Brazilian Business Etiquette 3

Hello and welcome back to my final blog on Brazilian business etiquette. I’d like to start off by saying thank you to those who have made it through this whole series of blogs; I appreciate you sticking in there with me.  

This final blog will be discussing business dining and social events in Brazil, gift giving to colleagues, and some dos and don’ts while you’re out on your leisure time.  

Dining and Social Events in Brazil 

         Dining and social events are a great time to get to know your Brazilian associates; since colleagues from Brazil prefer to get to know each other on personal level before starting a long-term business relationship. Dining events tend to be more informal; however, Brazilians are big on manners so never get caught eating with your fingers, drinking straight from a bottle, or chewing while speaking because this will make Brazilians look at you with great disapproval. Brazilian’s main meal for the day is lunch; thus ordering a large meal for dinner may appear to be odd to most Brazilians’.  When the meals are all finished the bill should be paid by one person or split evenly among the whole group. Tipping is normally 10 percent of the bill but in most restaurants this is usually included.

Gift Giving to Colleagues

         Gift giving is not required for initial meetings; however, if you do chose to give a gift it should not be anything expensive because this may be looked at as a bribe. When visiting the home of Brazilian colleagues’ small gifts such as flowers (orchids are seen as an elegant gift), a bottle of wine, whiskey, or brand-name pen is seen as honoring the host or hostess and is a good idea to do. Also, bringing a gift for your counterpart’s children will make a great impression. Avoid giving gifts in the colors of black and purple, these colors are a sign of morning. Avoid giving any sharp objects such as a knife set, as a gift, this symbolizes that you want to sever your association.

Dos and Don’ts while on Leisure Time

         Brazil is a very beautiful city to visit, unfortunately, pickpocketing is a very big threat. Please take the following advice seriously:

Ø  Make eye contact with everyone you come across when you are out walking around. This is considered normal and polite and will also help detour pickpocket thieves who prey on those who do not make eye contact.

Ø  Check with your hotel for safe places to visit and take their advice to heart.

Ø  Take a taxi instead of a bus for long distance traveling.

Ø  Leave the bulk of your money in a safe place; only take with you what you will need for the day.

Ø  Avoid wearing expensive or a lot of jewelry when out walking around.

Ø  Wear backpacks backwards (so it hangs on the front of your chest) in large gatherings.

Ø  Do not get drunk, do drugs, or engage in the use of prostitution. Brazilian professionals will not respect you if you get caught doing any of these actions.

Ø  Do not give money to beggars or street kids; even though this poses no threat to you, they should not be supported financially.

Ø  Never walk the streets alone or along the beach after dark.

Thank you for reading my blogs on Brazilian Business Etiquette, I hope this will help you make safe business ventures in Brazil. For more information please follow the works cited URLs at the end of each blog. Have a great day!

--Mary

Works Cited

"Brazil - Do and Dont's." Brazil - Do and Dont's. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 May 2013. http://www.brazil.org.za/do-and-donts.html.

"Business Etiquette in Brazil." Travel Tips. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 May 2013. http://traveltips.usatoday.com/business-etiquette-brazil-16277.html.

Guzman, Alyssa. "Brazillian Business Protocols." EHow. Demand Media, 19 July 2010. Web. 24 May 2013. http://www.ehow.com/list_6751181_brazillian-business-protocols.html. 

"Global Compliance – Brazil | Ethisphere™ Institute." Global Compliance – Brazil | Ethisphere™ Institute. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 May 2013. http://ethisphere.com/global-compliance-brazil/.

King, Tamiya. "Business Etiquette in Brazil." EHow. Demand Media, 26 June 2010. Web. 24 May 2013. http://www.ehow.com/about_6670005_business-etiquette-brazil.html?ref=Track2.

