Business Etiquette in Russia
My Top Tips For Doing Business Well in Russia:
Russia’s population is over 140 million people. With rich human capital and natural resources this country presents many unique and diverse business opportunities. Visiting potential clients and suppliers is an important step in developing a relationship. I was fortunate to be born there and spent the first 15 years of my life in St. Petersburg, Russia. Since moving to the USA in 1993, I continue to learn and share Russia’s culture to help promote a healthy dialog and relations.
Here are a few tips for your business and personal meetings while in Russia:
• Shaking Hands - Shake hands firmly and maintain direct eye contact. Avoid shaking hands and giving items across a threshold a house or room. It is best to cross the threshold completely before shaking a host's hand when arriving and leaving. It is also important to note, always remove gloves when shaking hands, it is considered rude not to.
• Addressing - Never use first names, unless invited to do so. It is important to respect authority and formality. You can use “Gospodin” (Mr.) or “Gospozha” (Mrs.), plus their surname. However, if you know the person’s full name, it would be more appreciated if you use a combination of their name and patronymic. The patronymic is the father’s name with the ending “-ich” for men and “-vna” for women. For example, my full name is Aleksandra Yurievna, but a man’s name would be Alexander Yuruevich. When using the formal form of “you”, “vy”, and the informal way, “ty”. In the initial introduction it is always more appropriate to use the formal way, “vy”, until you are invited to switch to “ty”.
• Attire - Always dress formally for meetings. Both men and women should wear business suits, and women should make sure their skirts aren’t too short. Shoes should be polished and suitable for the occasion.
• Information - Business cards and all documentation must be printed in Russian and English. Your business card should have English on one side, and Russian on the other. Always put any advanced degrees you have on your business card, as these will impress.
• Whistling - Never whistle inside buildings, as Russians believe you will “whistle away money.” We definitely don’t want it when beginning to build new business relations.
Wishing you great travels and successful deals!
For more Business Tips visit: https://www.aleksandra.com/business-tips
