Blog: Doing business with the Dutch

When you are considering doing business with The Netherlands you might wonder if there are any special tips to keep in mind to make a good impression. We give you our top 7 tips for doing business with the us, the Dutch.

1. In the Dutch business culture, keep in mind that we don’t spend a lot of time socializing before a meeting or other business discussion. As soon as the necessary introductions are made, we will likely proceed with the business at hand. Time is money and we don’t like wasting any of these.
2. Whether for business or social engagements punctuality is essential and expected in the Dutch business culture. If you know that you will be late, make sure to call in advance and excuse yourself with a valid reason. Then we are totally okay with you being a little late (for once).
3. Planning, regulating, and organizing are strong values in our Dutch culture so plan accordingly. We stress the importance of the efficient use of time so reliability is something that is highly valued. Any company that cannot quickly and promptly deliver a service upon request will have a difficult time succeeding with Dutch customers.
4. When you have not been formally introduced to everyone at a business or social gathering, you should take the initiative to introduce yourself. Go around the room and shake hands with everyone while repeating your first and last name. Not doing this may leave a bad impression.
5. The Dutch dislike ostentatious displays of wealth. Bragging about your income, lifestyle, or possessions will not impress the Dutch. They are wary of inflated claims, so use plenty of evidence and other data to persuade them of the merit of your products or ideas. A simple and direct presentation is appreciated.
6. We respect qualities such as straightforwardness and honesty. In our culture, bluntness is preferred to deceptiveness or evasiveness. Consequently, when you really want to say “no”, tentative answers such as “I’ll consider it”, “We’ll see”, or “perhaps” are not acceptable. Just say “no”. We will not be offended, promise!
7. Last, but not least: apart from a firm handshake, don’t touch us, no hugging, backslapping or kissing. We really don’t know how to respond when you do this to us and it might result in an awkward situation.

Overall, we are nice people to do business with.
We are direct, honest and loyal.
If we say yes, it is a yes, if we say no it is a no.

And we like a sense of humor.