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The Dutch Business Culture Making appointments Planning, regulating, and organizing are prevailing values in this culture. Punctuality is essential and expected in Dutch business culture, whether for business or social engagements. Openly showing impatience and insisting on asap is perceived by the Dutch as an indication that you have not planned properly. Their asap [z.s.m.] usually means: at your earliest convenience. If you know that you will be late for an appointment, be sure to phone ahead and give a plausible excuse. The Dutch place tremendous importance on the efficient use of time. Appointments will be carefully scheduled; never assume that they can be changed at the last minute. Again, spontaneity is not considered desirable in Dutch business culture. Give at least one or two weeks' notice for an appointment made by telephone or fax. For appointments made by mail, allow for a full month. Always acknowledge [by mail] when you have received important business letters or documents such as contracts. Other messages can be done by e-mail, if need be. Business letters may be written in English. Maintain a formal tone in all of your correspondence [since the letter might be passed on to other departments]. Even if you are on a first-name basis with the correspondent, it's recommended that you use his or her family name with or without the professional title in your letters. Keep in mind that Dutch executives frequently take extended vacations during July and August, and late December. Consequently, avoid planning a business trip to the Netherlands in the summer or around Christmas, since this is the most popular time for people to go on holiday. Business hours, generally, are 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. Banking hours, generally, are 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. Some banks have Thursday night hours as well. Store hours vary and can remain open between 8:00 a.m. and 10:00 p.m. Monday through Friday, but few shops open that long. Generally, supermarkets in city centers will be open between 8:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m. Other stores, and elsewhere, however, will close at 6:00 p.m. or 7:00 p.m. Retrieved from
Guidelines for business dress Business dress in the Netherlands is fairly conservative, but it depends upon the profession. In the financial industries [perhaps the most conservative of all], most businessmen wear dark suits, muted ties, and white shirts; women typically dress in dark suits and white blouses. Expect to wear the same clothes when invited to dinner. Some professions [mostly related to consumer products, IT and arts] allow very informal dress. Quite a few executives save their ties and jackets for outside the office. As in many countries, Dutch men remove their jackets when working. Follow their lead. In certain industries, you may be surprised to find that the higher a person's rank, the more informally he or she is permitted to dress. For example, in some offices, you may find the sales clerks in suits and the boss in jeans and a sweater. Because of the stress on egalitarianism in this society, the wealthier and more successful a Dutch executive becomes, the more he or she must make an effort to maintain an ordinary appearance. Generally, the wealthy do not wear beautiful designer clothes at least not immediately visible as such]. Generally, being pragmatic, the Dutch like to dress informally. You'll observe that in some industries, very few men wear suits. A more popular ensemble consists of gray flannel trousers with a sports coat--which can often be worn even when attending a dinner. If you opt for this look on a more formal dining occasion, such as at the home of a boss or other superior, wear a tie. Whenever you're in doubt, the best policy is to call ahead and inquire about the dress requirements. Dressing up is permissible on appropriate occasions. A tuxedo for men and an evening gown for women may be expected for formal parties, dinners, or an opening night at the theater. Casual wear is essentially the same as in the North America. Shorts, however, are acceptable only when jogging or hiking. Retrieved from
Addressing others with respect Academic titles [one's own and someone else's] are only used in writing and in work life, but not in speech and/or in private contacts. It is overly polite to keep on using them in correspondence [hard copy or e-mail] once a more informal contact has been established. If you expect your business letter to your good friend Tom to be filed or inspected by other people in his firm, you may prefer to address it formally and add 'Dear Tom' behind his official name, or say hi in a separate note. In private life, especially the older Dutch and people outside the urbanized and more cosmopolitan western part of the country, are more reluctant than, for example, Americans or Australians to use first names. If contact goes well, both parties can suggest to do so and they will then happily use first names unless there is clearly a senior person involved. Gender plays no role here. A second meeting may perhaps still involve a handshake but after that, contact usually turns informal, in a friendly tone. Things are said such as 'Good morning, Tom' or just 'Hi, Tom' ['hi' is hoi in Dutch]. Formality prevails in Dutch business culture at first contact. The best policy is to wait for your Dutch contact to introduce you to others. If this is not done, you may take the initiative by introducing yourself by name to those in your company and extending your hand. It is also part of Dutch business protocol to shake hands as you are leaving. A courtesy or professional title, followed by a last name, should always be used unless you are invited to do otherwise. Academic titles are hardly ever used in spoken conversation. The order of names among the Dutch is the same as in North America, with the first name followed by the surname. Mr. = Mijnheer [also spelled Meneer][ abbreviated in writing as Dhr.] Mrs. or Ms. = Mevrouw abbreviated in writing as [ Mevr. or Mw.] Professional titles are hardly ever used when speaking. Usually, a lawyer, doctor or engineer who prefers that you use a title will introduce himself or herself to you that way [which would be considered very snobbish by his fellow Dutch]. Retrieved from
Selecting and presenting an appropriate business gift The Dutch like a balance in payment and other obligations: they like neither giving nor receiving large gifts, great favours or other preferential treatment. It makes them uneasy and they may start worrying about how to return this generosity. They feel that just a small gift etc. leaves them more free and comfortable because there is not as much of an obligation. Large gifts may easily be interpreted as some kind of bribery or unfair treatment to others. Wait until you have established a relationship with your Dutch contacts before presenting them with gifts. Any gift should be of good quality but not obviously expensive. Modest gifts are usually the safest choices. Expensive gifts make people embarrassed and might even be seen as bribery. If you are invited to dinner at a Dutch home, it's recommended that you bring a bouquet of flowers or potted plant for the hostess. Another option is to send a bouquet or potted plant the following day. If you give a gift of wine, your hosts will be interested and thankful, but may leave the wine unopened, thinking it does not match this evening's food, or has been shaken on the way to the gathering. Since wine collecting is popular here among the well-to-do, do not give a gift of wine unless you are certain that you can make an appropriate selection for the recipient. Bringing a gift of chocolate or candy is often appreciated when you are invited to a Dutch home, especially if there are children around. If you know that children will be present, it's recommended that you bring something for them, too, such as candy or a small toy. Belgian chocolate is highly appreciated.
