DOING BUSINESS IN SWITZERLAND

For the international business person doing business in a foreign

country offers certain intercultural challenges. Differences in culture
mean differences in etiquette and protocol. Understanding a
country's business culture, protocol and etiquette is important in
achieving success abroad.

This guide to doing business in Switzerland offers some introductory
points to some of the above mentioned areas such as business
culture and etiquette. It is not intended to summarise all 'doing
business tips' nor meant to stereotype the Spanish people. Rather, it
highlights some important key areas for consideration when doing
business in Switzerland. We have focused on three areas: how to
meet and greet, communicate and conduct business meetings.
Meeting & Greeting:

When meeting people, shake hands with all present. Swiss society
is rather formal and people tend to address each other, whether
colleague, neighbour or acquaintance, by their surname. This is not
only a sign and respect but one of the manifestations of the Swiss
propensity for privacy. However, in some of the multinationals in
Switzerland this is changing and first names are a little more
common.
At first always address someone first by his or her professional title
and family name. Only when invited to should one use first names.

Switzerland has four official languages - German, French, Italian
and Romansch. Romansch is spoken by 1 percent of the population
in the eastern part of the country. Swiss-German is a dialect spoken
in all the German-speaking cantons.

In German-speaking Switzerland, use the courtesy titles "Herr" to
address a man and "Frau" to address a woman; in French-speaking
areas, use "Monsieur" and "Madame"; in Italian- speaking areas,
use "Signore" and "Signora".


Communication:

The Swiss are a private people, so try to avoid asking personal
questions until a good relationship has been established. What
constitutes personal are areas such as occupation, age, marital
status, religion, etc.
The communication style can come across as quite sober; initially it
is advisable to avoid jokes and engaging in any banter as this may
be misconstrued.

Meetings & Negotiations

The Swiss are known for getting the best possible deal in
negotiations without ever appearing aggressive or demanding.
Through quiet self-confidence and a no-nonsense approach to
business they sidestep 'hard-sell' and other high- pressure tactics.
In addition they will refuse to rush a decision until they have properly
examined all the facts and information and reported these to the
decision maker(s).

Swiss business culture is very hierarchical. Although those in senior
positions will come across as modest there exist very clear lines of
authority that are not crossed. Only the highest individuals in
authority make final decisions even if others disagree with it.
A successful meeting and/or business relationship revolves around
one being a responsible, sound and honest businessperson.
Maintaining control over your emotions and leading a disciplined
personal life are also esteemed qualities