 

 

 

Brazilian Business Etiquette 2

Thank you for returning to read the next portion of my blog on Brazilian Business Etiquette, or if this is your first visit to my blog welcome and I hope you enjoy.
As I said in my last blog we will be going over things to prepare you for before, during, and after business meetings, performing business interactions, and succeeding in business  negotiations.

Preparing for Business Meetings

Before you plan on doing business in Brazil you should be prepared not to do business around Carnival week, which usually falls in February. Also Christmas and the New Year period are not the months to be traveling to Brazil with intentions of doing business. Dropping in without an appointment is frowned upon in Brazil and is associated with having bad manners. Appointments for meetings should be made two weeks in advance and should be confirmed two days prior to show politeness. The best times to make appointments are between 10 a.m. and noon and between 3 p.m. and 5 p.m.

(Warning: Brazilians’ are not time cautious people being 15 minutes late to a meeting is normal, but you are expected to always show up on time.)

During the beginning of the meeting you'll want to shake hands with everyone in the meeting and pass out your business cards at this time. However, getting straight down to business is considered rude. Brazilians like to engage in small talk before the meeting begins; good subjects to talk about are family, children, and soccer. Bad subjects to talk about are politics, rain forests, and U.S. government policies.  Brazilians' find it very important to form some kind of personal relationship with their associates.  Allowing Brazilians some time to socialize is a must if you wish to have successful business endeavors in the future. 

After the meeting is over, do not try to rush out, meetings can be a very long event and it's important to remember that Brazilians like to engage in small talk. Try to remember to shake everyone’s hand again after the meeting is over. This sometimes can take over 10 minutes, in some cases; so be prepared to schedule extra time for socialization. Also be prepared for an evening out, if the meeting goes good you may be invited out to dinner or drinks, and turning a Brazilian down may cost you your business contract.

Performing Business interactions

Brazilians prefer doing business with people on a personal level; therefore, getting to know each other, engaging in small talk, and taking the time to get to know one another is very important. Brazilians prefer conducting business meetings face-to-face over written communication; hence the importance of direct eye contact. Important decisions are almost always given in person instead of email or over the phone. Remember your manners and always be polite during group interaction; criticizing a Brazilian can cause that person ongoing embarrassment in their business circle.  

Succeeding in Business Negotiations

          Negotiations can take a great deal of time since the people you are probably negotiating with do not hold any authority in the decision making process.  Most Brazilian businesses’ use a hierarchy management style; where top executives make all of the decisions. It’s wise to stay calm and professional while waiting out this process, seeming overly ambitious or impatient is seen as rude. Never change the negotiating terms or you may have to start all over from the beginning.

That concludes this blog. Stay tuned for the final blog that discusses  business dining and social events in Brazil, gift giving to colleagues, and some basic dos and don’ts while you are enjoying your leisure time in the beautiful countryside of Brazil. Thanks again!

--Mary 

Works Cited

"Business Etiquette in Brazil." Travel Tips. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 May 2013. http://traveltips.usatoday.com/business-etiquette-brazil-16277.html.

"Doing Business In Brazil." Business Etiquette. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 May 2013. http://www.brazil.doingbusinessguide.co.uk/the-guide/business-etiquette.aspx.

Guzman, Alyssa. "Brazillian Business Protocols." EHow. Demand Media, 19 July 2010. Web. 24 May 2013. http://www.ehow.com/list_6751181_brazillian-business-protocols.html.

"Global Compliance – Brazil | Ethisphere™ Institute." Global Compliance – Brazil | Ethisphere™ Institute. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 May 2013. http://ethisphere.com/global-compliance-brazil/.

King, Tamiya. "Brazilian Business Culture & Etiquette." EHow. Demand Media, 19 Apr. 2010. Web. 24 May 2013. http://www.ehow.com/about_6361321_brazilian-business-culture-etiquette.html.

