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.