Austria: Let's Make a Deal! - Part 1
From ExecutivePlanet.com
What you should know before negotiating
It is important to carry a plentiful supply of business cards when doing business in Austria. Not only will you want to exchange them with your Austrian counterparts upon your initial meeting but you will also be expected to offer them to everyone you meet including administrative personnel, such as receptionists and secretaries.
Ideally, you should have the cards translated to German on one side and, because status is so important in Austria, your company position should appear clearly beneath your title, name and academic/professional qualifications, honours etc.
It is essential to arrive on time for meetings.The German for 'late' is zu spät, which translates literally as 'too late'; 5-10 minutes is 'too late' for a subordinate and 15 minutes' lateness will constitute a shaky start to any business relationship.
It is still rare to find women in senior management positions in Austria, though they are better represented in professions such as the law, but visiting businesswomen will be respected as decision-makers and should not be offended or feel patronised by the old-fashioned courtesies that they will invariably encounter at every stage.
Meetings with Austrians typically begin with some brief, preliminary 'small talk' so you should be prepared to discuss your journey, your hotel, what you did the previous evening etc. and to ask equivalent questions in return. At a more serious level, you should also aim to be up-to-date on current affairs [especially if local and uncontroversial] or perhaps display some knowledge of Austrian culture. Such light social conversation is not just a polite convention, and certainly not an excuse for not getting straight down to business, but serves an important purpose; because there is little socializing amongst colleagues outside the office, this may be one of the few opportunities for the parties to get to know one another. It is, therefore, strongly recommended that you make a good impression as an intelligent and agreeable conversationalist.
It is vital to be thoroughly well prepared for all meetings. All punctual people hate wasting time and Austrians are no exception. The senior person present takes the chair and controls the agenda; there is little scope for diverging from the agenda and no tolerance of improvised discussion. Meetings are not brainstorming sessions and it is not considered important to reach a consensus. Indeed the function of the meeting, and the role of teamwork, is greatly diminished in such a hierarchical, even, autocratic, working culture where the boss remains at a marked distance from the staff. Meetings end abruptly when the chairman reaches the end of the agenda; 'any other business' is very rare.
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