DOING BUSINESS IN GERMANY Like many other northern Europeans, Germans tend to take a deal-focused, low-context and monochronic approach to doing business. North Americans and Australians find Germans relatively formal, southern Europeans often describe them as reserved and most Asians consider them very direct. Of course there are important north/south and east/west differences in German business customs, not to mention significant individual variations. Keeping this in mind, the following profile describes the important …showed first 75 words of 2034 total…

…showed last 75 words of 2034 total…box of high quality chocolates is an excellent alternative. A man precedes a woman when entering a bar, restaurant or other public place and walks to the lady's left when outdoors. It is polite to stand when a woman, older person or an individual of high rank enters the room. Germans take business very seriously and expect their counterparts to do the same. Competence more than connections is the key to business success in Germany.