Cultural Differences - Timing

I'm becoming more and more aware of the cultural differences of doing business in India, especially at this point in regards to timing.

In the US, if a client is interested in something, especially for themselves rather than a full corporate program, the decision making process is pretty short: they sample, they buy or they think about it for a short time and buy, or they have a specific request (like call me in 3 months when my manager says there will be funding).

In India, I find things to be very different: more players, longer deicison making periods (or at least wait times), and less certainty in moving forward. Of course, it makes sense that spending corporate $$$ on training is tighter now and that things have to be looked with greater scrutiny, but the buying patterns are decisively different.

In some cases, they are unpredictable. Clients buy, but you don't see them coming! You may be in negotiation with someone who disppears and resurfaces with an intent to "go forward" unexpectedly or someone who seems on track to go forward may back out at the last minute with little or no explanation.

This can happen in the US, but usually it's related to the company making the sale dropping the ball in the communication or follow through process. With India, it seems to related to something else.

My focus is not on the frustration (although culturally, that is one component!) but rather on the opportunity to learn how Indians buy ... the mental process behind making a decision is culturally different from how Americans making buying decisions. I have a strong suspicion that knowledge in this area would not only help to make the process more comfortable but also would shed light on what to do and say (or not do and say!) along the way.

I welcome any thoughts/comments on this topic!