Shake hands individually with everyone in the room, both arriving and leaving, rather than a single wave to the group. Use right hand, eye contact, and a genuine smile. Address people with their title (Dottore/Dottoressa, Professore, etc.) plus last name until they invite something more casual.
If you exchange business cards, having yours translated into Italian on the back, with full titles and advanced degrees listed, is worth doing if you deal with Italian counterparts regularly. Take a moment to actually look at a card you receive before putting it away.
- Let the meeting open with some conversation before the agenda — rushing straight to business can read as impersonal; a slightly longer, more relationship-driven meeting is normal, not inefficient.
- Avoid scheduling meetings in August, around Catholic holidays, or on national days off — much of the country slows down or closes entirely around these stretches.