Poland: Doing business & staying in touch

In Poland, a formal approach is favoured, and it is therefore advisable to address an associate with a title and surname unless there is an established rapport.

Letters of introduction are extremely useful for establishing contact with businesses in Poland. Presentations should be thoroughly prepared and, at a minimum, the executive summary should be translated. Decisions are often by committee here, so negotiations may be protracted and a deal cannot be confirmed until all parties have signed.

Handshaking is customary, an older man will often kiss a woman’s hand, and business cards (preferably with titles translated) should be exchanged with all participants at a meeting. The dress code is, on the whole, quite conservative. Breakfast meetings are rare, although business lunches and dinners are popular.

The end of communism brought the careers of many Polish people to a premature end, as the older generation was thought to represent an outdated system and inflexible attitudes. Consequently, many of those holding high positions in Warsaw's business world today are relatively young. They are also more likely to speak English and other languages.

Poles love to stay up late, talking and drinking, and dinner invitations are likely. The person who issues the invitation is generally the one who pays the bill. It is important for visitors to make sure that if giving a gift of flowers, there should always be an odd number.