🇻🇳 Vietnam Meeting Culture
Vietnamese business meetings are hierarchical and relationship-focused, emphasizing respect, patience, and long-term relationship building.
- Schedule meetings well in advance and reconfirm before the meeting.
- Bring business cards printed in Vietnamese on one side; prepare enough for everyone.
- Research the company hierarchy; Vietnamese business is very rank-conscious.
- Arrive on time; tardiness is seen as disrespectful.
- Greet the most senior person first with a handshake and slight bow.
- Exchange business cards with both hands and study them carefully before putting away.
- Begin with small talk about family, health, or Vietnam before discussing business.
- Vietnamese prefer indirect communication; "yes" may mean "I hear you" rather than agreement.
- Avoid causing loss of face; public criticism or confrontation is very damaging.
- Decisions are made by consensus and often require approval from higher authorities.
- Patience is essential; negotiations may take longer than expected.
- Follow up with a written summary of the meeting and agreed-upon points.
- Maintain regular contact; relationships require ongoing nurturing in Vietnam.