Greeting

Singapore is a multi-ethnic and multi-national country, so greetings may vary depending on whether you are dealing with Chinese, Malay or Indian ethnicity.

Chinese Singaporeans traditionally shake hands with a bow or just a bow. Men shake hands in greeting and goodbye. Women usually take the initiative themselves by extending their hand for a handshake.

The handshake of the Singapore Chinese is light and gentle, and can be quite long. When greeting, many Chinese in Singapore avoid direct eye contact as a sign of respect for their interlocutor.

In Singaporean Malays, most of whom are Muslim, the accepted form of greeting is salaam. This is done by holding out their joined hands and lightly touching each other's hands. Then the hands are taken away and placed on the chest near the heart. By using both hands, you show respect to the person who is older and/or of status. Between equals, salaam is done with one right hand.

When meeting foreigners, Singaporeans of Malay descent usually greet them with a handshake. However, keep in mind that bodily contact between the sexes is not accepted among Muslims, so businesswomen should be aware that their male partners are not ready to initiate a handshake when greeting them, as it is not customary in their culture.

The same applies to foreign men greeting women during a business meeting. A woman is more likely to be prepared to simply tilt her head (a kind of slight bow) than to extend her hand to greet her. Some men in Singapore put their hand to their chest around their heart in this case. If businesswomen are met, they usually shake hands with each other.

The traditional greeting of Singaporean Indians is "Namaste", which is used in communication by both men and women. In this case, we should fold our palms in a prayerful gesture at chest level and bow slightly. This greeting is an alternative to a handshake, which is also an accepted greeting ritual, especially among young people.

If you are greeting a group of colleagues, start with the most senior in rank/rank or age. A person's status, which manifests itself primarily in their position, rank or age, is a very important category in Singapore's business culture.

Introduction

People in Singapore address each other in formal situations using title, rank, degree or professional qualification. However, when addressing a Singaporean of Chinese descent, one should first mention his or her regalia (if any) and then his or her last name. If your partners are of Malay or Indian Singaporean descent, address them by their first names, which should also come after their title, rank, etc.

If you do not know or do not have their professional or academic credentials, use common courtesy forms of address: Mr, Mrs, Ms, Miss followed by family name (in case of Chinese partner) or first name (in case of Malay and Indian partners).

People's names and surnames are structurally different depending on the ethnic group to which they belong. In the Chinese, for example, the last name comes before the first name (sometimes there are two first names), e.g., Wang Chi Beng. It is not uncommon for Singaporean Chinese to adopt some European name that they use only in international contacts, such as William Chi Beng.

Say your Singaporean partner of Chinese origin with the surname Lee Zifu Ping is a CEO. He should be addressed as General ManagerLiManager . If this is how he is introduced to you, you should also give your title and last name (but not your first name) when introducing yourself.

After marriage, Singaporean women of Chinese descent retain their maiden name. Children inherit their father's last name.

Malayse Singaporeans generally do not have last names. To a person's personal name is added his father's name, for example: Suleiman Rashid or the full one - Suleiman bin Rashid (Suleiman son of Rashid). The same way a woman's name is formed, only instead of the word bin, binte/binti is used, for example: Naimah Talib or full - Naimah binte/binti Talib (Naimah daughter of Talib). The pronunciations are Mr Suleiman (not Mr Rashid) and Mrs Naimach> (not Mrs Thalib).

After marriage, Singaporean women of Malay descent, like Chinese women, retain their maiden name, but some (especially business women) may also add their husband's name to their father's.

Most Singaporeans of Indian origin have no family names as such, and naming traditions vary according to the region from which the family comes. For example, natives of northern India are given a common family name at birth, in addition to a personal one, which in this case serves as a family name.

Most Singaporeans of Indian origin do not have a family name as such, and naming traditions vary according to the region where the family originates.

Exchange of Business Cards

It is common business practice in Singapore to exchange business cards when introducing parties at any event or meeting.

The text of the business card can be in English. If you are planning a long stay in Singapore or know in advance that your partner will be of Chinese origin, it is a good idea to prepare business cards with Chinese text on one side.

In addition to your first name, last name and contact information, include your title, professional qualifications and/or academic degrees or titles, and any additional regalia you have. All of these items will certainly be appreciated by your Singaporean counterpart.

