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Doing Business in the UK
By: Naz Daud
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Britain is made up of England, Scotland and Wales, whilst the United Kingdom is Britain plus Northern Ireland. Somebody can be from the UK but not British if they are from Northern Ireland.
In the past Britain had a huge manufacturing base which is now slowly changing to a service economy. London is still the nerve centre of the financial world where more money changes hands on a daily basis than any other financial centre.
From a population point of view, England dominates and this why foreign people often get confused with British & English. The population of England roughly makes up slightly over 80% of the UK's total.
The UK's population is around 60million, with the England having 51 million, Scotland having 5 million, Wales around 3 million and Northern Ireland close to 2 million.
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For all intents and purposes when foreign people talk about the British they are usually referring to the English so therefore this article is predominantly about doing business with the English people.
Words of warning here; never refer to a Scots, Irish or Welshman as English. Due to historical disputes these people often do not like to be known as English.
The British are renowned for their "stiff upper lip" which generally means that they do not like to show much emotion or make much body contact. It is also advisable to keep a slight distance from people during a conversation.
It is customary to firmly shake hands with people when you meet, whilst maintaining eye contact and that includes both sexes. Business cards are normally exchanged after the handshake and before the meeting has begun.
Embracing your counterpart after a successful meeting is generally not acceptable but going out for alcoholic beverages or a meal to celebrate is allowed as long as you do not drink too much.
A pretend kiss, where a males lips do not actually touch the female cheek is an interesting custom that I have observed when saying good bye to your female business colleague.
The British sense of humour can be extremely difficult to comprehend. The British seem to delight in making fun of themselves and saying one thing and meaning another (irony). As an example they might say "how nice" when in reality they may mean "how awful."
Therefore it becomes important to watch their body language and listen to the tonality of their words to fully understand what they are trying to say.
In a business meeting men generally wear dark suits, a shirt and a tie whilst women can wear the same or a dress that just covers the knee with a nice shirt and a dark jacket.
The English tend to look down at people who do not speak their language correctly so make sure you send somebody that has a good understanding of grammar and spoken English.
Politeness, neat and tidy dressing and punctuality are all important in this society. Make sure you are on time and your shoes are polished. If you are going to be slightly late for a meeting make a quick call and let them know before you arrive.
The British tend not too haggle a lot so in any negotiations it is possible to get a lower price than is initially quoted but usually their second price will be close to their final offer.
It is customary to let the senior guy in the business lead the way when moving to another destination and holding the door open for any females in the group. If you are part of a delegation let the senior people walk ahead and follow closely behind. It is acceptable to talk quietly as they lead the way.
Following these simple rules will make your business trip to the United Kingdom a pleasure and not a chore.
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