Switzerland, though a small nation, has four official languages – German, French Italian and Romansch. Romansch is spoken by 1 percent of the population in the eastern part of the country. Swiss-German is a dialect spoken in all the German-speaking cantons as well as in Ticino. It is the lingua franca of the population although High German is what is taught in schools and read in newspapers.

Because of the nuances of culture this diversity brings, Switzerland is considered to be a prime test market in Europe where new technology products and services are often introduced and used first prior to national launches elsewhere.

While openness towards technology may give the Swiss an air of daring-do — do not be misled. The Swiss tend towards conservatism, empirical-thinking and prefer to stick to the rules. Swiss culture remains ethnocentric – a strong belief in ones own cultural group - and maintains a cautious attitude towards outside influences.

However, as Intercultural management consultant Fons Trompenaars points out, "There is a mindset that needs to be built in which the Swiss (or any other country national) can be approached rather than 'this is a list of what the Swiss do' because the Swiss will not expect you to become Swiss. You are not Swiss – they know that!"

The question is more, once you are aware of the differences, how do you deal with them?

The following points should be noted before doing business with the Swiss:

Making appointments

• Meetings are done by appointment and not spontaneously. This is true for social occasions as well, particularly in the German speaking cantons.
• You should arrive at least five minutes early and be sure to telephone if you think you’ll be late. Arriving 15-20 minutes ahead of time will impress the Swiss.
• Punctuality is necessary on all occasions, whether business or social. This is especially true in the German-speaking areas, where arriving even five minutes late for a business or social engagement can cause grave offence. Although French- and Italian-speaking areas tend to be slightly more relaxed about time, punctuality is well appreciated.

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