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Business Profile |
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Business Etiquette
Letters of introduction are tremendously useful for establishing contact with businesses in Poland. Presentations should be meticulously prepared and, at a minimum, the executive summary should be translated. Decisions are often by committee, so negotiations may be prolonged and a deal cannot be confirmed until all parties have signed.
Until familiarity has been established, a person’s title and surname should be used while addressing them. Handshaking is customary and business cards (preferably translated) should be exchanged with all members at a meeting. The dress code is sober and conservative. Breakfast meetings are rare, despite the fact that the business day begins early, although business lunches and dinners are quite popular.
Government offices are open 0830-1630hrs. Traditionally, offices in major industries were open 0700-1500hrs; however, many have adopted Western business hours (0830-1700hrs). Some businesses may open on Saturday morning as well.
The end of Communism brought the careers of many Polish people to an early end, as the older generation was thought to represent an old-fashioned system and inflexible attitudes. As a result, many of those holding high positions in Warsaw’s business world today are quite young. They are also more likely to converse in English.
Poles love to stay up late, talking and drinking and dinner invitations are to be expected. The person who invites is generally the one who pays the bill. It is important for visitors to make sure that if giving a gift of flowers, it should always be an odd number. |
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