Australia – be direct and to the point

Australia is the world’s sixth-largest country by total area. The population of 23.6 million is highly urbanised and heavily concentrated in the eastern states and on the coast. Australia is a developed country and one of the wealthiest in the world, with the world’s 12th-largest economy.

The initial population of Australia consisted of Aborigines and people of British and Irish descent. The eastern half of the country was claimed by Great Britain in 1770 and initially settled through penal transportation to the colony of New South Wales from 26 January 1788.

After World War II there was heavy migration from Europe, especially from Greece, Italy, Germany, the Netherlands, Yugoslavia, Lebanon, and Turkey. This was in response to the Australian policy of proactively trying to attract immigrants to boost the population and work force. In the last 30 years, Australia has liberalised its immigration policy and opened its borders to South East Asia, which has caused a real shift in self-perception as Australians begin to re-define themselves as a multi-cultural and multi-faith society rather than the old homogenous, white, Anglo- Saxon, Protestant nation.

It ranks highly in many international comparisons of national performance, such as quality of life, health, education, economic freedom, and the protection of civil liberties and political rights.

Australians have a reputation for being relaxed and casual but there are some important rules to follow when doing business there. Meetings start on time and direct communication is appreciated. If you are making a presentation, make it brief with the relevant facts and figures and avoid hype. There is often an element of humour in the speech of Australians, even colourful language, which would be unacceptable in other cultures.

Negotiations proceed quickly and bargaining is not usual. They will expect your initial proposal to have only a small margin for negotiation. High pressure selling techniques will not be welcomed.

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Sources: Wikipedia, Kwintessential