pronunciation and rhythm. This is especially useful for improving spoken English because you are learning complete sentences in context instead of isolated vocabulary.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">6. And Sometimes\u2026 Just Watch Something Funny<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Finally, not every show needs to improve your career.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Sometimes you have been answering customer emails all morning, discussing prices with suppliers, checking production schedules, and dealing with shipping problems. At lunch, watching a funny TVB comedy such as <em>My Little Darling<\/em> (<em>\u8001\u8868\uff0c\u4f60\u597d\u5622!<\/em>) may be exactly what you need.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Relaxation is also part of productivity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The goal is not to turn every minute of your life into professional training. The goal is to build a habit of noticing useful things while enjoying yourself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For an international salesperson, a good TV show can be more than entertainment. It can give you new English expressions, negotiation ideas, business perspectives, and insights into human behavior.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>So the next time you open Netflix, YouTube, or a TVB drama, you can simply ask:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>\u201cWhat can this show teach me?\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And if the answer is \u201cabsolutely nothing, but it made me laugh for 40 minutes,\u201d that is also a pretty good result.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" src=\"https:\/\/hq-kitchen.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/08132-1024x768.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1068\" srcset=\"https:\/\/hq-kitchen.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/08132-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/hq-kitchen.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/08132-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/hq-kitchen.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/08132-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/hq-kitchen.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/08132-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/hq-kitchen.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/08132-600x450.jpg 600w, https:\/\/hq-kitchen.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/08132.jpg 1706w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>For many people, watching TV is simply a way to relax after work. But if you work in international trade, sales, or export, the right TV shows can also become a useful learning tool. You do not need to watch business documentaries all the time. In fact, some dramas and comedies can help you improve [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1067,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/hq-kitchen.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1066"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/hq-kitchen.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/hq-kitchen.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hq-kitchen.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hq-kitchen.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1066"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/hq-kitchen.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1066\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1069,"href":"https:\/\/hq-kitchen.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1066\/revisions\/1069"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hq-kitchen.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/1067"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/hq-kitchen.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1066"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hq-kitchen.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1066"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hq-kitchen.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1066"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}