Cultural notes Meetings Meetings in German companies are generally scheduled well in advance and may begin with a round of hand-shaking. Coffee and biscuits will be offered at some point and mineral water and soft drinks may also be provided. Meetings are taken seriously and may go into considerable detail.
Participants arrive punctually and dress up rather than down for the occasion.
The formality of a meeting may make it difficult for an outsider to assess how things are going, but a lengthy examination of a proposal will indicate serious intent.