German business culture is formal and follows established rules and protocol. Germans like business to be well organized, and pay great attention to detail. It will be important to conduct your research thoroughly, and to ensure that written and presentational materials are accurate and informative, as they will be scrutinized in detail. Most German businesspeople can speak English, so meetings can be held in either language, but written materials should be translated into German.
You should arrange appointments several weeks in advance, and send an agenda. When fixing meetings, try to avoid the holiday times of July, August and December. Try to arrive early, as it is considered disrespectful to waste someone's time by being late. Similarly, be sure to respond immediately to any correspondence.
The usual form of greeting is a firm handshake with direct eye contact, and business cards are exchanged. Take care when in a group not to reach across someone else's handshake, as this is considered to bring bad luck. Don't stand too close, as Germans have a strong sense of personal space. Professional, academic or personal titles (Herr or Frau), followed by surnames, should always be used, first names are not generally used in business here. Business dress is conservative, with dark formal suits and white shirts or blouses for both men and women.
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