British people have a reputation for being aloof. To visitors from abroad, they can seem cold and impersonal. With none of the spontaneous displays of affection common to Mediterranean cultures, the average Brit – while extremely polite – appears unapproachable or downright unfriendly. Dealing with people in business, therefore, can be especially daunting. According to Laura Byrne, however, there are a lot of misconceptions about what it is like to do business with Brits. As vice-president of the British Chamber of Commerce in Barcelona, she helps Spanish companies connect with UK businesses and she has a lot of advice to share. Speak Up met with Byrne, and we began by asking her if it is true that Brits are always on time for meetings.
Laura Byrne (British accent): I would say that they’re either on time or you’ll generally find that they’re there a little bit before the time you’ve agreed to meet. However, international relationships and commercial relationships have meant that there is flexibility, there is understanding that different cultures will have different time-keeping. If you do feel you’re going to be late to a meeting, I would suggest forewarning them or just sending a message and if not, I would advise to adhere to the time that you’ve agreed to meet them.
WHAT TO WEAR
Dress code is equally important when meeting a new company. Mediterraneans might get the impression that British businesspeople always dress in in suits. Is that true? How should one dress for a meeting? Byrne went on to offer some advice:
Laura Byrne: I think, obviously, you need to know your audience. A lot of the tech companies are going down a route of more casual. But I would always, on a first impression, go casual-formal, formal-casual, and then, obviously, if it is large corporates, yes, they still do still adhere to the formal dress code.
INTRODUCTIONS
Then comes the time to walk into the meeting and do the formal introductions. We asked Bryne how we should greet our counterparts.
Laura Byrne: Obviously, everyone has their culture. They have their ways of greeting people and what I would do on a first occasion, I would offer my hand, a handshake and then, at the end of the meeting, depending on the relationship, obviously, the Mediterraneans, they’re a bit more open, you know, that’s fine, but at the beginning of the meeting I would suggest a nice smile and a firm handshake.
GETTING STARTED
There are many approaches to starting off a meeting, like summarising the agenda or getting right down to business. However, Byrne suggested that it is best to start with some small talk.
Laura Byrne: So I believe in the UK there is a general ice-breaker attitude to meetings, especially if you’re going into a company that they don’t know you or you don’t know them. They may have ice-breaking practices. Sometimes, they do like you to explain a little bit about yourself but, if not, absolutely, just how you got there or how you’re doing. A little bit of an ice-breaker is always generally a good idea.
FORMAL AND FRIENDLY
The form of addressing someone you’ve just met politely is important. But once you’ve built some rapport, it becomes more natural, as Byrne explained.
Laura Byrne: I would suggest that, if it’s somebody you haven’t had contact with or it’s someone you’re meeting for the first time or there’s been very little contact with them previous to the meeting, I would absolutely direct myself to them as ‘Mr’ or ‘Mrs’. However, if you have organised the meeting with them beforehand or have had some chord of communication, I would confirm with them: “Is it alright if I call you Jeff?” - Hi Jeff, how are you doing?” And then I would, yeah I would go on a first-name basis.
PRESENTING YOUR COMPANY
During a meeting, it is important to give a good first impression. It is appropriate to introduce your company properly, said Byrne.
Laura Byrne: I think when you present your company for the first time to a business or you’re going to a meeting for a business to get to know you and your company, I would suggest preparing the meeting beforehand. So I would send them the agenda, what you’re going to run through, maybe a summary about your business and then in the meeting they can then ask questions, but they’ll know a bit more about it and the meeting’s more to go down into details, not to do a cold presentation from the get-go.
DOWN TO EARTH
When dealing with Brits, Byrne says it is important not to worry about your level of English, because British people are “in awe” of their foreign colleagues’ ability to speak their native tongue. In fact, she said, the experience can be more fun than expected.
Laura Byrne: Doing business with Brits, I would say is something that on [at] the outset people are wary of, or they feel that it’s going to be very ‘stiff upper lip��, very over-professional. Yes, they’re professional, yes, they’re organised, yes, they do love an agenda and a check-list and they have protocols. But when you actually come to interacting with people in business in Britain, it’s a fun environment. They’re very down to earth and they’re very thoughtful on people coming from abroad and working with them.
BE PREPARED
Great business relationships are born of professionalism. In conclusion, Byrne stressed the need for good preparation for that initial meeting.
Laura Byrne: My final advice would be that, I think, the better you organise before a meeting and you investigate your side of the meeting – you make sure they have the information on you – you should have a great meeting. Just go in and enjoy yourself. Like I said, they’re very approachable, but just be organised and prepared.