Belarusian business etiquette

The Russian Federation and the Republic of Belarus have much in common in the historical, economic and cultural spheres, and the peoples living on the territory of both states are considered fraternal.

Peculiarities of mentality

Belarusians are very friendly and good-natured people. They are not characterized by expression, violent expression of feelings, noisy scenes in public. By their nature, they resemble the local nature — quiet and majestic. For many centuries, people lived on the Belarusian land in communities, which left an imprint on the nature of the relationship between them — mutual assistance is high and a respectful attitude towards elders and to the interlocutor is revered. Here they are used to solving all important matters together, even holidays are most often held either by the whole family, or even by the whole locality.

The basis of the Belarusian society has always been the family. The man in the family — head, support, main earner and protector of the house. For children it is «father», and for relatives — "dadzka". The woman is assigned the role of an equal mistress. She is the mother, the keeper of the hearth, the manager of household chores.

In rural areas, Belarusians try to live together in large houses built for several generations of one family. There are huge plots of land around the house, a reliable economy.

Clothes

There are no strict rules regarding clothing in Belarus. On the streets of cities, you can most often see people wearing European-style clothes, and sometimes national dresses or clothes with elements of national decor. European-style suits are accepted in business etiquette.

It is worth noting that Belarusians try to give preference to clothes made from natural materials. This is due to the historical desire of Belarusians to surround themselves with objects made from natural materials, if possible. In Belarusian culture, nature plays a very important role; since ancient times, it has been revered as a single living being. Although the Belarusian culture is close to Slavic, nevertheless, the Belarusian style with its characteristic features is visible in everything — in national clothes, shoes, musical instruments, types of dwellings. The Belarusian style is difficult to confuse with examples of, for example, Russian, Ukrainian or Lithuanian style.

Business etiquette

The characteristic national features of Belarusians are openness and trust in people. Therefore, in business, Belarusians tend to scrupulously comply with agreements and carefully protect their reputation. Belarusians believe that a successful business can only be built on the basis of trust gained through good personal relationships.

Any business meeting should be planned and coordinated in advance and reconfirmed immediately before the meeting. The first business contacts imply a business environment and a business style of communication and clothing. Moreover, the meeting with Belarusian civil servants will be more formal than the meeting with business representatives.

It is worth being patient in dealing with Belarusian partners. Negotiations can take a very long time, as in Belarus it is customary for a very long time and scrupulously to coordinate any clause of the contract with the higher leadership. It is worth remembering that any changes on your part to any already agreed details may again require time for re-agreement. However, if you are patient, able to bargain and make concessions, and, most importantly, offer a good product or service at an affordable price, you will definitely succeed in signing a contract with Belarusian partners.

Language

Russian, English and German are common in business communication. The Belarusian language is widely used in everyday life; it has been state-owned since 1990. However, very often Belarusians also speak Russian or use a kind of international slang — mixture of Russian and Belarusian languages. For example, you can hear the beginning of the conversation in Belarusian, and the continuation — in Russian, or vice versa.

If you plan to start business communication with Belarusians, then you should order business cards on one side in English, on the other — in Russian. They should be distributed to everyone present at the very beginning of the first business meeting.