The head of the main Australia Indonesia business organisation has spent two days in Canberra outlining the efforts being made to maintain business relationships despite the bilateral tension over the possible execution of two Australians.

Chairman of the Australia Indonesia Business Council, Debnath Guharoy, said he met with representatives from government departments and influential politicians from the main parties to explain the work being done on the ground.

Mr Guharoy said it was also important to understand that, while Australia had every right to make its case to spare the lives of the so-called Bali Nine duo, there was a way to make it that is sensitive to Indonesians.

"We have to do it in a civilised way. When we cross the line, we put out own purpose at risk," he warned.

Mr Guharoy declined to say which words or phrases had been unhelpful, but he did point to two reactions in Indonesia which showed how angry the nation was with Australia in general.

The first was the groundswell of support for the 'Coins for Abbott' campaign which gave ordinary Indonesians a chance to push back against a perceived insult. The second was the use of two Sukhoi fighter jets to fly alongside the airplane carrying Myuran Sukumaran and Andrew Chan.

"I understand Australia's intent, its purpose, and of course we agree with what we are trying to achieve," Mr Guharoy said.

"It's how it's done, because if you yell at the Javanese (the main ethnic group in Indonesia) there will come a time when they will retaliate in their own way. So we have to be careful with our words."

The AIBC chairman is keen to see local businesses secure work that may arise from the Indonesian president's programme to build more infrastructure.

He said that the issue of the death penalty has been raised in business discussions, often by the Indonesians themselves.

"Are we talking to our friends and connections in Indonesia, you bet we are! But there is no yelling, it's very civilised," Mr Guharoy explained.

"We have every right to prosecute our case, our point of view, because we can help each other understand the points of view."

The Australia-Indonesia Businesswomen's Network's chairwoman has written in one of Indonesia's daily national English language newspapers on the uncertainty caused by the current brittleness in relations.

Perth businesswoman Astrid Vasile said in the opinion piece that both countries could do more to better understand each other.

The government-to-government tension does not help, according to Professor Andrew McIntyre, the deputy vice-chancellor of international at RMIT University.

"It affects the atmospherics, for any kind of initiative that needs government approval or support it makes it harder," he said.

Professor McIntyre said a deterioration in relations is particularly worrying for first-timers or recent business arrivals.

"From the point of view of anyone trying to close a deal or advance a relationship, static is never helpful," he added.

Professor McIntyre also said that governments can't make decisions on business considerations alone.

A report by financial services firm PwC late last year found that Australian business is missing what could be a last chance to secure a foothold in Asia, as they are unwilling to either change, or make an effort to understand, Asian cultures.