{"id":1453,"date":"2014-05-09T17:34:48","date_gmt":"2014-05-09T17:34:48","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.languagetrainers.com.au\/blog\/?p=1453"},"modified":"2014-05-09T17:37:21","modified_gmt":"2014-05-09T17:37:21","slug":"6-unwritten-rules-for-doing-business-in-france","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.languagetrainers.com.au\/blog\/6-unwritten-rules-for-doing-business-in-france\/","title":{"rendered":"6 Unwritten Rules for Doing Business in France"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Paris_Night\"<\/a><\/p>\n

It\u2019s no wonder that France, located at the heart of Western Europe and currently one of the EU\u2019s strongest economies, is an active and important player in the realm of international business.\u00a0 And while the French are hospitable and friendly towards foreigners, their culture is governed by strict etiquette and codes for correct behavior.\u00a0 As a native English speaker, it would be in your best interests to be aware of these codes and adhere to them so as to avoid causing offence.\u00a0 Here are a few of the most important ones:<\/span><\/p>\n

1. Be punctual.\u00a0 <\/b>In contrast with media portrayal of French people as leisurely and whimsical, they are in fact very rigorous when it comes to sticking to the schedule and getting the job done.\u00a0 So when there is a business meeting or other appointment set at 10 am, be sure you get there at 10 am.\u00a0 To arrive late will be deemed disrespectful.<\/p>\n

\"OLYMPUS<\/p>\n

2. Bring business cards.\u00a0 <\/b>It\u2019s always shrewd to have your business cards on hand no matter what the situation.\u00a0 When meeting with French colleagues, the best time to exchange them is right after you introduce yourselves.\u00a0 Be sure that you have a French translation of your contact information on the opposite side of your card.<\/p>\n

3. Keep your voice down. <\/b>\u00a0Foreigners may be accustomed to a far louder, more boisterous style of speaking, which could reinforce negative stereotypes.\u00a0 Speak at a polite, conversational volume and never raise your voice.\u00a0 On the other hand, in France it is common to size up your associates with long, intense stares, so don\u2019t be surprised if you find someone doing this to you.<\/p>\n

4. Be aware of the chain in command.\u00a0 <\/b>Despite France\u2019s strong culture of individualism, in the business world there is an engrained hierarchy that you will have to function within.\u00a0 Decisions are made by the CEO and higher managers, and orders then delegated to other employees.\u00a0 Wherever you find yourself placed, be polite and respectful to whoever you interact with\u2014address colleagues using their surname and the formal vous <\/i>form of you\u2014and your superiors will be impressed.<\/p>\n

\"farac\"<\/p>\n

5. Be straightforward and logical.\u00a0 <\/b>When conducting negotiations, French people appreciate a rational conversation that appeals to their intellect and good sense rather than mind-games or other bargaining tactics.\u00a0 Be straightforward and honest, but don\u2019t give out any personal details or get carried away with your emotions.\u00a0 Shouting, hand or body gestures, and exaggerating for effect will be considered childish and irresponsible.<\/p>\n

6. Show up with a basic understanding of the French language.\u00a0 <\/b>French people are extremely proud of their language and heritage, and the role they have played in the course of western culture.\u00a0 And while chances are you will be able to conduct business dealings in English, everyone will be highly appreciative to see you\u2019ve taken the trouble to learn some phrases and vocabulary words in their language.\u00a0 Get started now by taking our free online French language level test<\/a>, or send us an inquiry<\/a> for more information.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"It\u2019s no wonder that France, located at the heart of Western Europe and currently one of the…","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":1457,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[12],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1453","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-french"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.languagetrainers.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1453"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.languagetrainers.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.languagetrainers.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.languagetrainers.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/8"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.languagetrainers.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1453"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.languagetrainers.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1453\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1459,"href":"https:\/\/www.languagetrainers.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1453\/revisions\/1459"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.languagetrainers.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1457"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.languagetrainers.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1453"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.languagetrainers.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1453"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.languagetrainers.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1453"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}