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.
The French and Brazilian cultures conduct their meetings the same way. The meetings are more of getting all the information to give to the higher command to make the decisions. What I did find interesting is to make sure you don't criticize the Brazilian. The Brazilian will embarrassed in their own business circle.
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