Fashion counts a lot in the Italian workplace –that goes for both men and women. Men should wear a light blue or grey shirt and either a navy or dark grey suit, always opting for the highest quality.  Your socks should be exactly the same shade as your suit. Complete the look with a designer tie.  Women should dress fashionably: in the land where beauty queens are still taken seriously, high heels are indispensable for proper business attire.  Take time to have coiffed-to-perfection hair,  and if you don’t wear make up, people will think you are ill.

Even though Italians will probably keep you waiting anywhere between 15 mins and an hour, you at least should be punctual. Otherwise, you are demonstrating that you didn’t respect them enough to be on time. When introducing yourself,  present your business card. Yours should be translated into Italian on the reverse side. The more senior the business executive, the less information there will be on the card.

Shake hands with your business colleagues and expect to be patted on the back.  If this irritates you, don’t let it show. You are not best friends, just simply proving that you are a nice person to do business with. Use titles to convey respect. A male university graduate is “Dottore” plus surname, his female equivalent “Dottoressa” plus surname. If you are unsure, be honest and ask how they would like to be addressed. The general rule is to follow your Italian colleague’s example.

Exchanging cards always happens at the beginning of meetings. Don’t offer yours until they have offered theirs. Take each one in turn and then distribute yours in the same order. There is a strict heirachy in doing business the Italian way. Follow it. Italians like to give the impression that everything is in control and that you are prepared for the meeting. So have your business cards at the ready.  Have two business card holders: one for the cards you are handing out, and one for the cards you will receive.  Lastly, give a firm handshake and look your Italian counterpart in the eye; displaying a trustworthy image is fundamental to doing business in Italy.

Impatient business execs do not pull off important deals in Italy. Your hosts will engage you in friendly conversation to check you out. They will turn the talk to the boardroom when they are ready. If it is a morning meeting, don’t think you will be able to schedule two meetings in before lunch. You won’t. At some point you are likely to be invited to a restaurant. This is not a polite offer for you to decline. Depending on where you are in Italy (generally, the further south you go, the more important this becomes) you will be expected to stay for lunch where you will continue to talk about neutral topics. This shows that you have “stima” or appreciation for your colleagues.

Finally, Italians are very sensitive –avoid any reference to competitors or anything which may slight their image.

About Author

Emma Bird is the founder of Weaveaweb, the social network for professional women in Italy. She is also a relocation consultant and provides online, in person and telephone consultancy for would-be expats wishing to relocate to Italy or those who are already in Italy but have had problems either settling in or finding a job. On request she also provides group seminars on the topic “ making the most of life in Italy” and “creating a portable career in Italy and getting over culture shock”. She can be reached by email at: emma@weaveaweb.it