Business Customs and Practices

Meeting and Greeting:

The Swiss culture is one of great formality. When meeting another business professional it is important to remember to shake hands and refer to that person by their last name. Colleagues and neighbors use last names when speaking to one another because it is a sign of respect and it preserves their values for privacy. It is only acceptable to use the first name when requested to do so.

4 official languages (German, French, Italian, Romansch)

German:        Herr- when addressing men

                        Frau- when addressing women

French:           Monsieur- when addressing men

                        Madame- when addressing women

Italian:           Signore- when addressing men

                        Signora- when addressing women

Communications:

            Privacy is an important value in Swiss culture, which is important to know when trying to establish close business partnerships with the country. Evade from asking personal questions about their life because that is considered offensive and disrespectful. Personal topics include; age, family life, and religion. In America it can be considered friendly when business partners try to make jokes in order to lighten the serious mood in the business atmosphere. In Switzerland, jokes can be very confusing because intentions of the foreign group can be misunderstood and it may be difficult for the Swiss to take the meeting seriously. After getting to know each other better it is acceptable to act more casual.

Negotiations:

            As many know, Switzerland takes pride in their ability to avoid dispute and maintain a neutral position. During business negotiations the Swiss are known for their ability to stay calm and get what they want without being aggressive. The Swiss will not put pressure on the people they are working with and they will not get caught in high pressure situations. Decisions must be thoroughly analyzed and passed along to the decision makers. When making negotiations it would be beneficial to know the hierarchy in the company because senior executives are  ultimately in charge of the final decisions. Senior positions ensure there are distinct lines between their power and the lower positions among the company; the hierarchy is significant.