Business Meetings and Negotiations in India
When travelling abroad to do business in India, meetings should be arranged well in advance. Avoid scheduling meetings near or on national holidays and to avoid the harsh climate schedule your meeting between the months of October and March. Additionally, the arrangement of your meeting should be done in writing and confirmed by telephone.
In India, punctuality is expected, although being 10 minutes late will not have serious consequences. While flexibility is paramount, family responsibilities take precedence over business. For this reason, last minute cancellations are possible when doing business in this country.
When entering a meeting room, you must always approach and greet the most senior figure first. It is polite to begin meetings with small talk before discussing business matters, do not be surprised is no business is discussed at all during the initial meeting as Indians like to establish a social relationship before doing business with someone.
Indian hosts generally offer their visitors drinks and snack foods such as cookies or crackers during the meeting. Allow the hosts to serve you, it is polite and respectful to accept this offer regardless of whether you are hungry or not. Never refuse food, but do not feel obligated to empty your plate. If it is empty, Indians perceive this as a sign that you want more, and the plate will be refilled. Additionally, do not eat with your left hand as this is viewed as your toilet hand and considered unclean.
If there are any negotiations involved in your business dealings, always bear in mind that they can be slow. Concentrate your efforts on building a rapport if you have not yet established trust with your Indian counterpart. Additionally, if the owner or director of the company is not present, it means that these are most likely the early stages of negotiations since decisions are always made at the highest level. Similarly, Indians do not base their business decisions solely on statistics, empirical data or astonishing PowerPoint presentations. They use intuition, feeling and faith to guide them. Always exercise patience, show good character and never exhibit frustration or anger.
Link(s):
http://www.ediplomat.com/np/cultural_etiquette/ce_in.htm
http://www.kwintessential.co.uk/etiquette/doing-business-india.html
http://www.worldbusinessculture.com/Business-Meetings-in-India.html
In India, punctuality is expected, although being 10 minutes late will not have serious consequences. While flexibility is paramount, family responsibilities take precedence over business. For this reason, last minute cancellations are possible when doing business in this country.
When entering a meeting room, you must always approach and greet the most senior figure first. It is polite to begin meetings with small talk before discussing business matters, do not be surprised is no business is discussed at all during the initial meeting as Indians like to establish a social relationship before doing business with someone.
Indian hosts generally offer their visitors drinks and snack foods such as cookies or crackers during the meeting. Allow the hosts to serve you, it is polite and respectful to accept this offer regardless of whether you are hungry or not. Never refuse food, but do not feel obligated to empty your plate. If it is empty, Indians perceive this as a sign that you want more, and the plate will be refilled. Additionally, do not eat with your left hand as this is viewed as your toilet hand and considered unclean.
If there are any negotiations involved in your business dealings, always bear in mind that they can be slow. Concentrate your efforts on building a rapport if you have not yet established trust with your Indian counterpart. Additionally, if the owner or director of the company is not present, it means that these are most likely the early stages of negotiations since decisions are always made at the highest level. Similarly, Indians do not base their business decisions solely on statistics, empirical data or astonishing PowerPoint presentations. They use intuition, feeling and faith to guide them. Always exercise patience, show good character and never exhibit frustration or anger.
Link(s):
http://www.ediplomat.com/np/cultural_etiquette/ce_in.htm
http://www.kwintessential.co.uk/etiquette/doing-business-india.html
http://www.worldbusinessculture.com/Business-Meetings-in-India.html