Greeting

A handshake is a common form of greeting in business situations. When doing so, maintain direct eye contact with your communication partner.

A woman should be the initiating side and be the first to extend her hand to a man when greeting him. This, however, is not a strict etiquette rule in Romania.

At the beginning of your contacts, your Romanian partner is likely to behave in a rather reserved and formal manner. Over time, as interpersonal relations develop, communication will become less formal, and there will be elements of some trust based on the partners' knowledge of each other.

Traditional Romanian greetings: Bună dimineața - Good morning; Bună Ziua - Good afternoon; Bună Seara - Good evening.

In social settings, Romanians who are relatives or close friends hug each other and exchange kisses when they meet. This is usually a short and light kiss on each cheek.

Introduction

In Romanian society, it is customary to address each other using polite forms, namely Domnule for men, Doamnă for married women, Domnişoara for unmarried women, e.g. Domnule Popescu.

The strictly official form of address is Dumneavoastra, which should be used when communicating with strangers or with those who are much older or occupy a higher position in the company or society.

During introductions, especially at social events, your Romanian partner will first say his or her first name and then his or her last name, e.g. Adrian Sorescu. However, in strictly formal situations, the surname comes first and then the first name.

Position in a company or organization, as well as various insignia are of great importance in Romanian society. Therefore, it is important to use the accepted forms of politeness when addressing a Romanian colleague, as well as various regalia, such as academic titles/degrees or job positions.

If your colleague has a doctor's or professor's degree, is a director or president, you should name them when addressing these people, at least at the start of business, e.g. Domnule Doctor Ionescu (Mr Doctor Ionescu). It is common for partners who have known each other to continue using polite forms of address for some time.

Women, as a rule, take their husband's surname after marriage.

In recent years, addressing each other by first name has become increasingly common, especially in private businesses and transnational companies. However, you should still wait until your Romanian partner asks you to call him/her by his/her first name.

Exchange of Business Cards

Business cards are usually exchanged during the first meeting with a potential partner in this country.

A business card contains a standard set of data, namely: the name of the holder, his/her position, the name of the company or organization, its logo, postal and e-mail addresses, telephone numbers (landline and mobile), and fax numbers.

In Romania, bilingual business cards - in Romanian and English - are often used. Such business cards are preferred by foreigners or employees of multinational companies.

There is no special ritual for exchanging business cards in Romania.

Small Talk: Overview

When talking to Romanian colleagues, you may notice that after starting with traditional neutral topics, they may move on to discussing personal, e.g. family, matters in the course of the conversation. And then they can easily go back to business topics.

In small talk, private topics are discussed on an equal footing with professional topics, as there is not a strong social distinction between the two. If for one reason or another, you don’t like it you can politely and tactfully change the topic.

Connections, contacts, and relationships are very important in Romanian business practice. Develop your network of professional and personal contacts. It will take time, but your efforts will certainly pay off.

Stick to a formal style of communication in the early stages of developing cooperation, especially with people who hold a high hierarchical position in the company or who have a significant status in society. Polite forms should be used in speech when addressing Romanian colleagues, and their regalia and/or insignia, etc. should be named.

Romanians are rather direct and open communicators. They express themselves quite clearly and in a businesslike manner. For representatives of some cultures, this may even sound too open or even a bit harsh. Such statements are nevertheless possible only in situations where the speakers already know each other quite well.

Preferred Topics

Sports, especially football, will be a good topic when conversing with a man, however, many women are unlikely to respond to it.

Family and children, especially if you already know your Romanian partner and are not meeting for the first time.

Tourism, holiday plans, places visited or going to visit both in Romania and abroad.

Current events, especially top news (preferably not contradictory and not provoking opposed evaluations).

Fashion, cars, electronics, and other consumer goods.

Taboo Topics

Political topics are an absolute taboo. You should avoid any value judgments, e.g. concerning Romania's socialist past, as they may be misinterpreted by your partner.

Religious issues, corruption, and corruption scandals are not appropriate topics.

Any questions relating to the situation and status of national minorities and ethnic groups, especially Hungarians and Roma (Gypsies), are rather sensitive issues.

The capital of Romania, Bucharest, is often confused, due to the proximity of pronunciation, with Budapest, the capital of Hungary. Here it is simply important to watch your speech.

Topics of sexual relations and sexual minorities are not welcome.

Personal Space

When talking, Romanians stand quite close to each other, closer than, for example, in some Western European countries. Try not to take a step back if your Romanian partner stands too close to you, as this may be seen as a sign of disrespect.

Physical contact in the Romanian format of communication is an integral part of the conversation, as touching (on the arm or shoulder of the other person) lets you stress what is said, strengthen the focus, and direct the listener's attention on a particular issue.

When conversing, it is important to maintain direct eye contact with the interlocutor. The situation when a person looks away is unambiguously interpreted in Romanian society as a manifestation of disrespect towards the speaker.

Romanians can be characterized as active and emotional interlocutors with expressive body language.

Communication Specifics

Important in Romanian business culture is the hierarchical position and status of a person in a company or society. Showing respect for superiors is expected.

When planning to work with Romanian colleagues, it is important to remember that personal relationships are important to them, both in and outside of the business. Your Romanian partner will want to know you better before starting any project with you.

Romanians can be very expressive in communication, showing emotion in speech. In a discussion, they are passionate in the defence of their position and gesticulate vigorously when making arguments.

Do not be surprised if you hear Romanians talking to each other in raised tones, trying to prove something to each other. You may get the impression that they are fighting or arguing. However, this is often not the case at all, but rather an expression of emotional intensity in the conversation or a manifestation of the speaker's conviction in his position.

Romanians tend to express their thoughts directly and frankly. However, they can be less direct when talking to people they do not know well, or when discussing painful or controversial issues.