Communication in Italian Business Culture

The Italian Communication Style : What You Need to Know When Doing Business with Italians

Understanding the Italian communication style is essential for professionals doing business in Italy or working with Italian colleagues and clients.

We’re going to explore some of the key features of communication in Italian business culture. Understanding differences in communication styles is crucial when working across cultures.

If you can’t identify gaps, then the chances are that you may misread something and make a bad decision off the back of it. Once you appreciate where the gaps are, you can reshape your expectations and adapt your own communication style appropriately. This reduces mistakes, wasted time, errors and all that other bad stuff we don’t want.

5 Key Features of Italian Communication Style in Business

Across the five areas, we will also answer commonly asked questions such as:

• What is the Italian communication style?
• Why do Italians get so animated when talking?
• How should I communicate when doing business with Italians?

If you want to succeed when doing business in Italy, you need to adapt a little to local ways. Photo by SHVETS production from Pexels

1. Preference for Verbal Communication in Italian Business Practice

Italians like to talk. The spoken word is given much more weight than the written word in Italian business practice.

Although Italians use letters, emails, faxes and the like, this doesn’t mean they interact with them in the same way. Important things are spoken, not written. Writing is used to confirm or capture what has been said or agreed.

When doing business with Italians, avoid sending so many emails and instead, start picking up the phone.

2. Direct Communication in Italy: Clear and Assertive Language

Italians are charming and like to use flowing, flowery language; however, they can also be piercingly sharp.

Being directive and clear is a positive trait in Italian culture, so if someone wants to say “no”, they have no qualms with just using the words “No”. They won’t try to soften the verbal blow in any way.

If you work with Italians, be careful not to interpret this behaviour as rude or dismissive; it’s not.

3. Debate and Passion in Italian Communication Style

Getting your point across is important for Italians.

Being engaged in what you’re saying means Italians tend to show a bit of fighting spirit when debating or discussing topics.

When communicating with Italians, you need to accommodate this aspect of their culture. People show passion and expect it in others.

4. Expressiveness and Emotion in Italian Business Communication

As a result of this passion, Italians can sometimes get very loud!

What can seem like an argument between people is usually an exuberant debate over politics or sports, rather than anything serious.

If you are negotiating with Italians, expect the volume to be turned up – just let people express themselves.

5. Relationship Building and Personal Connection in Italy

Connecting with Italians on a human level is crucial to clear communication.

Italians warm to those who are ‘people people’, i.e. those willing to engage in small talk, have a coffee, chat about life a bit, and then get to the actual point.

When working with Italians, invest more time in chit chat and the personal stuff.

Main blog image by Erwin Verbruggen. (CC BY-SA 2.0)