International Business Etiquette. Latin America : What You Need to Know to title: Conduct Business Abroad With Charm and Savvy author: Sabath, Ann Marie. publisher: The Career Press isbn10 | asin: 1564144291 print isbn13: 9781564144294 ebook isbn13: 9780585208312 language: English Business etiquette--Latin America, National subject characteristics, Latin American, Intercultural communication. publication date: 2000 lcc: HF5389.3.L3S22 2000eb ddc: 395.5/2/098 Business etiquette--Latin America, National subject: characteristics, Latin American, Intercultural communication. Page 1 International Business Etiquette Latin America What You Need To Know To Conduct Business Abroad with Charm and Savvy By Ann Marie Sabath CAREER PRESS Franklin Lakes, NJ Copyright (c) 2000 by Ann Marie Sabath All rights reserved under the Pan-American and International Copyright Conventions. This book may not be reproduced, in whole or in part, in any form or by any means electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system now known or hereafter invented, without written permission from the publisher, The Career Press. INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS ETIQUETTE: LATIN AMERICA Cover design by Design Solutions Printed in the U.S.A. by Book-mart Press To order this title, please call toll-free 1-800-CAREER-1 (NJ and Canada: 201- 848-0310) to order using VISA or MasterCard, or for further information on books from Career Press. The Career Press, Inc., 3 Tice Road, PO Box 687, Franklin Lakes, NJ 07417 Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Sabath, Ann Marie. International business etiquette. Latin America : what you need to know to conduct business abroad with charm and savvy / by Ann Marie Sabath. p. cm. Includes index. ISBN 1-56414-429-1 (paper) 1. Business etiquette-Latin America. 2. National characteristics, Latin American. 3. Intercultural communication. I. Title. HF5389.3.L3 S22 2000 395.5'2'098-dc21 99-052267 Page 3 Acknowledgments My acknowledgments go to... My Syrian ancestors. They piqued my interest in Latin American culture and customs by immigrating to Argentina in the early 20th century. That man of international vision, my publisher, Ron Fry. My editor, Darren Bergstein, who transformed the manuscript into its finished form. My literary agent, Brandon Toropov, who made this book a reality. Page 5 Contents Introduction 7 Chapter 1: Argentina 15 Chapter 2: Bolivia 31 Chapter 3: Brazil 47 Chapter 4: Chile 65 Chapter 5: Colombia 81 Chapter 6: Costa Rica 99 Chapter 7: Ecuador 113 Chapter 8: Guatemala 125 Chapter 9: Mexico 135 Page 6 Chapter 10: Panama 151 Chapter 11: Paraguay 161 Chapter 12: Peru 173 Chapter 13: Uruguay 185 Chapter 14: Venezuela 199 Conclusion 211 Bibliography 213 About the Author 217 Index 219 Page 7 Introduction Olé! Adelante! Arriba! No matter where you are traveling in Latin America, you can be sure of one thing: the acceptable cultural mores often will vary greatly from those to which you may be accustomed. However, when you know what to expect and familiarize yourself with the proper manners and customs based on the country you will be visiting, you will feel more confident interacting with your international contacts. This book is the third of my International Business Etiquette series. The first two books have addressed, respectively, the customs and manners of Europe, and Asia and the Pacific Rim. This book addresses the do's and don'ts when doing business in one or more of the 14 countries covered including Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Guatemala, Mexico, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay, and Venezuela. Like the first two books in this series, this one has been written to assist you in overcoming concerns you may have when confronted with a particular situation. It is meant to help you get that sand out of your international social gears so that it will be easier for you and your Latin American contacts to do business together. Each chapter begins with a list of reasons why people do business in that particular country, as well as an overview and important facts and statistics regarding the country and its people. You will find some basic information regarding where you will land, what to wear based on climate, and the telephone codes that those