Doing Business With Germans
German Business Etiquette
- Use formal greetings and never use first names unless you are invited to do so.
- Use direct eye contact and a firm handshake. Don’t touch any other body parts, do not smile and use gestures scarcely.
- Germans have a strong sense of privacy and seldom invite people over to their home. Business and personal life are not mixed.
- Never enter a closed office without knocking.
- Dress conservatively.
- Germans answer the phone giving their whole name.
Source: Personal experience and Business German, Passport Books by Peggy Kenna