BUSINESS CULTURE.

GERMANY.DEUTSCHLAND.

INTRODUCTION

• Greetings are formal.• A quick, firm handshake is the

traditional greeting.• In general, wait for your host or

hostess to introduce you to a group.

ADRESSING

• Shake hands with everyone including children, say “Guten Tag”, but not “how are you?”! And keep eye contact when greet somebody;

• Use title and last name to address people. Say Herr (Mr) or Frau (Mrs.) and use the formal pronoun “du” when talking to elder people.

PERCEPTION OF TIME

People in Germany have monochronic view of time:

- punctuality;- one task at a time;- step by step manner;- rules;- conformity;- speed.

SMALL TALK

• No Such Thing As Small Talk;• Do feel free to have serious

discussions on politics and philosophy. They do not like idle chit-chat.

BUSINESS NEGOTIATIONS• Do not sit until invited and told where to sit. There is a rigid

protocol to be followed.

• Meetings adhere to strict agendas, including starting and ending times.

• Treat the process with the formality that it deserves.

• Germans prefer to get down to business and only engage in the briefest of small talk.

• Make sure your printed material is available in both English and German.

• Contracts are strictly followed.

• You must be patient and not appear ruffled by the strict adherence to protocol. Germans are detail- oriented and want to understand every innuendo before coming to an agreement.

• Business is hierarchical. Decision-making is held at the top of the company.

• Avoid confrontational behavior or high- pressure tactics. It can be counterproductive.

• Once a decision is made, it will not be changed.

DRESSING

• Be formal. Dress formally for business functions. No shorts and extremely casual wear. Ladies do not wear flashy jewelry and accessories.

YES NO

TABOOS• Using the signs of “Nazi salute”,

shout “Heil Hitler”, or show swastikas or other symbols of the Third Reich is a criminal offense and punishable up to five years imprisonment.

• Making a circular motion using the index finger while pointing to the side of one’s head is a rude gesture indicating that someone is crazy or deranged.

• Germany is fifth most alcohol-drinking nation in Europe;

• The legal drinking age in Germany is 16 ;

• In Germany, beer is about same price as water and drinking alcohol in public is common as well as legal;

• “Biggest social problem” according to Peter Lang head of drug prevention and abuse at the German Center of Health Education

• 1,7 million Germans are dependent on alcohol.

USE OF ALCOHOL

GIFTS

• If you are invited to a German's house, bring a gift such as chocolates or flowers.

• If you bring wine, it should be imported, French or Italian. Giving German wines is viewed as meaning you do not think the host will serve a good quality wine.

• Gifts are usually opened when received.

FLOWERSPresent the hostess with a bunch of flowers, but remember:• Yellow roses or tea roses

are always well received.• Do not give red roses as

they symbolize romantic intentions.

• Do not give carnations as they symbolize mourning.

• Do not give lilies or chrysanthemums as they are used at funerals.

NO

RELIGION

• Christianity is the largest religion in Germany with 52 million adherents (about 62% of population)

• The second largest religion is Islam with 4 million adherents (5%) followed by Buddhism and Judaism.)

OTHER

• Do not wait to be seated at a German restaurant. It is common to share tables with a stranger.

• Do not jaywalk. Nobody else does, and you might get fined.

• Do not ever ask for tap water at a restaurant, which will be equated with stinginess.

• Do not put your elbows on the table when eating.• Have cash with you. Many restaurants don’t take

credit cards.

sources

• noelty.com (perception of time)

• dw.de (The highs and lows of Germany's drinking culture)

• slideshare.net (Germany)

• traveltaboo.com(Germany travel tips - DOs and DONTs)

• kwintessential.co.uk (Germany profile)

• eupedia.com