The invisible trap with english is being fluent enough to run a meeting, but not bicultural enough to realize you’re losing your audience.
The invisible trap with English is being fluent enough to lead a meeting, but not bicultural enough to realize you’re losing the person across the table.
Whether we’re talking about Private Equity at Ardian or innovation with La French Touch at Bpifrance, the conclusion is always the same: French technical excellence and creative ingenuity have absolutely nothing to envy anywhere else in the world.
I recently attended La French Tech Touch Vision, where AI, fashion, design, and the broader creative economy showcased an incredible concentration of talent.
I also had the opportunity to coach 30 outstanding scholarship students at Ardian’s headquarters through the Vox Populi association. As a reminder, according to the Financial Times rankings, four of the world’s top five Master’s in Finance programs are French (including HEC Paris and ESCP Business School).
Here’s why the illusion of “speaking good English” can lead you astray—and ultimately cost you deals or top talent when competing with global players such as BlackRock, Blackstone, KKR, Goldman Sachs, or Morgan Stanley:
The inverted structure: In France, we tend to build the context, develop the reasoning, and then deliver the conclusion. In London or New York, if you haven’t communicated the Big Idea within the first 15 seconds, you’ve already lost your audience.
The fatal false friend: If an American investor describes your project as “interesting,” don’t celebrate. In U.S. business culture, it almost always means: “Let’s move on.”
If you want to join a global industry leader, close high-value deals, or raise capital, forget about textbook perfection. Aim for effectiveness. Aim for impact.
A huge thank you to Ardian, Bpifrance, and Vox Populi for their trust and their commitment to excellence. French excellence has everything it takes to succeed on the global stage. All that’s left is to master the rules of the game.
Feel free to check out my LinkedIn page for more insights and discussions on this topic 👇