Businesspeople are expected to dress smartly; both men and women are expected to wear suits and men should also wear a tie. English is spoken by many businesspeople, but it is an advantage to have a working knowledge of German, or an interpreter.
Appointments should be made well in advance, particularly in the summer and may be suggested slightly earlier in the day than is often the custom in the UK. Once made, appointment times should be strictly adhered to.
Always use formal titles such as Herr Doktor or Frau Doktor when addressing business contacts and use 'Sie' for 'you'; never assume that first names can be used, this can offend. It is common to answer the telephone by stating your last name, rather than saying 'hello'.
Standard business hours are typically Monday to Friday 0800/0900-1600/1700, although these hours can be less, as Germans have some of the shortest working hours in Western Europe. Many offices close early on Friday afternoon. Business lunches are common (the person making the offer is expected to pay), but breakfast meetings are rare. Socialising with work colleagues is very common, and indeed, usually expected, but seldom involves clients. Visitors should remember that when drinking beer, the common toast is 'Prost', while with wine it is sometimes the more genteel version, 'Zum Wohl'.
Businesspeople in Berlin and Munich sometimes appear more relaxed than their counterparts in other cities, particularly in the north (who favour straight talking), and this can often extend to office etiquette.
Office hours:Mon-Fri 0800-1600 (many close earlier on Fridays).
Economy:Germany boasts the largest economy in Europe. As a result of the global crisis it contracted 5% in 2009, resulting in the country's worst recession since the Great Depression in the 1930s. It has since emerged from recession - thanks largely to a recovery in the exports on which it relies so heavily – and has shown real resilience in the storm of the euro crisis. Exports in 2011 reached their highest ever figure, more than €1 trillion.
In the past two decades the nation's finances have had to readjust to reunification, the former East Germany swallowing up huge sums in modernisation, and still underperforming economically. Those employed in the former West still pay a special ‘solidarity tax’ on top of their regular income tax, for supporting the eastern states. The inflation rate was recorded at 2.1% in April 2012.
Germany's population is aging, and this, combined with the high unemployment levels and population movement, has at times placed a heavy burden on the welfare system. The country also has a high immigrant population. The country is known for having a cumbersome bureaucracy, both at national, state and local levels, and this too places a strain on tax resources.
Germany is by far Europe's leading conventions and exhibitions destination, with large Messen (exhibition and convention centres) in all major cities, and second only to the USA worldwide in terms of events hosted.
GDP:US$3.58 trillion (2011).
Main exports:Machinery, chemicals, motor vehicles, iron and steel products.
Main imports:Food, petroleum products, manufactured goods, metals and motor vehicles.
Main trading partners:France, The Netherlands, UK, China and USA.
Local and international calls can be made from phone boxes in towns and cities. These usually accept both coins and pre-paid cards (available at post offices and other outlets). In larger cities, you’ll often be able to make international calls from internet cafes too.
Mobile phone:Roaming agreements exist with many international mobile phone companies. Coverage is good. It is illegal to use a hand-held mobile telephone while driving. If you’re going to be in Germany for a long period of time, consider obtaining a local SIM card.
Internet:Wi-Fi is widely available, often for free in hotels, restaurants and on public transport. Large Internet access centres exist in most main cities and there are many Internet cafes.
Post:Stamps are available from hotels, slot machines and post offices.
Post office hours:Mon-Fri 0900-1800, Sat 0900-1200. Smaller branches may close for lunch.
Media:Each of the country's 16 regions regulates its own private and public broadcasting, and operates public TV and radio services. The country has one of the largest and most diverse TV markets in the world. It’s also home to some of the world's largest media conglomerates, such as Bertelsmann and Bauer Media Group. The most influential daily papers include Die Welt, Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung and Süddeutsche Zeitung. The most widely read of the weekly publications are Der Spiegel (a current affairs magazine) and Die Zeit (a quality weekly newspaper).
Many major English-language newspapers and international magazines are also available in large cities.Sky Deutschland (previously Premiere) is a pay-TV operator. ARD and ZDF operate the public national TV channels; RTL operates entertainment channels. Deutsche Welle is the international TV service, and operates in a number of different languages; Arte is a Franco-German cultural channel. Deutschlandradio operates national public radio stations, Deutschlandfunk and Deutschlandradio Kultur; Deutsche Welle also broadcasts radio in many languages.
