Lessons from a 16th Century Italian Salesman in China

The salesman is Matteo Ricci, a Jesuit missionary. Born in Macerata, Italy, trained in Rome, and under the patronage of Portugal, he traveled on mission first to Goa, India in 1578, and on to Macau in 1582. From 1583 until his death in 1610 he traveled back and forth across China. During this time he came under the patronage of the Emperor Wanli, and allowed free access to the Forbidden City. I just finished reading Jonathan Spence's innovative biography of Ricci, The Memory Palace of Matteo Ricci, and there are plenty of lessons to learn on doing business in China from Ricci's efforts in selling Catholicism to China.

Marketing Techniques Need to Be Adapted to the Local Market
Catholicism can be a difficult sell to a civilization with a trinity of its own (Confucianism, Daoism, Buddhism). To get the bodies into his spiritual store, Ricci desired to train the sons of the wealthy and powerful in the Memory Palace technique (or Method of Loci) to help them pass their government exams. Ricci was not entirely successful in this endeavor because the Chinese had plenty of mnemonic devices already specifically tailored for the exams.

But Ricci's own use of the Memory Palace drew audiences to him because they were convinced that it was evidence of his skill as a masterful alchemist, and that the Jesuits themselves were powerful alchemists. Silver was valuable in China at the time, and the Jesuits seemed to always have endless supplies of silver which they traded for silk and mercury. The silk was from Portugal's silk monopoly with Japan where silver was in abundant supply. The mercury piqued Chinese interest much more than silk, though, because in all civilizations mercury was suspected of having alchemical properties. Turns out the mercury was being used to treat ore to amalgate out pure silver in Portugal, Spain, and the New World, which was then shipped back for trade in China.

Technology Sells as Well in the 16th Century as It Does Today
So Ricci had the appearance of magic on his side, but he also brought Chinese into his spiritual store and eventually to conversion with technology and science, specifically imported maps, mathematics, and clocks.

The Portuguese were the greatest sailors in the world at this time, and their maps matched their prowess at sail. This was impressive to many Chinese which by this time were not trading on the seas, and even viewed the coast as dangerous due to the prevalence of Japanese piracy in China in the 16th century. Ricci had maps commissioned with all of the place names translated into Chinese. These maps brought many into the fold.

Ricci, with the help of Chinese disiciples, produced the first Chinese translation of Euclid's Elements. This brought a theoretical understanding of geometry and astronomy to China that had been lacking. Additionally, Thomas Aquinas had viewed mathematics as an "admirable topic of study," and the Church endorsed this view.

Clock making, from large clocks on the wall to clocks that could be worn around the neck, was flourishing in Europe. China had a strong history of clock-making, but the skills had disappeared in 1127 with the Northern Song. Ricci used the clocks to gain favor with many an official.

Recognize the Importance of Chinese Technology
Ricci was not blind to all that was going on around him, and he noticed that the Chinese had profound scientific knowledge in astronomy. The knowledge was observational, not based on theory grounded in geometry, but it surpassed astronomical observation and prediction in the West.

Just Because It's a Developing Nation Does Not Mean the Chinese Are Not Perceptive
When Ricci traveled he brought with him gifts for eunuchs and powerful bureaucrats, clocks, art, and the like. When he first arrived in Beijing, all of the foreign guests were forced to stay in one particular boarding house. The other guests brought gifts, but they were of an inferior quality, such as sick horses. Ricci not only quickly moved out of the boarding house, but he also eventually had his own house.

Don't Be Afraid to Make Mistakes & Learn Chinese Culture
When he first arrived, Ricci thought that he should dress like a Buddhist monk because they are the holy men of China. After he learned their status in society, he quickly changed tact and dressed as a Mandarin, bearded and in the most expensive clothes he could afford.

Ricci also learned the language fluently. It took him 10 years before he was confident enough to write in Chinese for general consumption, but this time paid off.

Conclusions
Ricci was fairly successful in converting Chinese to Catholicism. It might not be Catholicism as we tend to think of it. He had a hard time convincing beyond the notion that the Virgin Mary was not his God, but he was almost executed after a eunuch took offense at his cross.

The style of the book is not for everyone, but it teaches a lot about 16th century China, Portugal and world trade. Plus, it has a few universal lessons that are even helpful today.