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Business Information
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Amsterdam is a very favorable location to do business as a foreigner. Historically, the Dutch are used to dealing with cross-border business. Amsterdam is home to some well-known multinational companies such as ING, Philips Electronics and ABN Amro. Although Dutch is the official and everyday language, the vast majority of Dutch speak very good English, and as a business traveller you will not have any problem getting by in English.
Here are a couple of things to remember before taking off to Amsterdam.
- The Dutch are fairly straightforward when it comes to doing business. Most Americans and British find it easy to do business with the Dutch, while the South Europeans have more difficulty adapting to the Dutch directness. Some of the Dutch failed attempts to acquire and/or build successful partnerships with South European companies are assumed to be caused by lack of sensitivity to cultural differences from the Dutch side. Even a number of deals with the Belgians have not been successful due to perceived cultural differences.
- Business cards are not exchanged as eagerly as in some other countries. Some business meetings will start with the exchange of business cards, but more commonly business cards are exchanged at the end of the meeting. Some Dutch even dislike people who start a meeting with giving their card. It is recommended to wait until your Dutch counterpart hands you his or her card before you hand yours.
- Business lunches are simple, and sometimes consist of nothing more than a simple cheese sandwich and ... a glass of milk! Other Dutch lunch curiosities include the "kroket", a sausage filled with meat ragout, and the roll with (raw!) herring. However, fancy business lunches are becoming more and more the norm for special business occasions. But if you are on an extended business trip, expect some typical Dutch lunch experiences.
- The Dutch have excellent language skills. In general, when a non-dutch speaker is present at a meeting, people will switch to English without any problem. Non-Dutch speakers will find it easy doing business with the Dutch.
- If invited to a dinner with your significant other, don't be surprised if the host has made a table seating (indicated with name cards on the table). Moreover, the Dutch tend to seat couples at seats not adjacent to each other. Bring a bottle of wine or flowers for the host.
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