The secrets of doing business in Sydney

Economist.com in London reports that Americans and Europeans are often struck by Sydneysiders’ easy-going, laid-back manner.

But Australia’s business and financial capital has a few codes of behaviour which can fly in the face of its image. Here are a few suggestions (part of a series) for first-time visitors.

Meeting and greeting

Your contacts are likely to get straight to the point of the meeting without much preliminary chit-chat.

Don’t be taken aback by this: Australians tend to be courteous but direct in discussions.

Likewise, do not be fooled by such directness—Australians can be as sensitive as anyone else if you assume too much or appear to be taking them for granted.

Australians have a dry, laconic sense of humour relying heavily on irony—one more akin to British than American humour.

Avoid taking some jokes too literally.

You can make a joke about most things, as long as it’s in good taste. Political leaders of all hues are fair game.

Make sure you get some titles right, especially if you’re dealing with political types.

The government leaders of Australia’s six states are called premiers. Do not call them prime ministers (as some visitors incorrectly do, including Margaret Thatcher during an official visit, to the barely disguised irritation of her hosts; she later explained she had difficulty with “French titles”).

There is only one prime minister, in Canberra, the national capital.

Another source of confusion for many visitors, and even some Australians, is the identity of the country’s head of state.

It is Queen Elizabeth II of Britain. The governor-general (currently Ms Quentin Bryce) is her Australian representative, and not the “effective head of state”, as John Howard, the former prime minister (and fervent monarchist) once claimed.

Working habits

Australians work some of the longest hours in the developed world and Sydneysiders’ working days are beginning increasingly early and finishing later.

Working breakfasts and 8am meetings are not unusual.

The central business district (often referred to as the ‘CBD’—Australians are great fans of abbreviations) abounds with cafés serving excellent coffee, over which deals are sometimes done right through the morning.

Your business will usually dictate your dress code.

In banking, finance, the law and most company offices, ties, suits and jackets are usually expected during business hours for men, and smart business wear for women.

Publishers, advertising companies and IT offices are more relaxed about dress.

Eating and drinking

Business lunches are not the long, languid, liquid affairs they once were. Your hosts will not be offended if you stick with water at lunch, even if they order a beer or a glass of wine themselves.

Joining a contact for dinner is a more relaxing and popular way of building a business relationship in Sydney.

The subject of wine, and the Australian industry’s export success, can be a good way of getting a conversation going.

It helps being familiar with some of the country’s best-known wine-producing regions: the Hunter Valley (New South Wales), the Barossa Valley (South Australia), the Yarra Valley (Victoria) and Margaret River (Western Australia).

Australians tend to eat early and restaurants are often full by 7pm. Sydneysiders pride themselves on their city’s food but defining the quintessential Australian meal is not easy. 

Be prepared for Asian and European flavours, sometimes on the same plate: one of the city’s most iconic restaurants, Tetsuya’s, specialises in Japanese-French fusion.

Tipping is usually discretionary and 10% is the norm, if a service charge has not already been added.

Sydney’s previously strict liquor laws are in the process of being liberalised.  In some bars and cafés, you are expected to order food with your drink; waiters usually ask if you “intend” to eat, then leave it at that when you answer “yes.”

Bring-your-own restaurants are not necessarily synonymous with cheap eating. Many of Sydney’s better restaurants allow you to bring your own wine, but you should expect to pay corkage.

Off-duty

Sydneysiders have a strong sense of their city’s importance vis-à-vis the rest of Australia.

When you meet them over a drink or dinner after a first business meeting, they will happily explain who’s who in the worlds of politics and business. Property prices are a sure-fire way of getting a conversation going.

Another topic of conversation generally close to Australian hearts is sport. If in Sydney during the winter months, it doesn’t hurt to know the latest rugby union results. Likewise in summer with the cricket.

The Australian summer’s coinciding with the Christmas-New Year holidays can play havoc with business appointments. Most Australian families take their holidays between the week before Christmas and the end of January. If this is the time you’re visiting, it may be hard to find the people you want, so make arrangements well ahead.

A Report by The Mole