Australia: First Name or Title?

From ExecutivePlanet.com

Addressing others with respect

Although fairly informal, Australians prefer to shake hands when meeting someone for the first time. The hand shake is moderatly firm. Some men do not shake hands with women, even in business settings; however, it is acceptable for a woman to initiate the handshake. Some Australian business women will not shake hands with another woman (this is probably a remnant from not so distant past when business women were an unusual occurance).

It is not common to kiss or hug when meeting someone in a professional setting or for the first time. Once they get to know you better, most Australians will kiss once on the right cheek, particularly women with women, and sometimes women with men. Men do not kiss amongst themselves.

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For initial greetings Mr/Mrs/Miss, followed by the person’s surname, are the preferred forms of address for business Australians. The term Ms is becoming more common as women do not wish to disclose their marital status. ‘Sir’ is another term of respect, although not commonly used, as it is perceived too formal.

First names are used both in personal and professional circumstances even amongst relatively new acquaintances, and Australians tend to move quickly on to a first-name basis. Wait for them to initiate this transition.

When using titles, follow the lead of others. In Australia, professional or academic titles do not necessarily command respect, and are not widely used in addressing. Professional titles are not prominent in Australian business culture, and are sometimes dismissed as pretentious. Consequently, do not go around "boasting" your title.

Business cards are often used in business dealings, but Australians don’t fuss about them. It is acceptable to hand over and receive a business card with one hand. It is good practice to put your counterpart’s business card on the table during the meeting, although some people will put it straight in their pocket.

Australian culture is that of ‘mateship’, and calling someone a ‘mate’ is another popular term of reference. It refers to anyone of one's own sex (with young generations it is no longer sex specific), but when used with the pronoun ‘my’ or ‘my mates’, it refers to one's friends.