Business with Brazil - [website] Published: 25th of Jan 2011 by: (c) Staff Training Staff Reporter
We at Staff Training are taking a keen interest in South Africa’s recent ivitation to the BRIC (now BRICS?) group,
as it is set to change the way businesses conduct themselves as a new, truly diverse mix of cultures and concepts are introduced to our already, rainbow nation.
As a soft skills training provider our interest lies in preparing South Africa’s business men and women to welcome the BRIC delegation in a culturally acceptable and hospitable manner, ensuring the best possible working communication and relationships from the onset.
Did you know, for instance, that when meeting with someone in Brazil it is common to shake hands for longer than we would typically consider normal? Also, Brazilians shake hands when saying hello and goodbye and it’s also important to include everybody in the room.
While business practices in Brazil are not unlike here in South Africa, there are certain points worth taking note of if you wish to avoid offending your Brazilian guests.
Firstly, Brazilians tend to give two week’s notice when making an appointment and very rarely make impromptu business calls.
Secondly, they generally build business relationships on trust over long periods of time; so don’t expect to be won over (or win them over) after your first business lunch or dinner (which, coincidentally, is considered the thing to do in Brazilian custom).
And thirdly, never begin to discuss business with your guest straight away. It is customary in Brazilian business to begin meetings with general chat, of which soccer, children and family are good topics, while subjects such as politics, poverty and religion should be avoided.
The main language spoken is Portuguese, so acceptable greetings would be: ola (hello), alo (hello over the phone), tudo bom? / como vai? (how are you?), and tudo bem! / tudo bom! (I’m fine!).
Niceties are also an important aspect of a any relationship. In Brazil one would say ‘por favor’ to say Please, ‘ obrigado’ (masculine) / ‘obrigada’ (feminine) to say Thank You, and ‘de nada’ to say You’re Welcome.
At Staff Training, we are keen to bring you a series of short articles and blogs enabling us all to equip ourselves with the simplest of tools that will encourage successful and fruitful business relationships with our new foreign partners. We hope you like reading it as much as we enjoy the research!