Appreciated Gifts books about your home country or city imported liquor desk accessories quality pens pocket calculators [only of designer quality] electronic gadgets [only of designer quality] Retrieved from
What you should know before negotiating It's unnecessary to have your business card translated, since most Dutch businesspeople are fluent in English. Promotional materials and instruction manuals, however, should be translated into Dutch, especially when dealing with complicated terminology. There is a deep respect for higher education in this country; so be sure to include any university degree above a B.A. on your business card. Do not, however, mention it in conversation. Even if you do not translate your presentation material into Dutch, it's essential that any documents you distribute are clear and concise. Good visuals are another asset. The Dutch are used to high quality brochures and the like. Power Point presentations are the standard, but many people are weary of them, so keep the number of slides down to a minimum. A good verbal presentation is at least as important. Generally, Dutchmen treat women business travelers with considerable respect. However, the position of women in the Dutch labour market is not as progressive as one might expect. Many women have part-time jobs, limiting their chances for upward mobility, so women in high places are fairly rare. Generally, the Dutch will not spend a lot of time socializing before a meeting or other business discussion. Often, as soon as the necessary introductions are made, they will proceed with the business at hand. The Dutch tend to be wary of inflated claims, so use plenty of empirical evidence and other data to persuade them of the merit of your products or ideas. A simple and direct presentation will be appreciated. Sometimes, Dutch companies will conduct background checks on prospective clients. When evaluating the merits of a proposal or making a final decision, very little credence is given to subjective feelings, unless these are considered crucial to consumers as well. This is a society of concrete facts, statistics and other hard data. Data and information are crucial, but do not throw in self-appraisals like 'we're the #1 this or that.' Large is not necessarily felt to be good. Quality usually comes before quantity, unless the price clearly indicates cheaper bulk. Don't make promises lightly. You will be expected to keep every promise you make, no matter how offhand or insignificant it may seem. Moreover, if the Dutch suspect that they cannot trust you, they may very well call off the deal. The Dutch respect qualities such as straightforwardness and honesty. In this culture, bluntness is preferred to deceptiveness or evasiveness. Usually, constructive criticism is felt to be more useful than compliments. Honesty and straightforwardness are an essential part of doing business in the Netherlands. Consequently, when you really want to say 'no', tentative answers such as 'I'll consider it', 'We'll see', or 'perhaps' are not acceptable to the Dutch. Even if you find it difficult to say 'no', you'll find that your Dutch counterparts will prefer and appreciate a candid reply. Retrieved from
Acceptable public conduct When the encounter started with a handshake, that's also how it ends, but otherwise the term used in saying goodbye will be just 'bye' or 'dag, tot ziens' [pron. dakh, tot seens = bye, we'll be in touch]. 'Nice meeting you' is mostly reserved for somewhat longer talks. In business, take time to shake hands with everyone individually. The American 'group wave' is restricted to direct colleagues and casual private gatherings. In brief encounters one does not bring up his or another's personal income and [in a multi-party system] individual voting behaviour, although salaries and politics can be discussed. In conversations with unknown Dutch people, any reference to hierarchy or status should be avoided or played down. After informal meetings with more personal contact and lively conversation, like a lunch or a dinner with partners involved, the wives may kiss goodbye to all the guests [2 or 3 airy kisses on the cheek], and the men may do the same with the ladies. Only in urban artistic circles may men also do this to each other, in the 'Russian' way. The bear hug is virtually unknown in Holland, and not welcomed. Business cards are often not exchanged right away but at the end of a more or less successful encounter. But one might very well ask for someone's business card, or present one's own in order to receive one and thus have the other party's family name in print. Business cards which include home addresses may be used privately also. Retrieved from
Final tips Even smoking is not totally banned from television, let alone from daily life, although in companies it is no longer allowed, though not without protest. The Dutch like to challenge the rules here, as in other situations. Although not totally unacceptable and in fact now also done by some Dutch youngsters, it is bad manners just to say 'hi' to people clearly older than oneself, let alone 'higher.' One also doesn't do this with strangers. The Dutch don't say 'excuse me' all the time, but a muffled 'sorry' or they just smile apologetically, e.g. when sneezing, or coughing a lot. Yawning in public is rude, certainly when not covering the mouth. Using toothpicks or chewing gum in public is unacceptable in business circles. Also, talking with your hands in your pockets is considered rude. Breaking promises is also considered rude, so the Dutch either don't make promises or you can count on them being serious about it, so that you may ask questions if action doesn't follow. Also in debate, which they like, the Dutch expect an open-minded exchange, perhaps shocking foreigners with strong [possibly politically incorrect] opinions but expecting the same frankness from the other side, and then a willingness to come to a compromise or shared views. Foreigners may, of course, ask questions on aspects of Dutch society such as the drugs or sex legislation, or on the desirability of monarchy in the modern world, but they should prove to be well informed before producing opinions. Most Dutch people frown upon openly boasting, showing off or indicating one's importance or contacts in high places. Success is respected but it should be achieved through one's own effort, and accompanied by modest attitudes. Showing good taste, any status symbols should be refined and low-key rather than shiny or conspicuous. Retrieved from |
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