CORREN TROEN

First there is small talk

Bit by bit the English culture becomes ingrained in you.

- The English can be very different from the Danes. We are used to approach matters in a very direct way when we do business with each other. The English find this incredibly primitive. They like to spend the main part of a first meeting getting to know their potential business partners. You have to be able to small talk about the weather, sports, politics and the perpetual traffic problems explains Mads Birkeland, who taught himself the rules of cricket purely so that he could contribute in conversations about the English national sport.

- Many Englishmen feel it is rather cold and perhaps unpleasant to discuss business, especially if an offer is to be rejected. We had a client who thought that a business meeting had exceeded all expectations – he had even been invited to the home of the English business partner in the evening. So the Dane went back to Denmark thinking that the deal was more or less settled. Therefore it came as a great disappointment when the contract never came to anything. But this is typically English. They wrap up the unpleasant message in politeness; it is a way of saying: “We think you are a nice guy, but we do not wish to do business with you – therefore we’ll give you dinner to show you there are no hard feelings”.
Another classic example is turning up to a meeting dressed in a very nice outfit according to Danish customs: Polo T-shirt, corduroy trousers and a nice jacket. Of course, the English participants are dressed in impeccable dark suits.

- Afterwards the Dane rushes into town and spends a fortune on a dark suit so he can dress appropriately for the dinner in the evening….. where the English guys are dressed in jumpers and check jackets. It is not very amusing. And it has happened on occasion that we have sent a client out shopping for a suit to prevent such a situation from occurring.

Work and leisure merge into one

In London many important decisions are made in sociable settings over lunch, at dinner parties or even down the pub.

- In the old days pub meetings were more prevalent than they are today, but it is necessary to spend quite some time socialising in for example the Danish Club, at charity events or at events arranged by the Danish-UK Chamber of Commerce. Networking is extremely important and I meet lots of nice people in this way. In this way work and leisure easily become inter-changeable. And I have the opportunity to talk to other Danes. It is rather nice to be able to express yourself in detail about your experiences in England – and just to laugh about the same things, says Mads Birkeland.

He does not rule out that he may return to Denmark in the long run. For instance, having children in London does not appeal to him. The acts of terrorism have also made a big impression.

- Normally I arrive at work at 8 o’clock, but on the very day of 7 July I arrived at 9 o’clock because I was waiting at home for some plumber to arrive. I arrived on the underground at 8.45 am. The bomb exploded at 8.51 am. A colleague from the office had just walked down a side road when the bus in Tavistock Square exploded behind her. So yes – it was really close and even when we speak about it now, it sends shivers down my spine. That day we were all in shock. But now I try not to think about terrorism. It will definitely not be terrorism that decides whether or not I’m going back to Denmark.

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