This article is for general information only. You should not act or refrain from acting in reliance of it. You should always obtain professional advice on the facts of your particular case. Nothing in this article constitutes financial advice. The owner of this site accepts no liability.

 

France is a big country and the business culture varies accordingly. My very subjective experience of the South is as follows.

 

1. Meetings are much better than emails. I have seen many cases in which matters do not progress because of some misunderstanding. More irritated emails are fired off from London making the position worse. The solution is to meet in France and step back and review how else the matter can be resolved. It has always worked. 

 

2. Always accept invitations to lunch. These are really continuations of office meetings at which the French professional is seeing what you are like and how trustworthy you are. Make plenty of time for these as they are never rushed.

 

3. Don't try to fit too much in. The temptation when visiting an area is to do the rounds and see as many people as possible. This never works and you run the risk of locals knowing what you are doing. Best just to concentrate on developing links with one person.

 

4. Avoid the "City" look with clothes. Professional dress is more relaxed and dark suits etc are seen as a bit odd. You will get a better rapport with clothes similar to what the locals wear.

 

5. Avoid trying to do business in July and August.  Too many people are away, staff are disinterested and the traffic awful. Winter months are best. It is the reverse for ski resorts.

 

6. Attend court cases where possible.  You are often told there is no point attending a hearing as the advocate will deal with everything. This has definitely not been my experience. You need to be there and follow the matter especially if your opponent is a local.

 

7. Don't give notaires power of attorney. You will be told not to attend completion meetings because the notaire will deal with everything. Make sure you are there and know what is going on. Last minute changes are common even after contracts have been signed earlier.

 

8. Keep quiet. There is always local interest in outsiders especially those perceived to have money. In smaller places you can easily become a topic of conversation in the bar. Best keep low profile and say as little as possible. You will quickly get locals looking for work or wanting to sell services to you. I have seen an estate agent selling a villa bring a kitchen company uninvited to the property visit to pitch at the English buyer. Saying no can create resentment if they see you as a wealthy outsider.

 

9. Everything ends up taking longer and costing a lot more than you are told. 

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