Germany

Greetings

Man greeting Man - Men shake hands when greeting one another while maintaining direct eye contact. A firm but fairly brief handshake is the norm. With friends, a simple hello will suffice.

Woman greeting Woman- At a first meeting, women generally shake hands while maintaining direct eye contact. Between good friends and family kissing on one or both cheeks is common.

Man greeting Woman- At a first meeting a regular handshake will do. Good friends and family may engage in a light hug or a kiss on one or both cheeks.

Note: When dealing with groups of people, it’s best to take the time to shake hands with everyone individually when arriving and departing.

Communication Style

• Germans tend to be quite direct but polite. There is often very little context surrounding communication.
• Germans tend to tell it like it is. Honesty is appreciated and expected.

Personal Space & Touch

• Germans in general prefer to guard their personal space. An arm’s length of space or more is normal when conversing.
• Unless having an intimate conversation, any closer than an arm's distance apart is usually considered an infringement on personal space.
• Germans generally do not touch when speaking. When speaking with those outside of the family or close circle of friends, touching can be seen as an invasion of privacy.
• Between friends and family, hand holding, walking arm in arm and hugging are commonplace.

Eye Contact

• It is polite to look others in the eye during conversation, however one should not stare.
• Direct eye contact is considered a sign of respect and interest during conversation.

Gestures

• When gesturing or beckoning for someone to come, you should face your palm downwards and make a scratching motion with the fingers.
• Waving the hand back and forth with the palm up usually signifies “no”.
• The OK sign and thumbs up are understood, but do not tend to be used that often.
• At the end of a presentation or performance, Germans often signal their approval or thanks by gently rapping their knuckles on the tabletop instead of applauding.

Views of Time

• Punctuality is highly valued. Being on time for meetings, appointments, and services is expected.
• Buses and trains are almost always on time, being even two minutes late is rare.
• If invited to a big informal party, being fashionably late is fine. However, when invited to a more intimate party or dinner, it is best to not be more than 15 minutes late.

Gender Roles

• There is a traditional German phrase that says women belong at church, in the kitchen or with the kids. Fortunately, the role of women has changed and women are accepted in the work force, however, whether a woman works or not often depends on the social class and the region.
• Men are still generally paid more than women and some men may have issues if the women earns more than they do.

Taboos

• Making a circular motion using the index finger while pointing to the side of one’s head is a rude gesture indicating that someone is crazy or deranged.

Law & Order

• One can buy low alcohol content beverages, such as beer and wine, at the age of 16. Stronger alcohol can be bought legally when 18 years old.
• Underage persons in possession of alcohol are not punished, however, people who make alcohol available to them are. The legal drinking age does not apply when drinking in private.
• People who are 15 and older may be given non-distilled beverages in public when with a parent or guardian.
• Smoking is not allowed in most public buildings.

Dress

• For Men: Conservative, dark or medium colored suits with shirt and tie are common in corporate settings.
• For Women: stylish yet classic business suits or dresses/pants and blouses are in corporate settings. Avoid wearing overly expensive and/or elaborate accessories.
• Business casual and other informal attire may be appropriate depending on the industry.
• Make sure shoes and boots are always cleaned and polished.

Titles & Business Cards

• Titles are very important at initial meetings. Use Herr (Mr.) or Frau (Mrs., Ms.) followed by the person's title and their surname.
• It’s best to use a person's title and their surname until invited to use their first name.
• There is no specific protocol surrounding the giving and receiving of business cards. It is always best to treat the card with respect.
• The academic titles are commonly used (Prof. for "Professor" or Dr. for "Doctor") and are often indicated on one's ID card.

Meetings

• For meetings, one must be on time. Being late is looked down upon heavily.
• There is usually little to no time allotted for small talk. Germans tend to get down to business rather quickly.
• Agendas and schedules are adhered to tightly.

Negotiations

• Germans tend to be extremely detail-oriented and will need to be sure of every part of a potential business deal before coming to an agreement.
• Business is hierarchical and decisions tend to come from the top down.
• Avoid hard selling and any sort of conflict or confrontation.
• Once agreements are reached, it is highly unlikely that they will be changed or modified.

Gift Giving

• Simple gifts such as souvenirs from one’s country or company are appropriate for initial business meetings.
• If invited to a German’s house, it is appropriate to bring good quality chocolates/sweets, imported liquor or wine.
• Flowers may be an appropriate gift as well but avoid lilies as they are reserved for funerals or red roses as they indicate romantic intentions.
• It’s a good idea to have gifts nicely wrapped and they are usually opened right away.

In the Classroom

• Most schools stars toward the beginning of August and finish at the end of June. There is a fall break, winter/ Christmas break and a spring break, each about two weeks long. Summer vacation is 6 weeks long.
• At the university level, clothing style often depends on the type of school or subject studied. Often times law student will be more dressed up than computer science students for example.
• Grades at most universities are based on a scale from 1-6, with 1 being the highest and 6 being failing.
• At the university level, most classes are lecture hall style, especially in the first few years. Once a specialization is chosen, classes become smaller and more interactive.
• Most students are expected to be very self sufficient with studies and exams, especially since at big universities you have to schedule a meeting with the professor months in advance.

Other Observations

• Most everyone at the university level will speak some English.