If I asked you which nation is the world’s top exporter of goods, my guess is that you’d not answer with Germany. And yet, with a value exceeding a trillion dollars in 2005, the country is significantly ahead of the US, and leaves China, Japan, France and the UK trailing. If that’s a revelation, perhaps it’s time to update your view of the country. I made a visit on business a couple of weeks ago and found the experience to be both reassuring and exhilarating. A few old stereotypes were confirmed, but there were many unexpected discoveries, and I left with a renewed appreciation for the nation and its people.
I don’t think I’m alone. The World Cup brought international exposure and Forbes’ ranking of Chancellor Angela Merkel as the world’s most powerful woman has given many food for thought. But consider, what impression do you really have when someone mentions Germany? According to ads 
running on the tube at the moment, we Brits at least have only half the picture. They contrast the VW Beetle with high speed ICE trains, cuckoo clocks with the MP3 player, and product design with fashion design.
I’m not sure that Germany was all Beetles and cuckoo clocks to me; but the message to “think again” is apt; the country is full of surprises. For instance, I had a notion that Germany was keen on wind power generation, but the sight of mile after mile of graceful white turbines dotting the landscape around Berlin was astonishing. They were a perfect symbol of the nation’s sleek and progressive efficiency. A stereotype maybe, but undeniably true and wonderful to experience. What was perhaps unexpected among the modernity was the old-fashioned sense of how to conduct business.
The difference in approach compared to the US and Britain was instantly noticeable. Instead of the rushed gatherings of harassed 
people that can pass for meetings back home, in Germany people took their time, were exceptionally polite, and graciously personal. Conversation flowed freely, as did coffee or wine (depending on the time of day), before business was begun. This was immensely refreshing and reassuring. When developing new commercial relationships, the “getting to know” stages are always the most difficult. Finding a rapport, too readily dismissed as wasted time in US and British business, meant that moving onto more serious matters was much more comfortable.
Austin Lawrence Group advocates taking time over relationships in business. We believe this approach is vital in marketing, a discipline that relies heavily on good communications. Visiting Germany showed me how effectively tradition and progress can be effectively combined in modern business. Wünderbar!