When handing your business card to your partner (as, in fact, when receiving it), hold it with both hands. When receiving your counterpart's business card, hold it with both hands for a moment, carefully look at the text, and then place it in your desk or business card holder in front of you.

Never make any marks or write on the business cards you receive from your Singaporean counterpart.

You will need quite a few business cards for your business trip to Singapore as you will likely exchange them at all possible business and social events.

Small Talk: Overview

The business culture of Singapore places great importance on developing and maintaining relationships. This is especially important when dealing with foreign partners. Therefore, pay special attention to small talk with your Singaporean counterpart.

The topics of small talk are very general, and it is best to maintain a neutral and polite tone during the conversation, giving preference to streamlined and evasive statements.

A significant element of conversation in Singapore culture is silence, which looks like a silent pause and which indicates the participants' attention to the topic of the conversation and respect for the speaker. It is as if they are contemplating what they have just heard. Don't be impatient if you think the pause is too long.

Silence during a conversation is not seen negatively in both business and social interactions in Singapore. On the contrary, a person who speaks a lot and actively may be perceived as "young and immature. It is not necessary to respond in any way to every utterance, which is sometimes difficult in many other cultures.

We should always remember that in such indirect communication, it is customary to speak allegorically, avoiding direct and, especially, harsh expressions. Singaporeans will not use the word "no", for example if asked, they will say things like "I'll have to think about it," or "This is something we should study further," etc.

We should avoid expressing emotions, especially negative ones. Showing anger or anger on your part will make your Singaporean partner feel very uncomfortable and not likely to result in a successful relationship on your end.

Preferred Topics

Tourism, travel, interesting places you've visited.

Impressions (positive) about the country, the well-being of Singapore.

National cuisine.

Planes for the future.

The success of the company you represent.

Taboo Topics

Avoid discussion of political topics, especially the activities of the country's first prime minister, Lee Kuan Yew, one of the creators of Singapore's economic miracle.

The bureaucracy that exists in Singapore as well as the kinds of regulations, taxes and duties imposed.

Singapore's political and economic relations with neighboring countries, particularly Malaysia and Indonesia.

Relations, sometimes controversial, among the ethnic groups that inhabit Singapore.

The death penalty and caning as punishments.

Personal Space

In conversations, people (equally male and female) stand at arm's length apart.

In general, physical contact and any touching other than a handshake is discouraged.

In conversations, Singaporeans avoid excessive gesticulation and speaking too loudly.

If you sit at a low table or on the floor during an event, pay attention to the posture you adopt. Your partner should never see the bottom of your shoes, it's considered very rude, even offensive.

When talking to your partner it's important to maintain eye contact. This shows that you are listening carefully to your colleague. However, some Singaporeans (especially those of Malaysian or Indian descent) will probably avoid direct, much less prolonged, eye contact, especially with people who are older in their position and/or age.

In a conversation, it is important to maintain eye contact with your colleague.

Communication Specifics

Communication in Singapore society can be characterized as highly contextual. This means that some information is left unspoken or unspoken, because all the necessary information is either derived from the situation itself, or is understood without words by all participants in communication because it is contained in the culture itself.

Sometimes nonverbal signals carry a lot more information than the actual explicit, verbal part of speech. For example, facial expressions, tone of voice, gestures, or posture are all very important when talking with others.

In our interactions, it is important to show respect for everyone, but especially for older people and those in higher social positions. They should not be interrupted or corrected if they have made a mistake.

In Singaporean culture, an important concept is "face" and the associated "loss of face" and "saving face. It refers to a person's reputation, outward impression, image. Loss of face occurs when a person is criticized, objected to or humiliated in front of others.

For Singaporeans, regardless of background, saving face and preventing others from losing face is a very important element of communication. Especially if something unpleasant or negative needs to be said, they will behave very cautiously, not calling things by their proper names, trying to stick to the formal side and generally talking "around" the topic and not about it.

Building business relationships with partners from this Asian country, it is important to always keep their communication characteristics (above all the concept of face) in mind. In sensitive situations, it is better to return to the topic under discussion on various pretexts and ask the question you are interested in several times, but as if from a different perspective.