ESTONIA - COMMUNICATION | More Virtual Mobility

Estonians are quite formal and may not come across as quite cold or even friendly to people from more informal cultures. This should not be interpreted so.
Men should initiate greetings with women and the younger person always greets the older person.
The most common greeting is "tere" ("hello").
Once the relationship warms up the communication style becomes a lot less stiff.
Shake hands with everyone at the meeting.
Remember it is rude to greet someone while seated.
Handshakes should be firm and confident.
Maintain steady eye contact while shaking hands.
Try and wait for a woman to extend her hand.
Address businesspeople by their professional title and their surname.
If someone does not have a professional title, use "Härra" to address a man and "Prova" to address a woman, "Preili" is Miss. All should be followed with the surname.
Wait until invited before moving to a first name basis.

Estonians mean what they say and do what they say they will do.
They expect foreign businesspeople to keep their word.
Failing to do so can cause irreparable harm to a business relationship.
They are generally polite and courteous speakers.
Estonians are somewhat pragmatic and reserved, especially in the early stages of developing a business relationship.
Estonians are not emotive speakers.
If you are from a culture where hand gestures are robust, you may wish to moderate them to conform to local practices.
Soft voices are the norm. If you have a booming voice, you may wish to moderate it when conducting business with Estonians.
Estonians do not always respond to what has been said, especially if they are uncomfortable with the subject or if they need more time to organize their thoughts.
Although they are direct communicators, Estonians temper their directness in order to protect the feelings of all concerned.
They are slow to pay compliments and may become suspicious of compliments offered too readily and without sufficient reason.
Passive silence is very much part of the communication style.
Estonians are not fond of conversational overlap and will not think highly of someone who interrupts them while they are speaking.
Estonians value their good reputations. Therefore, be careful not to criticize or embarrass anyone publicly.