The Memo
McNeil Nutritionals
Memo
To: Tommie Stepp, Retail Manager
From: Lavinia Scott, Customer Sales Department
Date: 10/6/2008
Re: Communication in France
France
I have researched the different styles of communication in France. I have found that the greeting is the most important of all communication with any form of acquaintance.
Eye contact should be brief this symbolizes friendship. If you stare at someone too long this is construed as wanting relationship with that person. Refusing to make any eye contact at all is definitely a way of looking down on another person.
The French are big on shaking hands. Brief holding of hands with brief visual acknowledgment is very important in greetings for all acquaintances. It is also important that you shake hands when entering and leaving the room and before and after a meeting. It is considered very impolite not too. The French use your handshake to judge your character so it would be important to have a brief but firm handshake.
I know we see a lot of French kiss on both the cheeks. This greeting is normal only for close acquaintance like someone you have personal relations with or family members and friends.
The French also use different types of gestures to symbolize different things. To show you are finished with something like a conversation or presentation you can cross your arms in front of your body with palms out them move them out while saying c’est fini which means I’m finished. To apologize or indicate you’ve made a mistake you can cover your mouth which means pardon.
When speaking in France the personal pronoun you, have two forms in the singular. For familiar, you would use Tu, for formal you would use Vous, for plural you would always use Vous. On, replaces any pronoun to avoid being too personal.
Titles are used to address people you are not on first names with, they are also used widely when greeting people...
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