Language
Since independence in 1991, Estonia has experienced a revival of its own language and culture. Estonian has now had a new lease of life, being seen as a language in its own right rather than one taking a secondary place to Russian.
As with visiting any country, it is always a good idea to learn a few phrases. A simple "hello", "good day" or "how are you?" in Estonian will go down very well and help start the relationship building process.
Meeting & Greeting
Greetings are formal and rather reserved. Men initiate greetings with women and the younger person greets the older person. As a hierarchical society it is common for the oldest person in a group to be introduced first. Make sure you stand, make direct eye contact and offer a firm handshake. Estonians may come across as aloof. This should not be taken personally as it is merely reflects the difference in behaviour with people that they do not yet know.
Titles are very important and denote respect. Use honorific titles "Härra" (Mr.), "Prova" (Mrs.), or "Preili" (Miss) with their surname until invited to move to a first-name basis.
Conversations may be quite stiff and formal at first. Estonians need time to get to know someone and until then they are fairly reserved and unemotional. After that you will find that they are excellent conversationalists.
Business cards should be exchanged on first meetings. There is little formal ritual surrounding the exchange. It is always a sign of class to have one side of your card translated in the native language and one should present the card Estonian side up. As they tend to respect seniority, experience and qualifications try and include any formal titles, qualifications and company founding dates.
Communication
Estonians mean what they say and do what they say they will do. They expect foreign businesspeople to keep their word. Failing to do so can cause irreparable harm to a business relationship.
They are generally polite and courteous speakers. Estonians are somewhat pragmatic and reserved, especially in the early stages of developing a business relationship. They demonstrate respect towards another person by addressing them by their professional title. After a personal relationship has been developed, they may move to a first-name basis. It is a good idea to wait for your Estonian colleagues to decide that your relationship has reached this level of intimacy.
Estonians are not emotive speakers. If you are from a culture where hand gestures are robust, you may wish to moderate them to conform to local practices. At the same time, they can be extremely direct speakers and task focused.
Soft voices are the norm. If you have a booming voice, you may wish to moderate it when conducting business with Estonians.
In general, Estonians are reserved and somewhat aloof. They do not always respond to what has been said, especially if they are uncomfortable with the subject or if they need more time to organize their thoughts. Although they are direct communicators, Estonians temper their directness in order to protect the feelings of all concerned. They are slow to pay compliments and may become suspicious of compliments offered too readily and without sufficient reason.
Passive silence is very much part of the communication style. Estonians are not fond of conversational overlap and will not think highly of someone who interrupts them while they are speaking.
Estonians value their good reputations. Therefore, be careful not to criticize or embarrass anyone publicly. Doing so could cause irreparable harm to your personal relationship.
Direct eye contact demonstrates that a person can be trusted. Estonians generally maintain eye contact throughout a discussion. Looking away or making intermittent eye contact may be misinterpreted as a sign that you are not telling the truth.
Business Meetings
Meetings generally begin with a welcoming speech from the most senior Estonian at the meeting. The most senior person from your team should respond with a short speech.
It is common to continue meetings over lunch or dinner, although the conversation will tend to be social, rather than business oriented. These seemingly social occasions are an opportunity for your Estonian colleagues to get to know you as an individual and develop a personal relationship. Since this is a culture that prefers to do business with friends, consider time spent at meals as important as time spent at the negotiating table.
Although Estonians juxtapose business and social situations, it is important to maintain a formal demeanour at meetings. Estonians dislike an overly casual attitude towards business, especially from foreigners.
It generally takes several meetings to reach a decision. In most cases, decisions are still made at the top of the company, so unless you are meeting with the top echelon of the company, what you propose will have to make its way up the chain of command for approval.
Older businesspeople are generally only fluent in Estonian or Russian. Therefore, you may wish to have an interpreter with you at meetings.
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