There are all sorts of customs around the world and you shouldn’t assume that what you do is proper when you’re dealing with people from other lands.
We looked through the internet and found a few examples:
• Businessmen in the United States and Britain rarely have to endure a kiss on each cheek from another man. Even in countries where such greetings are common (Italy and Russia, for example,) a kiss is generally reserved for relatives or good friends. A foreign businessman will have to do a lot of relationship-building to reach the point at which he is greeted with a kiss.
• In Asia, Westerners rarely master all the intricacies of a bow. The basics usually suffice: bow from the waist, and the person with the lower status bows more deeply. When greeting Westerners, many Asians follow a bow with a handshake.
• There are very few countries in which people address each other by first names after a short time. In Germany and Switzerland, for example, even longstanding business partners may choose to address each other by their surnames. North Americans commonly use first names, and are notorious for losing credibility by using first names when addressing foreigners.
• Some Asian languages have several degrees of politeness. To know which level to use, Asians need to know their counterpart’s standing in society. Hence they often ask very personal questions of foreigners, such as how much they earn or how many employees they supervise, to determine the level of politeness required.
• The peace sign, or the “V for victory,” sign, may not be a good idea for you to use. The meaning of this sign does not change in the U.S.A. if it is accidentally done backwards (with the palm in rather than out). However, it becomes an obscene gesture in the U.K. when reversed in this manner. English-speaking Canadians may also recognize this meaning.
• “Thumbs up” may be the same. However, in most of the Middle East and parts of Africa, this symbol can be obscene. It Japan, the thumb is considered the fifth digit; a raised thumb will order five of something!
• One more: The “A-OK” sign. With the palm out, the thumb and forefinger are curled into a circle, while the other fingers are extended upwards. While this means “all’s well” in North America, in France it signifies “zero” or “nothing,” and in Denmark or Italy it can be taken as an insult. In Brazil, Guatemala and Paraguay, it is considered very obscene.
• Most North Americans use their right hand to use both their knife and fork, necessitating the frequent switching of utensils. Most Europeans keep their dinner knife in their right hand and the fork in their left.
• Colors count. Let’s take the color red. In the United Kingdom and France, red is considered the most masculine of the colors, not blue like in the U.S.. In parts of Africa, dark red is a color of mourning, or can be blasphemous.
In China, Japan and much of Asia, red is an auspicious, lucky color. A red circle (in a logo or a design element) can remind people who were occupied by Japan during World War II of the Japanese flag. Not a good idea when dealing with Filipinos. In many countries of the former Soviet Union, red is still associated with blood and communism. You will not see a leader like Russian President Vladimir Putin wearing a red tie.