
Executing contracts and partnerships in the Baltics requires strict adherence to local professional standards. This essential business etiquette guide prepares foreign executives for Latvian corporate culture, emphasizing the critical importance of exact punctuality, direct negotiation tactics, and formal introductory protocols.
Key Takeaways:
If you are coming to Radiodays Europe from the US, UK, or Southern Europe, you might find Latvian business culture... intense.
We don't do "sandwich feedback" (praise-critique-praise). We don't ask about your weekend unless we actually care. And we definitely don't hug at the first meeting.
But don't mistake our silence for rudeness. Latvians are some of the most reliable, effective, and tech-savvy partners you will ever find. We just value efficiency over "fluff."
Here is your 3-minute guide to closing deals in Riga without annoying the locals.
In London or New York, you might spend the first 10 minutes of a meeting talking about the weather, the traffic, or the cricket score. In Riga, that is considered a "waste of time."
"Fashionably late" does not exist here. If a meeting is at 10:00 AM, and you arrive at 10:05 AM making jokes about the elevator, you have already started at a -10 disadvantage.
Do not explain "how the internet works" to us. Latvia is a digital nation. We have 5G in the forests. We invented the spy camera. We have unicorns like Printful.
You might notice a pattern here. Latvian culture = Direct. Efficient. Accurate.
This is exactly how we built Spotwise.
In the radio industry, you are used to "fluff."
Spotwise is the Latvian Business Partner you didn't know you needed.
Come see us at the booth. We promise not to ask about your weekend. (Unless you want to tell us. Then we will listen politely).
- Roberts
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