Give your expatriates the right start in their new workplace with our series of tips from cross-cultural consultant and trainer Eleonore Breukel. This month: Hungary.

They established a large kingdom, including today's Hungary, Slovakia, Transylvania, Croatia, Western Ukraine, and a part of Serbia.

In the 13th century, the Mongols arrived from Asia and destroyed their country. Two centuries later, they endured 150 years of Ottoman occupation. In the 19th century, Hungary formed a double monarchy with the Austrian House of Habsburg.

A communist regime ruled Hungary for decades until the 80's. Over the past years, this dynamic country successfully changed from a communist-plan economy to a free-market economy.

The Hungarians are related to the Finns, the Estonians and several peoples from the Ural. Their languages, although with few similarities, belong to the Finno-Ugric group.

The Hungarian language is Magyar. Surrounded by mostly Slavic speaking nations, the Hungarians feel isolated and often misunderstood.

Sixty-five percent of the population is Roman Catholic, and 28 percent is Protestant.

Doing business

Hungarians changed from an agrarian nation to an industrial nation under communist rule. Today, Hungary also offers many services. Deprived of any marketing knowledge, US management gurus brought American management styles a decade ago. These management styles have adapted to Hungarian norms.

Although Hungarians are individualists with very strong opinions, business is based on a close network of relations, often family related. Before meeting a new Hungarian client, make sure he has heard your name from within his network.

When you negotiate a long-term business relationship, such as a cooperation, offer additional goodwill like training, improvement of working conditions for the employees (eg, better sanitation or new office chairs), and invest in a local community project.

Hungarians are good bargainers, therefore, enter negations with an ample margin on your final price.

Do not get distracted by loud voices, which may give you the incorrect impression that an argument is developing. Remain friendly, but be alert when emotion takes over rationality. Try to steer the conversation in the right direction

If you do business in Hungary, large lunches and dinners are unavoidable. Do not discuss business during these meals. This time is reserved to get to know each other on a personal level. Do not consider this as time lost. It is an important part of doing business.

How to address Hungarians

When you enter or leave a room, you shake hands. Address Hungarians with their professional title and the surname.

When the last name is not used, the title will be followed by the word úr, which means "mister."

"Epitész úr" is "mister architect." In Hungarian, Mr. Bela Bartok would be "Bartok úr" and his wife would be addressed as "Bartok Belané."

A woman who keeps her own name receives asszonyom after her name. "Mrs. Condos" would be "Condos asszonyom."

Hungarians may be formal initially. Later on they will be warm and friendly, but will remain very polite and gallant.

Women are treated with great difference. Their hand may be kissed, and older men still bow their head while shaking hands with a woman.

Hungarians are very expressive and gesticulate heavily. The distance between people is small.

You may be frequently touched on your arm or back as a token of friendship.

Business cards

Since most business people speak English, it is not necessary to translate business cards into Hungarian. Hungarian first names come after the family name.

Women often have their husbands' family name printed first followed by his first name. Underneath her own academic tittle under which you may find her family name and her first name, followed by her job title.

When you receive a card, feel free to ask the person if you have pronounced the name correctly. That way you are sure to address the person with the right name.

Meetings and presentations

Westerners often experience meetings in Hungary as loud, chaotic and without keeping to the agenda.

Do not take for granted that the minutes of the meeting are being made. Take your own notes. Be straight and direct but prevent loss of face of the others and yourself. Look your meeting partners in the eyes while talking to them.

Your presentations should be visual, well-designed, clear and colorful. Avoid too much text or figures. In order to retain attention, bring in some humor. Try to be charismatic and allow interuptions.

Keep on asking questions to see if your words are understood, and check if their perception of your concepts or contracts are the same as yours.

Concept of time

Be in time for your appointments. Hungarians are rarely late for business meetings.

Appointments may take much longer then you expect due to the often unstructured conversations. During these (in western eyes) unstructured conversations, your Hungarian counterpart will get a good idea of who you are and what you have to offer behind the business facade.

Double-check your appointments at least one day ahead. Plan more time then you would do in northern Europe or the US for each appointment you make in Hungary.

Women in business

Many Hungarian women are academics and hold high positions. However, the business sector is still dominated by men.

Socialising

Hungarians like to be called central Europeans and not eastern Europeans.

Doing business in Hungary or living there means frequent dinners at restaurants. Conversation topics could include their wonderful wines, great musicians, composers and writers, beautiful ancient buildings, and their fast, successful change from a plan economy to a market economy. Conversations are usually male dominated

When toasting after a business deal, Hungarians will toast to your success and not to their own success.

They reason if you are successful in this deal, they will be, too. It would be very selfish to toast to your own well being.

When people live in big cities, they usually have small apartment. Therefore, entertainment takes place in restaurants with lots of local music.

When you are invited to a Hungarian's home, take something typically from your home country as a present.

Dress

During business hours, formal suits and dresses are worn. When invited to private events, check the dress code. Hungarians like to dress up for parties and dinners. Your dress is the mirror of your status or success.