By Nick A. van de Griendt at Estonian Chamber of Commerce and ...

By Nick A. van de Griendt at
Estonian Chamber of Commerce and Industry
Tallinn, 2 nd October 2012

• 5 th generation in family business
• active in peat production and trade
• 1984 first time in Estonia
• 1991 involved in first privatization
• 1995 take over of another peat company
• 1997 sale of parent company in The
Netherlands and purchase of another
Estonian peat company
• 2009 honorary consul in The Netherlands

WHO OF YOU HAS BEEN IN
HOLLAND

WHO OF YOU HAS BEEN IN
THE NETHERLANDS

Working successfully in
The Netherlands requires an
understanding of
The Netherlands and the
Dutch way of doing business !

• In the Dutch society status and respect are
obtained through study and hard work
• There is freedom for each and every
citizen; there is tolerance for individual
differences
• Consensus is an important thing in The
Netherlands; everyone’s input must be
considered

• Dutch are straightforward and have a
direct communication style; preference for
hard facts and figures over emotions
• The Dutch have a coffee culture

• The Netherlands has an open economy
and it heavily depends on foreign trade
• The Dutch like to be efficient and direct
• Appointments need to be made well in
advance – last minute changes are not
appreciated

• The Dutch expect punctuality
• Business proposals should always be
supported by facts and figures
• The Dutch not only want to buy cheap
but they also want to get the highest
quality

• The majority of Dutch companies are
family businesses
• Many Dutch companies are medium
and small size
• Organizations are generally quite flat
• Dialogue between management and staff
• Woman and men have same opportunities

• Establishing personal relationships can
improve business relationships, especially
over the years
• The Dutch will not spend much time
socializing at business meetings – they
prefer to focus on the job
(efficient and direct)

• A handshake is a common form of
greeting, also when leaving
• Start addressing business partners with
formal titles and surnames until you are
invited to use first names
• Meetings are usually formal and well
structured with an agenda

• Come in time for a meeting
• Dress in an informal conservative way
• When giving compliments or criticism to
an individual do this in private with this
person and not in a group
• Put your titles/education on your business
card
• Look at a person when speaking

• Stand talking with your hands in your
pocket
• Eat chewing gum in business meetings or
in public
• Give business partners expensive gifts
• try to show off or exaggerate your skills

You meet a Dutch person. This person is
interested in you and he/she asks:
“HOW ARE YOU DOING ”

• Provide consular services
• Monitor political, economic, social and
cultural life
• Promoting Estonian political, economic,
social and cultural life
• Establishing relations with authorities
and persons in the consular district

AS SOON AS YOU NEED INFORMATION
WHEN YOU WANT TO START DOING
BUSINESS WITH THE NETHERLANDS
CONTACT EITHER THE EMBASSY OR
ONE OF THE HONORARY CONSULS

Estonian Embassy in The Hague:
embassy.haag@mfa.ee
Honorary consul Jan Brouwer for the Rotterdam area:
jbrouwer65@gmail.com
Honorary consul Nick A. Van de Griendt for the
provinces of Groningen, Friesland, Drenthe and
Overijssel: consul@sphagnum.nl
Honorary consul Marcel van den Heuvel for the
Amsterdam and Noord Holland area:
marcel.vandenheuvel@me.com

Any questions