German Business Culture
Presentation The German People Meeting & Greeting Names & Titles Corporate Culture Dress & Gifts Helpful Hints
The German People Language: Germany (83. 0 million) Austria (8. 1 million) Switzerland (7. 3 million) Value order, privacy, punctuality Are thrifty, hard working, industrious Respect perfectionism Have sense of community, strong desire for belonging Appear reserved, unfriendly until you get to know them better
Meeting & Greeting Shake hands with everyone present when arriving, leaving. Never shake hands with one hand in your pocket. When introducing yourself, never use your title. Introduce yourself by last name only.
Names & Titles very important. Never use titles incorrectly. If unsure, err in favor of a higher title. Use last names, appropriate titles until told otherwise.
Corporate Culture Contacts vital to a business success. Use bank, German representative or Chamber of Industry and Commerce. Rank very important in business. Strict vertical hierarchy. Power held by small number of people at top. Deference given to authority. Subordinates rarely contradict or criticize boss publicly. Decisions debated informally before meetings with compliance rather than consensus expected in meeting.
Corporate Culture Meetings formal, scheduled weeks in advance. Take punctuality for meetings seriously. Remain silent until addressed or able to make an informed contribution. Take business very seriously, no levity. Are competitive, ambitious, hard bargainers.
Corporate Culture Decision making slow with thorough analysis of all facts. Plans cautious with fallback positions, contingency plans, comprehensive action steps. Uncomfortable handling unexpected.
Dress & Gifts Being well, correctly dressed very important. Gifts not exchanged at business meetings. Give books, bourbon, whiskey, or classical music.
Helpful Hints Germans more formal and punctual than most of world. They have prescribed roles and seldom step out of line. Don't be offended if someone corrects your behavior. Policing each other is a social duty. Don’t lose your temper publicly. Compliment carefully and sparingly. Stand when an elder or higher ranked person enters room.
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