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DOING BUSINESS IN
FRANCE
DR MARK ORME
6 NOVEMBER 2014
1INNOVATIVE THINKING
FOR THE REAL WORLD
Overview
• General Introduction and Facts about France -
How much do you know?
• Business Etiquette in France
• Top Tips for Doing Business in France
• Some French Business Phrases
INNOVATIVE THINKING
FOR THE REAL WORLD
3
4
The Holy GrailFrance: it regions and people
How much do you know?
The population of France today is:
(a) 46 million
(b) 66 million
(c) 86 million
The Holy GrailFrance: it regions and people
How much do you know?
French is spoken in:
a) 5 countries in the world
b) 18 countries in the world
c) 40 countries in the world
The Holy GrailFrance: it regions and people
How much do you know?
French is the language of:
a) 2 countries in the European Union
b) 3 countries in the European Union
c) 4 countries in the European Union
(France, Belgium & Luxembourg)
The Holy GrailFrance: it regions and people
How much do you know?
The three biggest cities in France are:
a) Paris – Toulouse – Marseille
b) Paris – Bordeaux – Lille
c) Paris – Marseille – Lyon
The Holy GrailFrance: it regions and people
How much do you know?
• The total surface area of France is 674,843 squared
kms – includes Metropolitan France and overseas
departments and territories
• The surface area of Metropolitan France is 551, 695
squared kms
France: Some Statistics
The Holy GrailFrance: it regions and people
Geographical Divisions in France
• Metropolitan France = 22 regions (“régions”) and 96 departments (“départements”) – roughly equivalent to counties in the UK;
• 327 “arrondissements” (districts);
• 3,694 “cantons” (constituencies);
• 36,433 “communes” (district; parish)
The Holy GrailFrance: it regions and people
French Regions outside Metropolitan France
5 overseas regions – “Régions d’outre mer”:
• Guadeloupe – French West Indies
• French Guiana – South America
• Martinique – French West Indies
• Réunion – Indian Ocean, east of Mozambique
and Madagascar
• Mayotte – north of Madagascar
The Holy GrailFrance: it regions and people
A Few Observations of the French People
• French people are patriotic – 83% of French people choose to spend their holidays in France;
• French cuisine is seen to be of the highest quality – les cuisses de grenouille, les escargots, la tarte tatin, with regional specialities
• Work-life balance
The Holy GrailFrance: it regions and people
Famous French Names
• Fashion DesignersYves Saint-Laurent, Christian Dior
• Writers / Philosophers Jean-Paul Sartre, Albert Camus, Simone de Beauvoir
• Cinema invented in Paris in 1895 by Louis Lumiere
• Sport
Le Tour de France, Le Parkour
The Holy GrailFrance: it regions and people
Famous French Names and Accolades
• 1783 – Montgolfier brothers invent the hot-air balloon
• Blaise Pascal – invented the digital calculator
• Louise Braille – created braille
• TGV world speed record – 357.2 mph (3 April 2007)
The Holy GrailFrance: it regions and people
A Few Interesting Facts about France
• France has roughly the same population as the UK, but it is a far bigger country
• France is the most visited country in the world, receiving 82 million foreign tourists annually
• France was one of the founding members of the European Union and the United Nations
• French is one of three official ‘procedural languages’ of the European Union (with German and English)
French Business Culture
• Formality
• Use of the French Language
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xrw5YgWC0rs
• Business Etiquette – Meeting and Greeting
• Business Etiquette – Cuisine
• Communication style
• How to negotiate
• Dress Codes
INNOVATIVE THINKING
FOR THE REAL WORLD
French Business Culture
• Punctuality is a fairly relaxed affair
• Use formal titles and, if speaking in French,
stick to the formal “vous”, not the informal
“tu”
• Avoid personalising discussions
• Avoid exaggeration
• Successful negotiations are based on logic
and having a clear rationale
INNOVATIVE THINKING
FOR THE REAL WORLD
Ten Top Tips for Doing Business in France
1. Be formal until and unless invited otherwise by your
French host
2. Arrive on time for business meetings but do not expect
an apology if your French host arrives late
3. “Dress to impress”
4. Be logical and rational in your business proposal
5. Avoid personalising business transactions
Ten Top Tips for Doing Business in France
6. If a stalemate ensues, try to approach your proposal
from a different perspective
7. Avoid hyperbole
8. Adopt a direct, probing questioning style
9. Give serious answers to serious questions
10. Do not try to sell yourself too much
More General Tips
• Don’t hide your hands while eating – elbows on
the table are acceptable in France!
• When travelling on trains / buses you may need
to “composter” [validate] your ticket. Not doing
so can be costly
• Always carry identification
French Business Phrases
• Bonjour / Bonsoir, Monsieur, Madame, Mademoiselle
• Je m’appelle Monsieur / Madame / Mademoiselle /
Professeur / Docteur
• Voici ma carte
• Je suis enchanté(e) de faire votre connaissance.
• Comment vous appelez-vous?
• Ça va bien?
• Oui, ça va très bien, merci
• Au revoir
INNOVATIVE THINKING
FOR THE REAL WORLD
Practice
• Bonjour / Bonsoir, Monsieur, Madame, Mademoiselle
• Je m’appelle Monsieur / Madame / Mademoiselle /
Professeur / Docteur
• Voici ma carte
• Je suis enchanté(e) de faire votre connaissance.
• Comment vous appelez-vous?
• Ça va bien?
• Oui, ça va très bien, merci
• Au revoir
INNOVATIVE THINKING
FOR THE REAL WORLD
Phrases
• Excusez-moi, Madame / Monsieur,
Mademoiselle
• Je ne parle pas l’anglais
• Je parle un peu le français
• Désolé, Madame / Monsieur, Mademoiselle,
mais je ne comprends pas
INNOVATIVE THINKING
FOR THE REAL WORLD
Phrases – encore!
• Merci beaucoup, Monsieur / Madame,
Mademoiselle
• S’il vous plaît
• Au Revoir
INNOVATIVE THINKING
FOR THE REAL WORLD
Merci beaucoup, Mesdames et Messieurs, de votre
attention
Avez-vous des questions ?
Doing Business in France
INNOVATIVE THINKING
FOR THE REAL WORLD
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