GERMANY USA

Brief German business culture is marked by

organisation, planning and
perfectionis​m. Business relations are very
formal, and they reflect the German values
of order, privacy and punctuality.
A strict vertical hierarchy is established and
respected, and the decision-making process
is held at the top of the company. The
Germans respect authority and subordinates
rarely contradict or criticise their superiors
publicly.
Germans do not need a personal relationship
in order to do business and work and
personal lives are rigidly divided. To build
and maintain business relationships, it is
essential to follow the established protocol
and respect the formality of the
communication style. Business lunches will
be organised later in the relationship, and
will be great opportunities to establish a
closer relationship.

Time Punctuality ​is extremely important, and

Mana arriving at a meeting 15 minutes early is
geme well thought of. In case of any delay, it is
nt imperative to inform your interlocutors in
advance. Meetings adhere to strict agendas,
including starting and ending times.

Greeti Politness​ When meeting someone for the

ngs first time, give a short and firm handshake
and and maintain eye contact, but avoid staring
Titles for uncomfortably long periods. An
acceptable distance should be kept. You
should address your interlocutors by their
surname preceded by “Mr” or “Mrs”, or
eventually by a title (“Dr” for example).
University titles are important for Germans.

Gift Gifts are normally not exchanged at

Policy business meetings, but small gifts may be
appropriate at the successful conclusion of
negotiations.

Dress German business dress code is

Code conservative understated and forma​l.
Men should wear a suit and tie; while
women should wear a suit.

Busin Business cards are exchanged quite

ess soon after the beginning of a meeting.
Cards They should be in English and, unless you
have already set up in Germany, it is not
necessarily to have them translated into
German. You should include any higher
degree or honours with your name.

Meeti During initial meetings (that do not last

ngs more than one hour), Germans usually
Mana prefer to get down to business and only
geme engage in the briefest of small talk.
 nt
It is imperative to be well prepared and to
have solid arguments because Germans
often expect informative and
well-documented answers to their questions.
The opinion experts invited to attend the
meeting will be the determining factor. Your
presentation should be specific and backed
up by facts, figures, tables and charts.
Germans usually prepare cautious plans
including fall-back and contingency
measures, in order to avoid the unexpected.
Many documents will be produced to
elaborate and confirm discussions.
As meetings tend to be serious and formal,
you should avoid any form of irony and
should not interrupt the participants.
Germans are direct to the point of bluntness.
It is important to maintain direct eye contact
while speaking and to avoid confrontational
behaviour or high-pressure tactics. It is
better to remain silent if the floor has not
been given to you or if you are not prepared
to make an informed contribution.
The business lunch culture is less
widespread in Germany than in other
European countries. Business lunches will be
organised later on in the relationship, and
will be an opportunity to go beyond purely
professional issues. If your partner buys
lunch, you should invite him/her to come to
your country, where it will be your turn to
take him/her out.

Ways to SUCCEED - Germany

If you want to have success in your business with Germans, take into consideration
following tips:

Recognize the importance of academic titles

If you have a PhD, an MBA, or any other degree, print it on your business card, insert it in
your presentation slides, and mention it during small talk. Academic titles are important in
Germany as proof of your “smartness.” If your counterpart’s name is preceded by “Dr.”,
never forget to address the person with “doctor” followed by the last name.

Be extremely well prepared

Foreigners sometimes think that Germans are detail-obsessed.
In fact, being very well prepared is key to a successful collaboration with Germans.

Be patient
The German love for details is often frustrating for Americans, who prefer a move-forward
mentality. ​Adhering to schedules is equally important for Germans, but projects take
longer because all eventualities should be addressed. ​A procedure is set up when
everybody has been included in the decision-making process​ and all bases have
been covered. This process takes time and involves a lot of resources. Once a decision
is made, there is little room for change because any changes mean reviewing the whole
process from the beginning.

Deliver high-quality products

Offering unique goods of perfect quality is one of the key factors of success in Germany.
“Made in Germany” stands for high-quality standards and value. At the same time,
Germans are price-sensitive and therefore attracted to good value for money. If the
product doesn’t fulfill the promise, they are very critical and won’t give the brand a
second chance.

Ways to FAIL - Germany

The success of a business in Germany depends on many factors, but if you want
a good start, try to avoid following mistakes:

Beating around the bush - (asta e expresie)

If you don’t have to add something of value to a discussion, don’t add, especially, if the
subject is not your core expertise. You are in the position you are because of your
experience and so are all others. Adding pseudo-important comments will undermine
your authority.

Come unprepared
Join in a meeting without having done your part of the job will be seen as highly
unprofessional. Germans tend to be very correct and stick to what has been agreed. If
you had a brilliant idea between two meetings, you should not simply ignore the agreed
idea and go for your new one. You will merely face utter non-understanding – a bad start
for your brilliant idea.

Show open disrespect to other cultures

The German trauma of being the heir of people who murdered several million Jews is
still enormously strong. Like in any country we also have a considerable right wing.
However, anybody with education condemns a prejudicial judgment over other cultures.

Be Late
Punctuality is vital in German offices. As a principle younger personnel or fresher
personnel is eyed more closely than senior management, however, you will rather
quickly find out, that most elder members of the management board will try their utmost
to stick to appointments made. Not honoring the time agreed on, means disrespect to
them. If you have to be late, the least thing you should do is to inform your counterpart of
the delay.