Greeting

The traditional form of greeting in Icelandic society is the handshake. Such things as seniority, status or age are not that much important. The greeting is given to the person standing next to you or who has just entered the room.

Both men and women shake hands during a meeting. Greetings between the sexes also take the form of a handshake.

Only women exchange light kisses on the cheek, and even this is only possible after they have got to know each other well.

In Iceland, there are no specific etiquette or behavioural rules to be followed when communicating in business contacts. Equally, there are no pronounced prohibitions or taboo zones. Icelanders communicate equally smoothly with both their colleagues and potential partners from abroad.

Introduction

In Iceland it is customary to address each other by their first name. This does not only apply to residents of the country, foreigners are encouraged to follow this rule. In fact, Iceland does not have a system of naming people, which is common all over the world, including surnames and first names, and sometimes middle names or patronymics.

What in the understanding of other nations is a surname, in Iceland is a combination of the father's name (or in rare cases the mother's) and the ending -son for males and -dottir for females. For example, Gunnarsson (son of Gunnar) and Gunnarsdottir (daughter of Gunnar).

Not all inhabitants of Iceland have surnames that go back to ancient family roots. For this reason, there is a tradition of naming based on using the names of the parents of the child born into the family. For example, if an Icelandic man named Fridrik Jónsson had a son named Dagur, his first and last name would be Dagur Fridriksson, not Dagur Jónsson.

The Icelandic language does not have the pronoun "you" - as it has developed in English, for example. The formal way of addressing someone who is older or a foreigner can be expressed through the use of appropriate vocabulary or tone of voice.

Polite titles such as Herra (Master) and Frú (Mistress) exist in Icelandic, but they are rarely used.

Exchange of Business Cards

In Icelandic business practice, it is customary to exchange business cards during introductions at the first meeting, as well as at various events, conferences and forums.

The text of the business card can be in English or Danish. Both of these languages are compulsory in secondary school, so the level of proficiency is quite high in this society.

On the business card, in addition to the name of the company, position and contact information, you can indicate the academic degree you hold.

There is no special ritual for handing over a business card in Iceland.

Small Talk: Overview

During a business meeting, Icelanders devote little time to small talk and are ready to move straight to discussing business matters.

The Icelanders' manner of communication at the initial stage of business contacts can be characterised as reserved and somewhat closed. However, they quickly switch to less formal communication, seeking to create an atmosphere that is comfortable for all participants in the meeting.

Informality in communication is achieved through the use of first names (rather than surnames) and the absence of titles, ranks, degrees, etc. in speech.

Don't be surprised if, at an informal meeting or social event, an Icelander you don't know asks you, "How do you like Iceland?". Answer this question as positively as possible, even if you have already had some bad experiences socialising or working in the country. Negative impressions from a foreigner can really upset and even offend any Icelander.

Preferred Topics

A traditional topic of conversation is the weather. It is very unpredictable and can change several times during the day. Icelanders are very dependent on the weather, so it is always on the agenda.

Icelanders will be happy to tell you about the marvellous natural phenomena and unusual places that Iceland is known for. These include hot springs (geysers), northern lights, ice caves, waterfalls and volcanoes.

Travelling in general, places you have visited (especially in Iceland), your travel experiences.

Taboo Topics

Be careful when discussing economic issues, especially the global economic crises of the recent past. Your Icelandic colleague may react emotionally to the topic, as Iceland suffered the most from the effects of the latest financial crisis and people still remember it.

Even if the weather gives you a day of surprises, changing from rain to hail with snow and wind, don't show your irritation about it.

Iceland is one of those countries with a developed whaling industry. Regardless of your position, refrain from speaking out (especially harshly) about it.

Contradictory foreign policy events and their assessment by different people.

Personal Space

In Icelandic society, a comfortable conversation distance is the length of an outstretched arm, i.e. about 1 metre. It does not matter whether the participants in a conversation are men or women, acquaintances or strangers, natives or foreigners. With the latter, however, the distance may be even slightly greater.

You should not try to shorten this distance, your Icelandic interlocutor will feel uncomfortable. You should also avoid any physical contact with other people during communication.

Communication Specifics

At the beginning of a business relationship, Icelanders may seem reserved, not very sociable and even a bit harsh. However, over time, as they get to know you better, their manner of communication will become more open and friendly.

The friendliness of Icelanders will also manifest itself in the fact that as your business develops, your partner is likely to invite you to their home or suggest that you visit local attractions together

Icelandic society doesn't tend to show too much emotion when talking to people, preferring a more neutral tone of communication. However, Icelanders are quite straightforward and call things as they come, never promising something they can't do.