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In Singapore, when one orders char siew fan (rice with barbecued pork) he gets siew yoke (roast pork) and siew cheung (roast sausage) as part of the deal. Author Benny F. H. Lee, a trade consultant, who isn’t too fond of barbecued pork, always tell the stallholder to hold the char siew and give him the rest. When he did the same in Hong Kong, the stallholder grew mad with rage. In Hong Kong, char siew fan means rice with barbecued pork and nothing but. Telling him to hold the char siew meant asking him for plain rice.That incident wrenched Benny out of the delusion that he understood the culture in Hong Kong simply because he shared a common Chinese dialect. The same is the case with many international marketers who assume they know a foreign market because they speak the local language.

In his book Hold The Char Siew, Benny breaks down the basics of marketing in the Asian continent. To his credit, Benny has over thirty years of international marketing experience. In 1994 he left the corporate world and set up his own export consultancy. Since, he has successfully consulted with MNCs in various countries. He is also a well-known speaker and writer, who has been published in The Business Times among others.
“Here is an excellent book written by someone who has walked the talk in International Marketing in Asia. I recommend it to anyone who is interested in marketing in Asia coming from the West.”
—Professor Dipak C. Jain, Dean, Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University

“This book represents an important synthesis of the practical with the conceptual for people interested in International Marketing. His discussion of cross-cultural and “criss-cultural” marketing is…a must read.”
—Professor Christopher Earley, Dean, National University of Singapore Business School

“Benny’s book should be read…for its wealth of experience, reflections and practical advice. His treatment of Hong Kong and China provides useful reference for anyone serious about accessing the booming China market through Hong Kong.”
—K. K. Lam, Director, Hong Kong Economic & Trade Office (Singapore)

“This book will appeal to firms starting their journey in international trade as well as experienced exporters. If only I had Benny’s book when I began, I could have had a head start on the opposition!”
—Clive Drinkwater, Director, UK Trade & Investment (North West)
Benny Lee Fook Heng has over 30 years of international marketing experience, 18 of which were with multinational corporations like Caterpillar, Bekaert, Blue CircleGroup, Polytek and Singapore Technologies. He was Singapore Technologies’ Regional Director for Europe, Middle East and Africa from 1988–1994. In 1994, he left the corporate world to set up his own export consultancy practice, Benroth International, which has successfully consulted with many global companies in the United Kingdom, United States, Italy, Luxembourg and New Zealand, including ArcelorMittal Steel Group, the world’s largest steel company. In 2004, Lee was appointed the Trade Consultant to Wales Trade International in Shanghai, Hong Kong and Singapore. He is frequently invited to speak at international seminars in Japan, China, UK and Singapore.

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Hold the Char Siew! Exporting to Asia, One Man’s Journey