Here are some things I have found dealing with business etiquette:
- Dress conservatively.
- Handshakes are used upon meeting and departing. Handshakes only usually take place between members of the same sex.
- Some Vietnamese use a two-handed shake, with the left hand on top of the right wrist.
- Business cards are exchanged on initial meetings and should be presented with both hands. When receiving business cards ensure you show proper respect to it and do not simply glance at it and put it on the table.
- Silence is also common in meetings where someone disagrees with another but remains quiet so as to not cause a loss of face.
- Relationships are critical to successful business partnerships. Always invest time in building a good relationship based on both personal and business lines. Any initial meeting should be solely used as a “getting to know you” meeting.
- The spoken word is very important. Never make promises that you can not keep to as this will lead to a loss of face.
I have found a few little customs that haven’t been touched on yet.
- Smiles are often meant to be “thank you”. They tend to be more modest and avoid praise.
- In America, we usually grow up being taught that elbows are not to be on the table when we are eating. But the Vietnamese eat with both hands on the table.
- Walk quickly, and avoid eye contact on the street.
- Refer to Ho Chi Minh City as Saigon. Local people prefer Saigon to Ho Chi Minh City, which was imposed by the government in Hanoi.
- A small dish or shaker of white crystal on the table is more likely to be monosodium glutamate (MSG) than sugar or salt.
- These few will be hard for me because they are just in my nature:
- Do not stand with your hands on your hips.
- Do not cross your arms on your chest.
- Do not touch anyone on the shoulder.