Doing business in Lithuania

Doing business in other countries always demands good preparation. You will want to research the market, the infrastructure and legislation, and the regulations beforehand, of course, but it’s also a good idea to know something about the business culture and customs. Particularly in relation to the Baltic States, of which you are probably less familiar, it’s good to be well prepared before embarking on an enterprise abroad. In order to help you, we have set out a few tips about doing business in Lithuania.

Business contacts

Lithuanians attach great value to building relationships. This means that they will want to establish personal contact first to see who they will be dealing with when doing business. You can expect to be invited to the country before a deal can be closed. Business is generally not discussed at a first meeting. You can leave the initiative to start that with your potential partner or client.
Show that you’re interested in the other person’s life. Ask about their private life and their history at the company. Over the course of time, they will bring up the real point of the meetings themselves.

Meetings

It is, of course, important to be on time for an appointment, but in Lithuania it is appreciated if you arrive a little early. You should then introduce yourself to everyone individually, with a handshake and a smile while looking them in the eye. A brief handshake will leave a bad impression, however. Make sure that you never interrupt the person you are speaking to in the conversation; this is construed as being rude in Lithuanian culture.

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Doing business in Lithuania

Organisation

Lithuanian companies are hierarchical, and decisions are taken by the top layer of the company. Generally, these decisions are taken quickly after a good relationship has been built up. The details of deals are worked out as agreed and deadlines are strictly maintained. If you share this approach then you will build up an efficient and valuable business relationship together. Lithuanians are also well organised and prompt. Meetings are prepared and agendas are set out beforehand. An appointment made by telephone should be confirmed by email. If a Lithuanian thinks that they are going to be even one minute late, they will ring ahead to apologise. They will also expect this organisation and promptness from their British business partners.

Language

The official language in Lithuania is Lithuanian, a Baltic language that is related to Latvian. Russian and Polish are also spoken by a large number of inhabitants. English and German are often the languages of communication in the business world.
In some situations, however, you won’t be able to avoid having to submit official documents in Lithuanian, or having to have Lithuanian translated into English. We will be happy to help you with your translations into and out of Lithuanian. We only work with professional translators who are native Lithuanian speakers. We also look for the right specialist for every translation so that you can be assured of a result that can be used right away.