Basic business body language and gesture in France.

 A French handshake is the proper greeting. It should be quick and light.

 Kissing cheeks across genders is a frequent welcome for colleagues, but don't do it until female
counterpart makes the first move.
 Good posture is essential.
 As long as it is not too intrusive, eye contact is important.
 When chatting to each other, the distance between is rather near. Touching and patting are also
acceptable.
 Hand should out of pockets at all times. Do not snap fingers.
 Don’t use the OK sign (a circle made with the thumb and forefinger) because it signifies "zero" or
"useless." Raise thumb to indicate approval.
 Don’t slap an open hand over a closed fist because it is insulting.

Good Night! See you Tomorrow!

I’m very sorry, Ma’am. I was late because my dog has gone missing and she’s not familiar in the
neighborhood. Fortunately, I found her in the local pet shop.

I’m very sorry, Ma’am. Something came up in our house that’s why I’m late.

I’m very sorry, Ma’am. I was late because I fell asleep on the bus and missed my stop, only to wake up
one hour further down the track and not able to get back the same evening.

Ma'am, please accept my sincere apologies. I was late because I fell asleep on the bus and missed my
stop, only to awaken four hours later and unable to return that evening.

Insight about the Activity

A memorandum (memo) is a written statement or record, especially one circulated for the
attention of colleagues at work. It relates to a note of something to be remembered. I learned
that memos are not meant for upward communication in some company cultures. Executives,
branch managers, and supervisors, on the other hand, use memos for downward
communication when they convey written statements to their employees. For our activity, we
drafted a note outlining all aspects of French business culture, which we sent to all visitors to
our international company. Because they are the ones who wish to visit the main branch, it is
their responsibility to act in line with that country's corporate culture, regardless of what it is. I
understand that a large corporation, such as a bank, has several departments, such as
personnel, credit, accounts, marketing, international business, planning, and so on, all of which
communicate with the many branches, offices, and employees via memos and other kinds of
internal communication.

That activity taught me the value of expressing sorry. It's crucial to apologize when you make a mistake,
especially if it affects your business. In addition, I believe that "honesty is the best policy." If the
employee or staff tells their manager the truth about what happened while they were late, he may be
forgiven. It's unethical to make up unbelievable reasons to cover up what really happened the night
before you went to work.