This is an insult. Corporate Culture Germans take punctuality for business meetings and social occasions seriously. Tardiness is viewed as thoughtless and rude. Call with an explanation if you are delayed. Send company profiles, personal profiles, etc., to German colleagues before your visit to establish credibility.
Contacts are vital to a business success.
Rank is very important in business. Never set up a meeting for a lower ranked company employee to meet with a higher ranked person. The primary purpose of a first meeting is to get to know one another and to evaluate the person, to gain trust, and the check chemistry. Meetings are often formal and scheduled weeks in advance. Germans generally discuss business after a few minutes of general discussion.