Thursday, May 19, 2011

Business in Italy



Business protocol in Italy includes rules that are established based on relationships and communications with other countries. The countries with the best trust and friendship according to Italy will be the ones that Italy will trade with. To achieve a relationship with Italy and perhaps even a business deal, people must meet with the person they are doing business with face-to-face contact, because it helps build trust and a relationship. Also people must also know or learn how to make a good first impression. Businessmen in Italy always judge people based on their appearance and attitude when they first meet them. This goes for the first rule, always do whatever it takes to ensure a healthy relationship with your business partner. Italians are intuitive and try to be their friend in a way. Lastly, try to understand how Italian businessmen express their ideas or themselves. They will often use hand gestures, vocabulary you may or may not understand, demonstrations, and emotions to prove their points.
When it comes to proper Italian business etiquette, there are some requirements you must know. Like America, business meetings are the most powerful contact when it comes to doing business. In Italy, these are mandatory, but they must be written or spoken in the Italian language. Phone calls, letters, fax, and other forms of communication should all be in the language of the home country, which in this case is Italy. Also note that most Italian companies and businesses close in August, so meetings should not be planned during that time period.
Your products will be imported and exported to and from Italy. The most common are food items, mechanical components, transportation units, and other miscellaneous items that are essential in a the life of an individual. To make these, you and your business will have to rely on the natural resources of Italy that you are allowed to use. They have most of the things that we have like oil, natural gas, food suppliers, etc. With these it will be almost like working in the US. Of course all this will cost money and Italy being a different country with different currency, US bills will not be accepted. American dollars can be converted into Euros, the European and Italian currency by exchanging. Note that one American dollar is equal to .70 in Euros. It would be best to exchange and start out with a decent amount of money.
Customs in the US are different from that of Italy. To gain the trust and approval of your co-workers in Italy it would be best to follow the customs correctly. Dinning and eating customs in Italy have a series of regulations. Like in America, do your best not to be late when attending a dinning, always dress in your best formal clothes, keep your hands in your lap, and no elbows on the table. Also bring gift-wrapped chocolates to the host, no matter the event. When sitting at the table, certain foods or rather all can be picked up only with a fork. The host is the only one who can give the first toast and every Italian mealtime has a toast given. Social customs in Italy include greetings, good-byes, etc. In Europe the traditional greeting is a kiss on each cheek starting with the left one. When meeting someone new a formal handshake is acceptable. Again, Italians use gestures most of the time to communicate and express ideas. Find the time to learn what each on means. The dress code would be formal clothing on important days, like meeting a new business partner or a company meeting. Repeating, Italians judge people base on their first impressions, so make a good one. Certain clothing will often appear to people as a social level symbol. Since your workplace is now Italy, respect for the country is extremely important to show that you are a caring co-working and friend to others. The flag is saluted to every time there is an honor ceremony. The National Anthem of Italy is in the home language of the country and can be sung in any language as long as it it’s the correct words and done respectfully. Now that the basics are covered, you now know all of them and can now take businesses to Italy.

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