4. Business

[Zeo DiPaulo]

Business

Vampires, like humans, have expectations in how business meetings should be conducted, and what is expected during them. It can be a bit more difficult in that vampiric business practices tend to be less cultural reflective, as the current tenancy (in America) is for the business owners to be primarily clan masters, or elder to ancient vampires of European decent. At the same time, business if often conducted in a vampire's clanhouse, and therefore his/her home, by individual mature enough not to feel bribery in gestures of good will.

• Expected Behavior
• Appropriate Gifts
• Inappropriate Behavior

[Zeo DiPaulo]

Expected Behaviors

While some vampires may be more informal in their approach, or flexible in what they will be receptive too, behaviors that are often expected, and certainly will not be offended if seen are as follows:

• Business meetings should be set up in advance, with information being made available as to the credentials of the man/woman making the appointment.
• At the very least first meetings should be conducted in business casual to business formal attire. If a less formal atmosphere is desired, it will be made known for future meetings.
• Appointments are usually made with a subordinate; however the vampire one is hoping to see will not usually be surprised by the visit nor it's general nature as most will have reviewed the information presented to them prior to the meeting.
• Token gifts are expected for first meetings, special occasions (if the business association is continued, and may be a simple card of acknowledgement of things such as business anniversary, birth of offspring, acquiring of new progeny ect. if such things are made known), and at the conclusion of a particularly successful venture.

[Zeo DiPaulo]

Appropriate gits include:

• Hard alcohol
  - single bottle of reasonable quality
• Alcohol of particularly high proof
  - single bottle of reasonable quality
• Wine (not in Germany unless it is high quality)
• Gift sets containing specific spiking agents preferred by the business associate or clanleader such as nuts, fruits, or candies (information should be requested of lessers on this matter )
• Inexpensive gifts from country of origin (when possible)
• Inexpensive gifts that reflect a specific passion or interest (such as chew toys or healthy snacks for Sarin's rabbits as they are something she holds dear).

For long term associations it may also be appropriate to occasionally

• A rented blood source (not legally available in US, but popular in Germany) or use of a personal cattle/servant/slave of particularly good quality
• Paid for 'personal entertainment' (also not legal in the US, popular in countries where prostitution is legal), or the services of a slave/servant of high quality
• Invitation into ones home for an low key social event.

Note: One doing business with a vampire should never offer oneself for feeding or 'personal entertainment' during as a matter of business regardless of race. This may disintegrate the professional respect between the parties. [/i]

[Zeo DiPaulo]

Inappropriate Behavior

• Offering oneself for either a feeding or 'personal entertainment' as part of any business transaction.
• Issuing social, political, or dominance challenges during a business exchange.
• A subordinate, or the visiting party trying to take charge in a meeting without invitation to do so (unless giving a presentation, or addressing a posed question)
• Not acknowledging all parties involved in a business meeting (in larger meetings, often in vampiric society a subtle dip of the head suffices, in cultures where a gesture of communal greeting is available this may also suffice)
• Not either providing for a break, or allowing for feeding during a meeting/presentation/seminar of sufficient length or taking place around popular feeding times during the night. This is particularly true of meetings taking place between humans and vampires; though, vampires are often put in a position of having to overlook impropriety as most humans are ignorant of the slight.