Lazarus(Michael Aubee)

Germany is one of the business centers of the world

The world is shrinking!

It is reasonable to assume that many of us will have to do business on a world-wide scale

German citizens have their own ways of doing business

Today we are going to explore these differences

Don’t be late - Germans are a timely bunchIf for some reason it is unavoidable CALL AHEAD

Be ready with an apology and a reasonable explanation about why you will be late

Being late is considered an insult to the host

Don’t be a clown – Business is serious stuff to GermansBeing the group joker is considered

unprofessionalThis can make people doubt the validity of your

informationJokes are considered childish and inappropriate

Personal Space – Give a fellow some elbow roomGermans have a solid sense of personal space, if

this space is violated they will move to regain itDo not lean over or into your German partners, they

will be offended and will resist being near you

Physical contact – Don’t do itThe only reasonable physical contact German

Professionals prefer is a good, firm handshakeDo not clap them on the shoulder or grab their hand

in both of yoursMore on this later

Contact by phone – MannersTitles are important, using them shows respect

You do not want to talk to Doctor Carl, you want to talk to Herr Doktor Gregory Haus, full name and both titles

Be formal and polite, avoid small talk, stick to business

Contact by email or letterTitles are still the rule of the day

In the states we address a letter or an email to Doctor and Mrs. Haus, but in Germany it is Herr Doktor Gregory Haus and Frau Lisa Haus

Use good common sense when composing your letter or email, include facts and go into detail in any descriptions you give

Scheduling an appointmentWhen scheduling your appointment you should

plan aheadAvoid scheduling meetings for early morning, this is

a busy times for Germans as they are organizing tasks for the day and planning out priorities

Avoid scheduling an appointment for Friday afternoon, this makes your meeting one of the last things they must deal with in the week, and if there is anything that must be dealt with immediately they will not have sufficient time

Schedule your meeting two to three weeks in advance, German business professionals are advance planners who like time to prepare

First and foremost, don’t be late!This is the quickest way to insult your hostEven being a couple of minutes late is inexcusable

Meetings always start and end with handshakesThe senior person in your group should extend

their hand as they approach the senior person in the receiving group while introducing themselves

If you do not know who is the senior person in the receiving group, approach the oldest person, this is perceived as respectful

Meetings always start and end with handshakes (Continued)

Your handshake should be a firm handshake of reasonable duration

You should shake hands with everyone present, even children (only if they are willing)

You should only shake hands with women if they extend their hand to do so, if so, remember to give them the same firm handshake you gave their male counterparts

Gestures that occasionally accompany a handshake in the US such as clapping someone on the shoulder should be avoided

Seating for the meetingWait for the senior person present to invite you

to be seatedSeat yourself where directed, just as here in

the US, there is usually a “pecking order” determining who sits where

Seat yourself just after or as the senior person present sits

When a woman walks into the room it is considered polite to stand, however, always follow the lead of the senior person present

Meetings are serious and to the pointDo not expect “small talk” beyond the initial

greetingsMake certain you know the material you are

presentingGerman business professionals are extremely

detail oriented, if you cannot answer their questions on details about your material you will be viewed as unprofessional and unprepared for the meeting

Humor in the meetingThroughout this presentation a tone has been

set that suggests that humor is always inappropriate, this is not always true

If a bit of humor is tasteful and in context, feel free to put the joke in

If the joke is present “just to be funny”, or because “everyone likes a good joke” avoid it, you will be seen as unprofessional and your material will be considered suspect

Plan your presentation timeIf you are given 15 minutes to speak, that is

what you have , not 14, not 16, 15 minutesGermans respect concrete facts, not how

charismatic you are, expect to give detailsMeetings are slow and methodical, do not

expect a quick meetingOnce a decision has been reached, it has

been reached, it is unlikely that there will be any changes made later

Germans do not like surprises, even surprise changes with positive results are not liked, they are considered to show a failure plan properly

The positive side of the German business meeting is that when the plan is put into motion, there are seldom problems, as these have been worked out in advance

Remember to again shake hands with everyone at the end of the meeting, to not do so shows a lack of respect

Expect follow-up calls and emails concerning details about the project and requesting progress updates

Be on top of the situation, German business professionals do not like surprises, by constantly checking in with you, they hope to catch any problems while they are still small and manageable.

If at all possible when there is a problem be proactive, if you can report a problem as being solved, or as having a plan in place to deal with the problem when you are contacted, you are viewed as being that much more professional

Business is serious to your German colleagues Irrelevant jokes, gaffs, and other humor are not

appreciatedPhone calls and emails or letters should be

formal“Small talk” is discouraged in meetings beyond

simple greetingsBe aware of physical space and always shake

handsMeetings are methodical and planning is slow

and deliberate

The purpose of this presentation has been to

provide those making use of it some insight into German business culture. It is important to note that the statements made herein are blanket statements that may or may not apply in a given specific situation. These statements are intended to guide in general encounters when dealing with German business professionals at large.