 

 

Brazilian Business Etiquette 1

Bom dia e seja bem vindo, (good morning and welcome) the purpose of this blog is to inform you about proper business etiquette in Brazil. While Brazilians are easy-going, friendly, and famous for their warm hospitality; presented in the blogs is a lot of information you should know if you’re going to do business in Brazil. Today I will be going over suggestions for appropriate business attire, recommendations for greetings and introductions, and the utilization of professional business titles and business card.

Suggestions for Appropriate Business Attire

Brazilians are very fashion conscious people and the way you dress will affect the way they perceive you. 

Men: Executives usually wear three-piece suits while office workers and medium rank professionals wear two-piece suits, normally navy blue or black. Also acceptable to wear are lighter-weight fabrics to accommodate the warmer environment.

Women: On the other hand, are very well-dressed for all situations but are never overly formal. Brazilian women find it appropriate to “accentuate their feminine features,” they wear stylish shoes and manicured nails says a lot about a woman's character. Business women usually wear skirt business suits and dresses which are slightly form fitting, but still professional.  In Brazil some jewelry is appropriate to wear, but “avoid extravagant displays of wealth in your jewelry selection.” Extravagant displays may make you a target for thieves while you are coming and going to business places.

Recommendations for Greetings and Introductions  

First thing you should know about Brazilians is they speak Portuguese not Spanish; which is a common misunderstanding made by many foreigners and can leave a bad impression on Brazilians. Learning a few Portuguese phrases can be impressive, shows respect for the culture, and may be helpful during meetings.

During introductions and greetings you should maintain direct eye contact at all times; eye contact is very important in the Brazilian culture. Men shake hands with one another when meeting for the first time and handshakes tend to last a few seconds longer then North Americans are used to. Men wait for women to extend their hands first when shaking hands with the opposite sex. After a personal relationship develops men may also hug and give backslaps when greeting each other. Do not shy away for this type of affection or you may be perceived as insincere or rude.

Women traditionally greet others by giving a quick kiss on the cheek, alternating cheeks from left to right. This is also the way men sometimes greet women if the personal relationship is developed. But for first time introductions shaking hands is appropriate.

(Warning: DO NOT use the "OK” hand signal it is considered rude and offensive.)

Utilization of Professional Titles and Business Cards

In Brazil, professional titles are very important, it's best to refer to Brazilians in the same manner as they have addressed you. If you are ever in doubt ask someone first before you attend the meeting, such as a secretary, or the person you are scheduling the appointment with for the appropriate title. Otherwise first names are normally used.

Business cards should be exchanged at the beginning of the meeting. Unless you are at a dinner or a lunch meeting then the business cards are exchanged after the meal time is over and you are saying your good-byes. If you want to impress your Brazilian colleagues' be sure to print your business cards in both English and Portuguese; when you hand them your business card make sure the Portuguese side is facing up so they can see it.

I hope you enjoyed what I had to say about Brazil’s business etiquette, so far.  Please feel free to read my next blog where I will be discussing things you should be prepared for before, during, and after business meetings, performing business interactions, and succeeding in negotiations. Thank you and bye for now.

--Mary     

 

Works Cited

"Brazilian Business Etiquette.mp4." YouTube. YouTube, 18 May 2010. Web. 25 May 2013. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6T041Fgbt7g.

"Business Etiquette in Brazil." Travel Tips. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 May 2013. http://traveltips.usatoday.com/business-etiquette-brazil-16277.html.

Guzman, Alyssa. "Brazillian Business Protocols." EHow. Demand Media, 19 July 2010. Web. 24 May 2013. http://www.ehow.com/list_6751181_brazillian-business-protocols.html.

King, Tamiya. "Brazilian Business Culture & Etiquette." EHow. Demand Media, 19 Apr. 2010. Web. 24 May 2013. http://www.ehow.com/about_6361321_brazilian-business-culture-etiquette.html.

King, Tamiya. "Business Etiquette in Brazil." EHow. Demand Media, 26 June 2010. Web. 24 May 2013. http://www.ehow.com/about_6670005_business-etiquette-brazil.html?ref=Track2.