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• Appointments are necessary and should be made as far in advance as possible.
• As a foreigner, you are expected to be on time to all business appointments. However, your Russian counterpart may be late, as this may be a test of your patience. Do not expect an apology from a late Russian, and do not demonstrate any kind of attitude if your business appointments begin one or two hours late.
• Consider hiring a Russian translator to sit in on your meetings.
• Confirm the meeting when you arrive in the country and again a day or two in advance.
• Russians are known as great “sitters” during negotiations, this demonstrates their tremendous patience.
• Meetings can be cancelled on short notice.
• Use the time effectively to demonstrate what differentiates your company from the competition.
• Have all printed material available in both English and Russian language.
• Russians expect long and detailed presentations that include a history of the Subject and a review of existing precedents.
• Meetings are frequently interrupted. It is common for several side conversations that have nothing to do with the topic of the meeting to be carried on during the meeting.
• Get everything in writing. Be very specific in your contracts.
• At the end of the meeting, expect to sign a ‘protocol’, which is a summary of what was discussed.
Relationships & Communication
• Russian is the official language.
• Russians are transactional and do not need to establish long-standing personal relationships before they do business with people.
• Russians are highly literate, and have almost a 100% literacy rate.
• It is still a good idea to develop a network of people who you know and trust.
• It is best to err on the side of formality when you first make contact.
• An indication that you have successfully developed a personal relationship is being asked for a favor by that person.
• Good topics of conversation include peace, the current changes taking place in Russia, and their current economic situation.
• Many Russians speak English, as it is often taught beginning in the third grade.
Business Negotiating
• Meetings and negotiations are slow. Russians do not like being rushed.
• It is a good idea to include technical experts on your negotiating team.
• Hierarchy is important to Russians. They respect age, rank and position. The most senior person reaches decisions.
• Russian executives prefer to meet with people of similar rank and position.
• Russians see negotiations as win-lose. They do not believe in win-win scenarios.
• Russians often use time as a tactic, especially if they know that you have a deadline. Be cautious about letting your business colleagues know that you are under time pressure or they will delay even more.
• Nothing is final until the contract is signed. Even then, Russians will modify a contract to suit their purposes.
• Do not use high-pressure sales tactics as they will work against you.
Appearance
• Business dress is formal and conservative
• Businessmen in Russia usually wear business suits that are dark and well tailored along with good dress shoes. A businessman’s wardrobe demonstrates the individual’s image as a professional.
• Men often do not take off their jackets in negotiations.
• Women should wear subdued colored business suits with skirts that cover the knees.
Business Cards
• Business cards are exchanged after the initial introductions without formal ritual.
• Have one side of your business card translated into Russian using Cyrillic text.
• Include advanced university degrees on your business card.
• Hand your business card so the Russian side is readable to the recipient.
• If someone does not have a business card, note their pertinent information.
• Greet with a firm handshake, and exchange business cards presenting yours Russian-side up
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