INTERCULTURAL BUSINESS

INTERCULTURAL BUSINESS
Mexico

Greetings and Contact
The handshake is the standard greeting; and your attempts to speak Spanish will be much appreciated and endear you to your Mexican contacts; even if you speak Spanish poorly and they laugh at you (usually not to your face), they will appreciate your efforts. Greetings always require acknowledgement with a respectful smile. It is considered polite to greet every member of a group individually. The same applies when leaving. Remember to carry an ample supply of business cards and exchange them immediately during greetings. It is not strictly necessary to translate cards into Spanish because most Mexican businesspeople can read English even if they cannot speak it, but doing so will leave a good impression with your Mexican contacts. Be sure to include your official title and any degrees, because they carry weight in Mexico.

Forms of Address
In Mexico, you should use a Mexican's title and last name until specifically requested that the relationship be put on a first name basis. Mexico uses both patronymic and matronymic surnames, such as Lopez Garcia-the father's name precedes the mother's maiden name. Drop the mother's name in conversation, but use it in writing and formal or legal address. Example, say "Ingeniero Lopez" but write "Ing. Lopez Garcia."

Appointments
Be prepared to wait for your appointment beyond the scheduled time. Mexicans often schedule business appointments during siesta time (between 2 and 5 pm), when they will be at lunch or effectively off-duty. They also may schedule several appointments at the same time, knowing that many people won't show up at all. On the other hand, a few may show up, causing others to run behind. In Mexico, it is a sign of power to make others wait. Just relax; bring a book to read in the meantime.
Expect to spend some time discussing personal background and interests. Both personal and corporate credibility are considered essential to developing a good long-term business relationship. Punctuality is appreciated, but it is considered an insult to cut a conversation short by announcing that you have other obligations. There are more subtle ways of getting the point across.

Effective Communications/Presentations
Avoid the use of slang and idioms; remember you want the other side to understand you. Speak at a moderate rate of speed and use correct grammatical English; do not try to speak broken English in the hopes of communicating more easily; it doesn't work. Where possible, provide written materials and/or copies of your presentations. During a verbal presentation, it may be advisable to repeat key points for emphasis. If necessary, use the services of a professional or experienced interpreter. Remember, interpretation will at least double the amount of time required to deliver your presentation. Although executive lunches are important to business relationships, specific business deals are usually not broached over meals.

Gestures
Forming a circle with the index finger and the thumb-the "okay" sign in the US-is an example of a gesture that is extremely offensive. Men should not keep their hands in their pockets. Standing with the hands on the hips is tantamount to issuing a challenge. Shaking the hand from side to side with the index finger extended and the palm outwards means "no." The physical distance, or spacing, between people in conversation is closer in Mexico than in the rest of North America.

Yes and No
Intrinsic to the emphasis on politeness is the prohibition on saying "no." Mexicans go to great lengths to avoid delivering bad news; thus, even if they don't know the answer to a question, or want to give you what you want to hear, they may answer yes, and you'll find out later that they didn't mean what they said. It is important to ask for specific answers. This can be a true test of patience, which you must never abandon. Just keep pressing your point-politely-until you've narrowed the answer down as much as you can. This tactic may not give you what you want to accomplish, but it can give you a better idea of what to expect and thus save you time, money and worry.

Other Places to go:

Business etiquett
Executive Planet tralvelers business guide
Business

Email: robert

	Greetings and Contact The handshake is the standard greeting; and your attempts to speak Spanish will be much appreciated and endear you to your Mexican contacts; even if you speak Spanish poorly and they laugh at you (usually not to your face), they will appreciate your efforts. Greetings always require acknowledgement with a respectful smile. It is considered polite to greet every member of a group individually. The same applies when leaving. Remember to carry an ample supply of business cards and exchange them immediately during greetings. It is not strictly necessary to translate cards into Spanish because most Mexican businesspeople can read English even if they cannot speak it, but doing so will leave a good impression with your Mexican contacts. Be sure to include your official title and any degrees, because they carry weight in Mexico.
	Forms of Address In Mexico, you should use a Mexican's title and last name until specifically requested that the relationship be put on a first name basis. Mexico uses both patronymic and matronymic surnames, such as Lopez Garcia-the father's name precedes the mother's maiden name. Drop the mother's name in conversation, but use it in writing and formal or legal address. Example, say "Ingeniero Lopez" but write "Ing. Lopez Garcia."
	Appointments Be prepared to wait for your appointment beyond the scheduled time. Mexicans often schedule business appointments during siesta time (between 2 and 5 pm), when they will be at lunch or effectively off-duty. They also may schedule several appointments at the same time, knowing that many people won't show up at all. On the other hand, a few may show up, causing others to run behind. In Mexico, it is a sign of power to make others wait. Just relax; bring a book to read in the meantime. Expect to spend some time discussing personal background and interests. Both personal and corporate credibility are considered essential to developing a good long-term business relationship. Punctuality is appreciated, but it is considered an insult to cut a conversation short by announcing that you have other obligations. There are more subtle ways of getting the point across.
	Effective Communications/Presentations Avoid the use of slang and idioms; remember you want the other side to understand you. Speak at a moderate rate of speed and use correct grammatical English; do not try to speak broken English in the hopes of communicating more easily; it doesn't work. Where possible, provide written materials and/or copies of your presentations. During a verbal presentation, it may be advisable to repeat key points for emphasis. If necessary, use the services of a professional or experienced interpreter. Remember, interpretation will at least double the amount of time required to deliver your presentation. Although executive lunches are important to business relationships, specific business deals are usually not broached over meals.
	Gestures Forming a circle with the index finger and the thumb-the "okay" sign in the US-is an example of a gesture that is extremely offensive. Men should not keep their hands in their pockets. Standing with the hands on the hips is tantamount to issuing a challenge. Shaking the hand from side to side with the index finger extended and the palm outwards means "no." The physical distance, or spacing, between people in conversation is closer in Mexico than in the rest of North America.
	Yes and No Intrinsic to the emphasis on politeness is the prohibition on saying "no." Mexicans go to great lengths to avoid delivering bad news; thus, even if they don't know the answer to a question, or want to give you what you want to hear, they may answer yes, and you'll find out later that they didn't mean what they said. It is important to ask for specific answers. This can be a true test of patience, which you must never abandon. Just keep pressing your point-politely-until you've narrowed the answer down as much as you can. This tactic may not give you what you want to accomplish, but it can give you a better idea of what to expect and thus save you time, money and worry.