Business in Lithuania

When doing business in Lithuania, the handshake is the most common form of greeting. Business associates usually shake hands with all participants during both arrival and departure. Lithuanians especially appreciate lengthy handshakes where there is ample eye contact and smiling. Eye contact rates high on importance in Lithuanian business etiquette. Lithuanians believe eye contact infers trustworthiness and sincerity.

After greetings are out of the way, Lithuanians place an emphasis on titles. Great status is attached to academic or honorific titles, and therefore, individuals should be addressed by such. Examples of special titles are: Professor, Doctor, Reverend, Sir, Lady, Baron, etc. In the absence of an honorific title, Lithuanians prefer to be called Sir or Madam alongside their surname.

Lithuanians desire familiarity with individuals prior to business discussions. They look to establish a personal relationship with a potential business associate before agreeing to go into business with them. Therefore, communication and a connection are necessities while conducting business in Lithuania. This may not be a quick process but it is critical in being successful.

Meetings and negotiations in Lithuania tend to be hierarchical. Similar status/seniority attendees attend most meetings. During the meeting, the most senior attendee will set the pace of the meeting. They will decide who speaks, what is spoken about, and when. In a typical Lithuanian business meeting, the senior attendee will open the meeting and carry out the introductions in rank order. After introductions are out of the way, the senior attendee will usually follow an agenda. A difference between America and Lithuania is in the treatment of junior staff during meets and negotiations. The junior staff (if even present in the meeting) will only speak to their junior counterparts. They will only respond to questions from the more senior staff. Junior staff members are