As one of the UK’s largest trading partners, the value placed on cultural awareness in German business is very great.
Learning a few key phrases, socialising effectively, being aware of cultural differences and dealing sensitively with clients can make a big difference to a firm’s success. Communicating well makes all the difference, giving UK companies in Germany a competitive edge.
To be successful in any international business you need to minimise any misunderstanding about how you behave and what you say. Cultural awareness and basic language training is a simple, cost effective, long term solution for many businesses.
In working with businesses for language and cultural training at UKTI, our emphasis is very much on helping companies get the most out of a limited budget and equipping key staff with the know-how to deal with business contacts from other cultures. This ensures a higher success rate when doing business internationally. As a UKTI language and culture specialist, I’m passionate about the importance of both, bringing people closer and bridging the gap between individuals and cultures.
Here’s some tips that were shared at a recent UKTI language and culture seminar on doing business with Germany, organised for West Midlands companies:
- Learn a couple of key phases - even if the other person speaks English, they will appreciate the effort and it makes you stand out from your competitors;
- Punctuality is taken extremely seriously. It is perceived as very rude to cancel a meeting at the last minute and it could jeopardize your business relationship.
- Germans do not like uncertainty – they are suspicious of promises that sound too good to be true.
- Meetings always follow an agenda and are strictly business.
- They can be very direct which could sometimes come across as rude.
At the seminar (left) , 16 delegates also discovered a range of key cultural elements including meeting and greeting phrases and customs, dress code, format of meetings, business ethics and expectations of punctuality
The session, led by a market specialist, gave guidance on a range of language issues including basic phrases, pronunciation and how to communicate in the host’s language.
The approach was very practical with an emphasis on real-life examples and delegates sharing their own experiences.
Did you know, for example, that when selling a product or service to Germany, a key consideration is the knowledge of the decentralised structure and the cultural variations in states?
Comments such as “Please, lots more of these seminars, especially for Europe” or “This has been so useful and I will try the German language I learnt when I visit Germany next”, underlined the benefits companies had gained during the day.
If you’d like to know more about market specific language and cultural awareness seminars in the West Midlands you can contact me at gerti.willis@mobile.ukti.gov.uk. If you’re not based in the West Midlands, check out UKTI’s events website for any similar workshops in your area.
UKTI helps many thousands of companies increase their profits and grow through export and inward investment every year
Find news and services information from UKTI
Arrange a meeting with a UKTI international trade adviser (UK cos. only)