Our world is getting smaller and smaller. Thanks to technology like video conferencing software, email, and instant messaging, you can now do business anywhere in the world. If you’re circling around Italy for your next target demographic, take a few tips from an American living in Italy on how to conduct business with the land of dolce vita.
6 tips on doing business with Italians
1. Understand that Italians aren’t transactional by nature
Americans tend to have a very to-the-point style when it comes to doing business. We don’t like wasting time or money, so we tend to be direct in business meetings.
Italians…not so much. In a country where drinking a shot of espresso can stretch out over hours when two people start chatting, understand that relationships, not transactions, matter here.
That means you’re going to have to cool your heels a bit. Engage in a little personal banter. Listen to their stories about how their nonna used to handmake pasta every Sunday. If you’re into soccer, bonus points, because if there’s one thing Italians love to talk about (nearly as much as what they eat), it’s soccer.
If you’re planning a business trip to Italy, add in a few extra days. You won’t be flying into Milan, pitching your product, then signing a contract the same day. It may take several days to even talk about business, and even then, you may fly home empty-handed. Accept this as part of the culture.
Look at it like this: if you’re married, you didn’t propose on the first date. You wanted to get to know this person and assess whether he or she would make a good long-term partner. Italians feel the same about business. They want to get to know you as an individual before deciding to commit to a long-term business relationship.
Accept the dinner invitation, especially if it’s at the home of a business contact. This is them inviting you into their world, and you’d do them a disservice by declining and eating reheated pizza in your hotel room.
2. Put in a little effort to learn Italian
Likely, if you’re doing business with a large company, your contact will speak English, but it never hurts to learn a few words of Italian. People here are so impressed when Americans speak even a little Italian, as it’s not all that common.
Start with words like “please” and “thank you,” and you’ll go far. If you’ll be traveling back and forth to Italy for business (assuming it all goes well), learning a little more might benefit you in other ways. And it keeps your contacts from having to translate every joke.
3. Be flexible about contracts
This isn’t the case every time, but some Italians prefer to at least start with a verbal contract. Your American mentality may balk at the intangibility of a few spoken words of agreement but understand that culturally, this is acceptable. And Italians (again, I’m generalizing here) tend to be people of their word.
Written contracts are possible, of course, but if you express concern about having a verbal contract, you might cause your Italian contacts to hesitate, feeling that you don’t trust them. Again, it’s part of the culture.
If you do get a written contract, be sure to go over it with an Italian-speaking lawyer. Just like American contracts, there’s often fine print, and you want to understand what the policy is for exiting a partnership, any fees you might incur, and any other policies you might not be familiar with as an American business person.
4. Look the part
This should go without saying, especially since Italy is known for its fashion, but don’t show up to a business meeting in chinos or flip-flops. If you live in a city (such as anywhere in California) where business casual is the style du jour, it may be out of your comfort zone to don a tie and suit, but do it if you want to impress the Italians.
And hey, if you don’t have the right wardrobe for the meeting, you’ve got the perfect excuse to shop for new clothes in Italy!
5. Be ready for lengthy negotiations
Again, Italians are thorough and in no rush, so don’t expect to get a contract signed quickly. There may be several days, weeks, or even months of back-and-forth negotiations and haggling on price and details. It doesn’t mean they won’t sign the contract in the end, but be patient and have the long game in mind.
6. And if you’re a woman…
While Italy has made great advancements in gender roles and politics over the last few decades, there are still lingering prejudices about women and what they’re capable of.
What does that look like? In a meeting, males may expect to meet with males from your company, so they may be a little surprised when you show up. After all, only 22% of Italian businesses are run by women.
Don’t be shocked if a man calls you cara (“dear”) or comments on your looks. While that might get a knee to the nether regions and a call to HR in the U.S., it’s less out-of-the-ordinary in Italy.
I keep repeating this: it’s part of the culture. You won’t change it, so try to accept it (within reason).
The key to successful business transactions in Italy
To summarize, you’ll need to be patient to succeed with business transactions in Italy. Let go of your American expectations, such as things happening quickly or according to your idea of order.
If you can win the hearts of your Italian contacts, they’ll happily sign on the dotted line (or give the verbal equivalent), and you’ll have succeeded in expanding your business’s reach to Italia.
