Key business processes are sacrosanct to Germans

The key business processes are sacrosanct to Germans.

The procurement process also follows established lines and a Dutch
company will have to adhere rigidly to them. The decision-makers
will generally not be in attendance at an initial meeting, although that
may not be apparent. The point is to disregard that and concentrate
on giving a good presentation. The most important aspects in that
context are to be prompt, to be well groomed and to address the
technical aspects of your product or service. There will be more of
such meetings before you finally meet a person with the authority to
make a decision, but even then it may not actually generate business.

The magic word is persistence, but in practice that is the point on
which many Dutch companies fall short.