Business etiquette in Italy: useful tips to make it work

Scheduling meetings and engagements

Even though religion plays a smaller role in Italian culture than you might imagine, the official school and business calendar is organised around catholic festivities. You might be familiar with some of them, like Sundays, Christmas and Easter, but others might be entirely new to you. There are also other public holidays, that are connected with Italian history and politics, such as Liberation day (April 25th) and Republic Day (June 2nd). In Italy, it is customary, whenever a holiday falls within two days of a weekend, to take a day off in between, so as to have a long festive weekend. When scheduling a meeting, you should always make sure that there are no national festivities in sight.

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Introductions and titles

When introducing yourself, you are expected to use your full name. Titles are only required in very specific situations. On the other hand, if you are aware of someone’s title you are to use it when addressing them. If your counterpart has not been introduced by their title, you should call them by their surname, with a generic Signore or Signora (Mr, Ms). When you are introduced to a group of people, remember that there is no such thing as a group wave in Italy: shake hands with everyone individually when you meet and when you leave. If you have mastered the basics of the Italian language, you will know that there are two ways of addressing someone, a formal one (lei) and an informal one (tu): it goes without saying that a business meeting requires the latter, unless you know your partners well and have a personal relationship with them.

The fine art of gift giving – a business etiquette pitfall

The misconception that Italians like to exchange expensive gifts on business meetings has resulted in many an awkward encounter over the years. You are not expected to give – and should not be expecting to receive – a gift every time you meet someone for the first, second or third time. A gift is meant to mark a special occasion, like the closing of a deal. It is acceptable to give a gift to a business partner if they have been providing hospitality for you or to thank them for supporting or facilitating your business interactions. Gifts should be tasteful and not obviously expensive and they should not be branded with your logo – which would be considered tacky.

In conclusion

Business etiquette in Italy has much in common with the majority of western Countries, but there are a few quirks that some business travellers might not be aware of. While concessions will be made for international visitors, being familiars with these customs will impress your partners and strengthen your business relationships in Italy.

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