1. ALEXANDRA ONIGA

2. Contents
1. Social rules and behaviour
2. British people and diplomacy
3. Business Practices in the UK
4. The art of negotiation
5. Conclusions

3. 1. Social rules and behaviour

4. 2. British people and diplomacy
 place diplomacy before directness in communication
 fear that bluntness will offend the other party → may
seem evasive in meetings
 use language in a coded manner
 It is better to be self-deprecating than self-promotional

5. 3. Business Practices
 Handshake - most common form of greeting
 Reserved people - take offence at early familiarity
 Personal space – no touching.
 Punctuality and courtesy - most important aspects of
British business etiquette
 No small talk or icebreakers necessary

6. 4. The art of negotiation
 Negotiation - problem-solving process!
 Avoid any open confrontation and remain calm, formal,
patient and persistent!
 Spend time gathering information and discussing details.
 Do not stall the negotiation to win time – your
counterparts may lose interest.

7. 4. The art of negotiation
 Comfortable with bargaining, but dislike haggling!
 British people are quite analytical and usually receptive
to ‘outside’ ideas.
 Prefer to negotiate in a fairly straightforward and
honest style.
 Corruption and bribery are very rare!

8. 5. Conclusions
 Direct when communicating → despite their use of
diplomatic language
 Importance of humour in all situations, including
business contexts
 When negotiating, British people remain calm and
patient.

9. Thank you for your attention!