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Doing business in Germany
When you or one of your employees is sent on a business trip to Germany, success depends on two factors: First, whether your products, solutions and negotiations suit your partner's problems and second, whether your German partner accepts you on a personal level or not.
If you already had contact with Germans, you may have felt that they seem to be very rude. Their behaviour in everday life may have surprised or even horrified you - for instance the way they drive a car. Lots of questions may come to mind, such as:
How do you feel when your negotiation partner continues to speak German although you know that he speaks perfectly good English? What does this mean?
How should you address your partner, when his businesscard reads Dr. Dr. hc Franz Müller?
What does it mean, when after a few months of cooperation your German partner calls you his friend?
Are you aware that a German will almost certainly take you up on your offer of help if he needs it?
Why are they amazed and why might they even interrupt a meeting when one of your colleagues takes over your part in a negotiation?
What do Germans usually mean when they say about a person, that he/she is very "sensible"?
Do you know, that the German words for "to buy" and "to sell", for "to lend" and "to borrow" are pretty similar, and can you imagine the risks resulting from this?
Do you know the biases Germans cultivate in relation to their American partners?
Can you imagine the sort of differences that exist between Germans who grew up in the western and in the eastern part of Germany during the last 40 years?
In case you are asking yourself how I, your consultant and trainer, came to know the answers to these questions and who told me that Germans are somehow different, I have to tell you that I'm one of these species.
Your Consultant:
I was born in 1952, studied German language and literature, history and philosophy and graduated with a PhD on the influence of culture on literature. Since then, I have been working as a consultant and trainer. I focus on improving communication in difficult situations which includes preparing German managers who operate on a international level.
Here are some additional links to our seminars and papers in english:
Seminar Getting things done
Information about Team Syntegrity®: 
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