Meeting and Greeting

Business Personnel in Sweden are typically fairly reserved and as such it is important that all dealings are formal and serious until it is deemed acceptable by the respective Swedish personnel to allow events to become more relaxed. Key suggestions are as follows:

• Ensure that, maintaining eye contact coupled with a firm handshake, you shake hands with all attendees on both arrival and departure. - Ensure that you address your hosts with either their professional title or their honorific title and their surname - Mr. - Herr or Mrs. - Younger people are likely to move more quickly to a first name basis than older people. - Personal space is important in Sweden and as such it is recommended that you maintain an awareness of someone’s personal space and that you do not invade it. Avoid any unnecessary touching.

• Shake hands with everyone present -- men, women, and children -- at business and social meetings. Shake hands again when leaving.

• Younger people generally do not shake hands when meeting friends. Older people expect a handshake when being greeted or when leaving.

• If no one is available to introduce you, shake each person's hand and introduce yourself.

#Greeting