France

This section was put together with help from Maurice Contal, a regular contributor to ExecutivePlanet.com who is Director of the Crosscutural Management consultancy firm World Executives, which he co-founded in 1996. If you plan to work in France or do business in France, World Executives can give you effective training and coaching.

France Business Etiquette and Culture

This guide to France business etiquette and culture covers many aspects of doing business in France. It is our goal to provide practical, accurate, and up-to-date tips on France business culture and etiquette, written by experts in business consulting in France. We encourage visitors to leave questions or comments on on our discussion boards, moderated by experts in intercultural training and business. Your contributions help us make Executive Planet™ the most comprehensive resource on Maurice Contal business etiquette and culture on the Internet.

This guide contains the following articles:

Let's Make a Deal - negotiating tactics, the value of connections, recommended business card style and content, business card protocol, sitting and presenting yourself in meetings, language for brochures and promotional material, pace of business, preferred presentation styles, final agreements, thinking styles, adherance to company policy, and more on France business culture . . . Prosperous Entertaining - typical mealtimes throughout the day, best venues for business entertaining, punctuality for social events, dinner table seating etiquette, mealtime etiquette, importance of alcohol, toasting, guidelines for hosting a banquet/social event, what foods should be served/avoided, accepting and declining invitations, and more on France business etiquette. . . Appointment Alert! - typical vacation times, recommended apppointment times, length of the lunch hour, signals that indicate beginning or end of an appointment, best arrival time (early, late, right on time), and more on France business culture. . . Gift Giving - recommended gifts, gifts to avoid, good and bad colours for wrapping paper, how to present a gift to individuals and groups, guidelines for receiving gifts, and more on France business culture. . . First Name or Title? - using titles such as 'Doctor', naming conventions to avoid, when to use first names, and more. . . Public Behaviour - how to greet strangers and introduce yourself, the rules for men shaking hands with women, acceptable demeanor, rules for eye contact, gestures/sayings to avoid, and more on France business culture. . . Business Dress - is dress modest, conservative, etc., specific dress requirements for men and women, what visitors should wear to social functions, and more on France business culture. . Conversation - welcome and unwelcome topics of conversation, the role of compliments, the tone of voice to be used, whether your hosts are physical or more reserved, and more on France business etiquette. .. . .

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