When traveling on business to France, you might expect to follow similar etiquette and cultural guidelines as you would in New York City. But France is not America and America is not France — you’ll encounter subtle differences in a French conference room.
Getting dressed for meetings, you want to don the best-made and most conservative suit in your closet. If you usually dress down on Friday, don’t do it this time. Only dress casually if your French colleagues do. If you are unsure what the proper attire is, ask.
When you meet with French business people for the first time, it’s proper to present your business card. When you receive a business card, don’t just put it in your pocket. You’ll need to obtain a business card holder to place people’s cards in. Treating the business card with respect shows your respect for the person whose name is on the card.
Hand shaking at the beginning of a meeting and its close is widely practiced — but the French handshake is quicker and not as firm as in America. As you get to know your French associates better and become friends with them, greeting and departing with a touch of the cheeks and a kiss of the air is appropriate between men and women and women and women. Important to remember: Only male blood relatives engage in this practice with other men.
The best time to schedule meetings is either 11 a.m. or 3:30 p.m. The atmosphere in meetings is formal, so save the laid-back attitude and casual conversation for drinks.
The French are strict about hierarchies, so if you’re trying to get what you want in a meeting, you will be put into the weaker position of a ‘petitioner.’ But don’t let that unnerve you. If you remain cool and politely but firmly state your position, you will impress everyone in the meeting.
One last word about status: If you are trying to discuss business decisions and strategies, be sure that you are dealing with those in the upper management of the company, as that is where the power lies.
