Guess Who's Coming to Sell

Next post Thursday November 3rd

We are quite a formal people. It might be due to our history, to the fact that we have been ruled by many people, each one imposing its rules and dominion over us. It could be .

What is important is that we love appellation: we love to be called dottore, ingegnere, cavaliere, commendatore, and so on. We do love honors, although many of them are absolutely void, without any meaning.

This love for useless titles produces a formal approach. If you meet for the first time someone, especially if you are dealing with the decision maker, very often the owner or someone of the proprietor family, you should use a very formal and respectful language.

If you can use the Italian language, you should address her/him using “lei” instead of “tu”, of course this is impossible if you use English.

Avoid calling the guy with her/his name, use the surname (family name) instead always adding Mr. or Mrs. 

And please note that although we actually live in a different world, some old habits are still alive. Never call a lady miss when she could be over 30, once it meant that she was supposed to be spinster. Ok, nowadays this means nothing, but the habit remained, don’t ask me why…

Formality means also that you have to be sharp and respect time schedule, while your guest could be late (it’s a way used in the ages to show power: the old landlords used to do this) and that you have to keep your promises.

Too hard and complicated’

Just consider the last figures presented by Intesa San Paolo Monitor: Italian export increased by a two digit growth for the fifth quarter in a row (12,9% II qrt 2011) in all the major segment of the typical SME that constitutes the backbones of our country.

Would you be part of that?