Doing Business in Germany

Culture influences language and language, in turn, influences culture. This happens in ways both obvious and almost imperceptible. TJC Global understands that being fluent in a language also means being fluent in the subtleties and intricacies of the culture and business etiquette associated with it. To ensure that no embarrassing misunderstandings occur in a professional context, all our translators and interpreters are experts in the business culture and etiquette associated with the languages they work with.

If you require translation or interpreting assistance of any kind in Germany or anywhere else, please use the FREE QUOTE SYSTEM on the right-hand side of the page or contact us.

General Etiquette

Meetings tend to be formal, with a brief and firm handshake to everyone in the room. Titles denote repsect, and as such are extremely important – you should wait until advised before using an acquaintance’s first name, using instead their surname and the appropriate title – for example Herr or Frau. Gifts such as yellow roses or wine are always well received, although you should be careful to select imported bottles, for example from France or Italy. If invited to someone’s house you should aim to be on time, and always contact them if you are going to be more than fifteen minutes late. Cutlery is used in the Continental tradition, and common toasts include, for wine: Zum Wohl!, and for beer: Prost! both of which must be said while holding eye-contact with the other person. It is also considered very impolite to begin eating before everyone is ready and it is common practice to begin a meal by saying: Guten Appetit! (the equivalent of the French: Bon Appetit) – ‘enjoy your meal!’. A handwritten note the next day addressed to the hostess thanking them is appropriate in most instances.

Click here for more information about our German Language Services.

Business Etiquette

Germans display great reverence before people of authority, and always take into account the qualifications and expertise of the person they are dealing with. There is no open-door policy in offices, you should knock and wait to be invited to enter. Communication is formal and often direct to the point of bluntness to someone not used to dealing with business in this way. Like many other European languages, there is both an informal and a formal means of address in the second person. The word for ‘You’ is informally ‘Du’ but in a business context (and as a means of showing respect in any context), the more formal ‘Sie’ is used to address another person. This pronoun also changes the way the verb is conjugated and can be confusing for new speakers of German. This rule must be observed until one person invites the other to be ‘per Du’ or to ‘mich duzen’ – to call them ‘Du’ instead. This shift also signifies being on a first name basis with someone – but you should still refer to this person by their last name when speaking to others.

There is an emphasis on written forms of communication, as a way of both communicating information and also providing a record of business negotiations.

Business Meetings

When doing business in Germany, appointments are essential and should be made well in advance, and punctuality is taken incredibly seriously. It is polite to maintain eye contact and respect the level of formality initiated by the person you are having the meeting with – it will often take a few introductory appointments to get to know the person. Meetings keep to very strict agenda, with specified start and end times. Remember that business is hierarchical, with key decisions made by the people at the top of the company. Decisions will be laid out and you will be expected to follow the next stages of negotiations to the letter, adhering to the formality always implicit in German business. It is custom at the end of meetings for some people to tap their knuckles on the tabletop, and the highest ranked person enters and leaves the room first, with men entering and leaving before women.

Business Dress

Business dress is not flashy, it should be understated, formal and always appropriate.
For men, dark coloured business suits are best when doing business in Germany, and for women either business suits or conservative dresses.

What forms of interpreter services can TJC Global provide?

Video/videoconference interpreting: (Video Remote Interpreting is also available) TJC provides professional language interpreting services to support a wide range of events, including business meetings, conferences, legal proceedings (court hearings, arbitration, or litigation), and other online business interactions across industries.

Participants can connect via video or voice calls using computers, laptops, smartphones, or tablets. If needed, sessions can be recorded to facilitate the creation of meeting minutes. Our highly qualified interpreters seamlessly join virtual meetings, events, or proceedings to provide remote interpretation in the language pairing required, ensuring clear and effective communication for all parties involved. Additionally, we offer relay interpreting services as needed.

Telephone/teleconference interpreting: Telephone or teleconference interpreting is an efficient solution for overcoming language barriers. The interpreter can either work remotely (separate from both parties) or be physically present with one of the parties. In either scenario, they provide interpreting services through a telephone conferencing setup.

This service is particularly valuable for clients unable to travel internationally but still need to conduct business discussions or share progress updates. At TJC Global, we are proud to offer professionally qualified interpreters in a wide range of language combinations, ensuring clear and effective communication.

Simultaneous & Consecutive interpreting

Simultaneous interpreting (also available with Video Remote Interpretation (VRI))
Simultaneous interpreting is ideal for international conferences, high-stakes business discussions, seminars, and symposiums. Typically, two to three interpreters work from a soundproof booth, separate from the audience. They take turns interpreting at high speed, switching every 15–20 minutes to maintain focus and ensure the highest quality interpretation.

Using headsets, the interpreters listen to the speaker’s message and deliver it in the target language almost instantly (“simultaneously”) to the intended audience. This method also supports relay interpreting, which is especially useful for multilingual presentations where speakers use several languages.

Consecutive interpreting (also available with Video Remote Interpretation (VRI)) is one of the most widely used types of interpretation. It is suitable for business discussions, negotiations, contract signings, commercial, legal, and technical meetings, medical appointments, court hearings, on-site inspections, and audits.

In this mode, the interpreter listens carefully to the speaker, often taking notes, and then conveys the meaning in the target language. They typically wait for a natural pause or for the speaker to finish a segment before delivering the interpretation quickly and accurately.

Consecutive interpreting is also commonly employed in conferences for panel discussions, Q&A sessions, or private interactions between parties, whether at a stand or another setting.

Looking for translation or interpreting assistance?

TJC Global provides specialist interpreting and translation services in various specialist fields. Whatever your requirements, we can find the right linguist to assist you. If your industry or project type is not listed here, please contact us directly with your enquiry.

Our language specialists utilise their knowledge of subject-specific terminology to deliver precise, unambiguous translations, whatever the context – enabling you to communicate effectively with the rest of the world. We are also able to adapt to almost any type of project.

What to do next? Contact us

Please use the Quick Quote system above for a quote for interpreting, translation services or a related enquiry.
If you would like more information about our language services, please contact us.