When doing business in Germany, you will probably, at some point, need to attend meetings and spend time in the offices of your German colleagues. To avoid making a faux pas, familiarise yourself with German business etiquette. These are the points my students ask about most.

Meeting business partners for the first time

When meeting business partners for the first time, ensure you are on time, dressed appropriately and armed with ample business cards. Your business partner will probably introduce him or herself as Herr or Frau XYZ (Mr or Ms XYZ), which implies that you should wait to address him or her on a first-name basis until invited to do so.

Use a firm grip when shaking hands and maintain eye contact with the other parties when they are speaking to you. It is impolite to put your hands in your pockets while someone is talking to you. Germans greet their business partners and friends, and say goodbye to them, with a handshake each time.

In general, the corporate dress code is formal; casual wear is occasionally acceptable in some industries, such as creative and media businesses. German businessmen and women tend to wear subtle colours.

Punctuality

The British view of German punctuality is somewhat stereotypical, but being even a little late for a meeting can be considered a personal insult and damage your reputation. Arriving late for a dinner appointment is seen as just plain rude.

Arrange meetings well ahead of time, as your German counterparts tend to have inflexible schedules, and trying to rearrange a meeting at short notice will not be appreciated. Cancelling an appointment at the last minute is more taboo than being late!

Being on time also means understanding the time when a colleague says it. If you are asked to meet in the bar next to their office at halb acht, stop and think: German counts the half hour towards the next hour, so halb acht is half past seven, not half past eight.

Business is business

Personal and business life tend to be kept separate in German offices, so don’t expect too much small talk. Discussing anybody’s income is a particularly taboo subject. Also, physical contact, other than a firm handshake, is generally unacceptable, so the shoulder patting and arm squeezing the British take for granted is inadvisable.

Respect the privacy of your German colleagues; if you find an office door closed, don’t enter without knocking and never call them at home unless you are faced with a catastrophe.

Meetings and negotiations

Germans are proud of “made in Germany” as a synonym for quality and reliability. In business meetings, they are relatively formal, detail-oriented and direct: they say precisely what they want, and you will be expected to do the same. When making a pitch, avoid flowery sales talk and provide a thorough presentation of the facts. Similarly, prepare to be inundated with facts, figures, graphs and charts if a project is presented to you.

Decisions can take time, especially in companies with very hierarchical structures, because Germans prefer to discuss many details in advance to prevent future misunderstandings. Making or accepting phone calls during a meeting is seen as very impolite.

Your German business partners will most likely view a signed contract as the non-negotiable result of those discussions, and they will be disappointed if you surprise them with changes afterwards. German business people value high-quality yet affordable goods and services, delivered on time as agreed and accompanied by timely, transparent correspondence.

At a business meal, the proceedings will usually be initiated by the host, so watch and follow!

Speaking German

Most important is to have a working knowledge of the language, particularly in your business sector. You can learn German one to one, or as a team through corporate German training in London, focusing on the areas you need to communicate confidently with your counterparts.