Business
Business meeting tips for visitors in UK
- As recommended in Businessculture.org here are some Very useful tips for those visiting the UK on a business trip
- It is good practice to start a business meeting with an informal conversation about a general topic. This will help to ‘break the ice’ and make the participants feel comfortable.
+ For any external meetings with new contacts or companies, ensure you bring enough business cards and materials about your company. The ideal time for handing out business cards will depend on the context of the meeting, but generally this will be at the beginning of the meeting.
+ Negotiations are usually open and flexible and the British will favour a collaborative win/win approach to agreements.
+ Remember to respect people’s personal space and always maintain a respectful distance.
+ Do make direct eye contact with your British business partner, but use some discretion so as not to stare and be considered impolite or rude.
+ Watch out for subtle communication that may be disguised as seemingly humorous or sarcastic remarks, not that there are always hidden meanings to such remarks.
+ When entering a building for the first time, a doorman, receptionist or personal assistant (PA) are often the first people you encounter. A ‘Good morning/afternoon’ greeting and then explaining who you are there to see will suffice. You will probably be asked to sign a visitors’ book, in accordance with fire safety regulations for most business premises. Depending on the security procedures of the company you are visiting, you may also need to be issued with a visitor pass and be escorted onto the premises.
+ If you are asked to wait a short while for the person you are there to see, this time may be used to chat informally. With strangers, the British tend to make small talk on fairly inconsequential topics like the weather, commenting on whether it is raining, or brilliant sunshine outside for example.
