German Business Etiquette

Only hold meetings during specific times

Time between 11-1 and 3-5 are okay for meetings everything else is considered time for personal work

July-Sept is holiday time most people are on vacation

Germans live very strict structured lives so don’t have any sudden changes

Don’t have any surprises throughout the transaction, this can result in negative outcomes

Germans don’t care much for small talk

Humour is not appreciated

Complimenting is not necessary

German’s appreciate punctuality

Showing up late is a sign of disrespect

Following all of the agreed-upon time commitments is beneficial to the atmosphere of the deal

Be well prepared with explicit documents, Germans take “fine print” very seriously

Germans are known to be very analytical

Every detail is inspected closely so make sure it is all presentable

Enter the room in hierarchical order and greet the senior-most person on the other side first

When doing business go through proper channels in hierarchical order, never go over someone’s head

Long Term Orientation - 83

Described as how society connects its present and future

Focus on dealing with specific situations case-based and realistically

Strong ability to save and invest, evident through the economic strategies by Angela Merkel

They encourage modern education as a way to prepare for the future, evident through Germany's free post-secondary education

Individualism - 67

Focus on looking after themselves first and foremost

Honest direct conversation is valued the most

Contrast to Indian culture where the values are based in “we” not “I”