(How to) Get Down to Business in Austria!
Did you ever feel lost during your travels to Europe? It’s a wonderful and honestly a kind of mind blowing continent, so many languages, cultures, borders. So much to pay attention to. It’s one thing what you learn in geography class, and another thing what you learn on site. We’re launching this video/article series on global business manners as it’s been highly requested by our corporate community, who want more confidence and less faux-pas when travelling for work, or hunting new business in new places..
So, business travellers! Let’s get the low-down on getting around in Austria!
Let’s talk Austrian!
Um, well Austrian doesn’t exist… It’s German, but it’s Austria. Damn! So, what is it then? Here’s a few quick facts to get started.
Country: Austria
Language: German
Capital: Vienna
Population: a bit over 8 million
Austria is a small and mighty country who gave the world brilliant people like Freud, Strauss, Mozart, Klimt among others. Austria is famous for its nature and world class outdoor activities in the alps. In actual fact 80% of the country is built on its alps!
Greetings/Greet God
Before we start climbing mountains, we’d better share the necessary greetings to get you through your business travel:
Grüß Gott will get you through the polite ‘hello’s’. You can alternatively use Servus as a more familiar way to say hi/bye. Auf Wiedersehen is used for the more formal goodbyes.
The more informal English-y hello is used sometimes by the younger generation.
Now let’s get down to business. When meeting with corporate Austria, you should always shake hands and make eye contact. Women, it’s up to you to offer your hand first, so be sure to keep that in mind. Cheek kisses are less prominent in corporate Austria, but if instigated, its normally left then right cheek. Men usually don’t kiss each other.
What about gifts?
Its less common to give gifts in the Austrian business world, but its also not frowned upon. They will probably open them in front of you, so be ready for that if that’s not how it works in your country!
Flowers are appreciated, but never in an even number, unless you’re going to a funeral.
Feel free to offer a bottle of wine from any country except maybe from Germany.
If you’re knee deep in conversation
Be formal, but direct in your conversations with Austrians. They are traditionally uncomfortable receiving compliments, so you won’t be off to a good start letting them know you just love their purse!
If you’re having a business dinner or coffee with an Austrian, you can of course continue to talk about business, but also feel free to venture out into other topics. Austrians are cultured, and will appreciate talking about things such as art, sports & opera with you.
As long as you’re not asking questions about their personal situation, or bringing up WW2/money/religion you can’t really go wrong.
Are you hungry?
This is the part where I get really hungry, as I am a HUGE fan of the Wiener schnitzel
(aka Viennese cutlet with veal, pork or chicken).
A good Weiner Schnitzel should boast breading “so dry you could sit on it without having a fat stain on your pants” according to writer Joseph Wechsberg. Moving to the sweet side, an absolute must-try dish is Apfelstrudel which combines apples, raisins, nuts and cinnamon into a light and juicy pastry.
A yummy souvenir is the Mozartkugel — don’t leave without buying some of these wonderful chocolate-marzipan balls. The list can go on, but I am already drooling here!
Austria also produces some beautiful wines. When making a toast, look the person in the eye and say Prost, Prosit or Zum Wohl, depending on the occasion. Never drink before the toast is done in Austria, it’s seen as impolite.
Corporate culture
Usually hierarchical, conservative and risk free; this is of course changing as the world continues to globalize. What hasn’t changed however is their impeccable culture of time management. Business meetings should always have an agenda to stick to.
If you want to strike up a deal, you might want to know that the hard-ball sales approach will almost never work in Austria. They prefer to be given time to make decisions and will not appreciate this type of pressure.
Finally, English is widely spoken in the Austrian business community, but if you really want to impress, try to learn a few key phrases in German, or get some of your meeting documents professionally translated for them. Sometimes, a little extra effort can make all the difference.
So, if you travel to Austria for fun or business, visit their mountains & try their wonderful dishes. Respect their time, don’t call them Germans and you’ll be FINE.
Until our next issue, Auf Wiedersehen!
