When you arrive in Sweden on your business trip, one of the first things you will notice is that the culture is very family-centered. So much so that even on trains and in public buildings you will find toys for children to play with. This is in stark contrast to most of the rest of the world.
You will also find the Swedish people to be kind and gentle people, not boisterous and never loud. It’s unlikely you will see a Swedish person raise their voice or show overt anger in a public place. So, if you’re planning to do business in Sweden check out our top 5 tips and see how you can make a great first impression and build a stronger business relationship with Swedish people.
1. Building Business Relationships in Sweden
Business relationships in Sweden focus on establishing mutual respect and understanding with an entire team of people. So, when conducting business in this country do you best to maintain a calm and collected demeanor at all times. Do not ever try to “oversell” your ideas as this will be seen negatively in Sweden.
2. Business Introductions
Business introductions in Sweden are done with a simple but firm handshake amongst everyone in the room. You are expected to refer to everyone by last name and to keep business dealings as professional as possible. While the younger generations are more comfortable with first name usage, the elders see this as rude unless you have specifically been asked to address them using their first name.
3. Business Cards
Swedish people do not have any formal business card rules; simply exchange them when you feel it is necessary. However, if you will be doing a lot of business in Sweden it is always a good idea to have your business cards translated into Swedish on the backside. This shows respect for the Swedish people you will be conducting business with.
4. Teamwork and Individuality
Teamwork is paramount in Sweden. Sweden is a non-hierarchical society where impressing those who have a higher business ranking will get you nowhere, or is even detrimental to your success. In Sweden people make decisions and business deals together as a team.
5. Using Software to Translate English to Swedish or Swedish to English
In the Swedish business culture it’s very important to communicate effectively and with very tempered actions and behaviors. The Swedish people are detail-orientated and hard-working. While some Swedish business people do speak English, it is always a good idea to purchase Swedish software which can translate English to Swedish and Swedish to English for your business trip. By having a translator at your disposal, on your laptop or computer, you can make sure that you are understood and understand everything you need to keep meetings and business communications running smoothly and efficiently.
Why you need English to Swedish Language Translation Software?
It’s very useful as it helps you translate text in just a few clicks, whether it’s an email, a report, a Power Point presentation or any other type of documents. With the Swedish translation software you can:
• Convert any text from English to Swedish or Swedish to English
• Translate your e-mail messages to/from the Swedish language
• Translate letters, documents, reports, memos and agendas into English or Swedish
• Convert your Microsoft Word, Excel and Power Point files, and PDF files, to/from Swedish.
Tip: If you rely on software completely to do the translation and do not have human to proof your document, send both the English and the Swedish translation files. Put a note on the translated text to let the recipient know you have used software. This way if there is any question they can refer back to the English version.
Final Thoughts
Conducting business in Sweden is a unique experience for the business world traveler. Because of the family-centered culture, you will find that most Swedes are very reserved and quiet. They take great pride in their work and team approach to doing business. It is always advisable to travel to Sweden with a Swedish translator to further your communication in meetings.
Find out more about Swedish translation software and see just how invaluable it is when traveling to Sweden on business.
