Personal Relationships - the Key to Your Success!

Personal Relationships
- the key to your success!

business, relationships, personal relationships, business relationships, building relationships, networking, building rapport, building trust, personal contact,
relationship-oriented, task orientation, relationship skills, business cards, damage control, business culture

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HUNGARIAN
BUSINESS CULTURE
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Habits & Customs | Values, Behavior & Thinking | Business Culture

Hungarian
Culture, Language & Relocation Resources

As with most markets outside northwestern Europe, North America and Australia, it is vital
to have established relationships in Hungary. "Who you know" counts for a great deal.
This contrasts with the situation in deal-focused cultures such as that of Germany, where
such contacts are always helpful but not essential.

Critical business issues need to be discussed person-to-person in Hungary; frequent
visits and phone calls are required. Globe-trotting business people will recognize these
practices from other relationship-oriented markets, such as those found in most of Asia,
the Middle East, Africa, Latin America and much of Eastern-Europe. As in most Asian
markets, you can also expect lengthy, rapport-building preliminary small talk before
getting down to business.

Building a relationship with your Hungarian counterparts can be one of the most
challenging tasks you face in your adventure in Hungary.

In the US, the business drives the relationship

In Hungary, the relationship usually drives the business.

To a certain extent, if a Hungarian person doesn't like you, he or she is not likely to do
business with you. An American dealing with an abrasive potential client may reason,
"Well, the guy's a real pain, but it's a terrific deal." A Hungarian person is more likely to
think, "I may lose a good deal but I can’t do business with that questionable character."

You may encounter an initial barrier of distrust until you prove that you are a valuable and
reliable person to deal with. In a culture that emphasizes relationship and affect, people
tend not to involve themselves very rapidly in any endeavor, be it personal or professional.
There is always a "round of observation" that, for Americans, may seem to last forever. But
this is an important stage for Hungarian people who need to figure out who you are before
going any farther.

In addition, the task or achievement orientation of Americans makes it difficult for them to
spend so much time building rapport with their Hungarian counterparts, especially when
the business could be taken care of in minutes in the US! Yet in a culture that values
affiliation and bonds with others, it is important to go through these long "discovery
stages." They are needed to build a strong foundation on which a durable relationship
can be built - a relationship that will enable people to do business or work together and
achieve a mutually satisfying goal.

For American business people visiting Hungary, it is important to be pleasant, efficient
and well prepared, but this alone might not obtain the results they would in the US. Once
you realize the importance of relationships and the workings of the system in Hungary,
you will certainly agree that the time you spend building these initial bonds is well spent.
You will be putting in the time at some point; it's far better to do it at the beginning than
doing damage control later on. In any case, don't suggest exchanging business cards
right away - establish rapport first.
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