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If your work is connected with regular business travels you will constantly have to face various foreign customs and cultures and various forms of business etiquette. In Europe they are very similar, but they differ very much from Russian ones. Here are some pieces of advice concerning Russian business etiquette.

 

Eating a Meal

It is a common occurrence to do business meetings over meals, but as it is known, dining etiquette is different in all countries. In Russia the dining etiquette of your country may be considered even offensive, and that is why you should learn in advance as many things as possible about Russian dining etiquette.

If you are invited to the meeting over meal, you should remember first of all that you should not be late, it will be better to arrive on time. If you have been invited to a family residence, it will be good of you to bring something as a gift, a bunch of flowers for example, or a bottle of wine. Before you enter the house you should take off your shoes. Also you should decide what it is better to put on. Office attire is always considered as a token of respect. Do not keep your hands in pockets, it is very impolite. If you arrive and the table is not served yet, it will be polite to offer your help. The same is when the dinner is already over.

 

Meetings

If you’ve been invited to some other place, the business meeting will be different. In Russia these meetings are very formal.

You should also arrive on time. Patience is appreciated very much in Russia, so the discussions probably will be slower than you are used to. Do not hurry to apply pressure to anyone, it will seem really rude. There is also a negotiating tactic among Russian business entrepreneurs to go away from the meeting. You should always remain polite and professional to your hosts no matter what happens. Frankly speaking, your Russian business partners sometimes are late for meetings, but nevertheless you should be punctual. Also they can arrive late on purpose, it is a sort of a test for you. You should be patient. Also do not expect to hear an apology. If someone is late, remember that you should not seem frustrated or angry, and do not take it to your heart.

If you are going to travel to Russia on business purpose you should be prepared and keep in mind safety and security or some potential danger. Visit Russia's risk assessment country guide in case you want to learn more about Russian business etiquette and Russia.

If your work is connected with regular business travels you should always read in advance about the business etiquette of the country you are going to travel to.

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