Brazil is the only country in Latin America that is not Hispanic. As the Portuguese language is quite different from Spanish it is easy to meet people who do not speak it, or do not like to speak it. In case you want to speak in Spanish it is better to ask if you may speak it, before. In general, Brazilians prefer the English language as a second business language.
The Brazilian business industry is aware of the importance of speaking English. Although most companies nowadays demand their employees to have at least an intermediate level in English, it is quite often not sufficient in a business negotiation. Being able to speak Portuguese will help you a lot. But don’t forget. Brazilian Portuguese differs a great deal from Portuguese spoken in Portugal, and there exists a wide range of dialects in the different regions and cities in Brazil.
The business dress-code in Brazil is quite conservative. Executives mostly use three-piece suits while the rest of the people in the company in general wear two-piece suits, including the women. This is the normal dress-code in the two big cities, São Paulo (the business capital of Latin America) and Rio de Janeiro.
In the rest of the country, and mainly in the Southern states, Paraná, Santa Catarina and Rio Grande do Sul (the strongest industrial and business region of Brazil), it is common to dress more casual. But in case you have a doubt, it is always better to be over-dressed than under-dressed!
Brazilian people like to, sometimes passionately, embrace their friends and it is very common for them to touch arms, elbows and shoulders or tapping on the back while talking to people. Before and after a meeting people shake hands. If you meeting with a group that is not too big, let’s say up to 10-15 people, it is common to shake hands with everybody present. Women usually exchange one or two kisses.
About punctuality, São Paulo and Rio are an exception. There meetings usually start on time, while in the rest of the country people are much more flexible when it comes to the moment of starting a meeting. It is advisable to schedule meetings several weeks ahead. Showing up at the customers doorstep, trying to quickly meet up with a client is usually ‘not done’. The people will not free-up time for you and it might even hurt your business relationship.
Don’t straight away start discussing about business. People like to have informal discussions first. They like to make jokes and enthusiastically interrupt each other when doing so. Every opportunity will be used to talk to foreigners about what they think they know about the world and your country of origin. Let your client, or the host of the meeting indicate when it is time for the 'serious' part of the meeting. Be prepared for frequent external interruptions during the meetings. Besides having attention for the negotiations, any important day to day actions will be handled by your Brazilian counterparts.
The end of the meeting is another occasion for small talk. Brazilians like to commemorate. Leaving as soon as the meeting is over, will give an impression that you are only interested in the business and that you think that there are more important things to do. If there is no more time for you to stay, make sure you inform the people about your deadlines, before the meeting starts. But if the meeting is important to you, don’t schedule other appointments later that day. Agreements will usually just be confirmed with a handshake and a person’s word. Documents that need to be signed will be prepared and signed later. It is important to have a local accountant or international lawyer to consult for any contract issues.
Doing business in Brazil means taking the time to build solid relationships. Brazilian business people seek for trust in people rather than in the organization as a whole where they are dealing with. Changes in the people that are part of the negotiation team is usually not acceptable and can undermine the whole contract. Be aware of this before starting the negotiations. Although the input and opinion of all members of your Brazilian partner’s team that are taking part in the meetings, representing their specific area, is highly valued, it is usually the highest person in authority that will make the final decision.
Brazilian people like exchanging business cards. Make sure you bring enough! It is highly recommendable to have a version of all presentation material and important documents that are part of the dealings in both English and Portuguese.
The coffee in companies is strong Brazilian coffee and therefore served in very small, disposable cups. People usually drink it pure with a liquid sweetener.
For a business dinner you will be taken to a restaurant. Colleagues usually also meet in restaurant, rather than at home. But Brazilian people adore having barbeque's. When you have developed a stronger business relationship, your host will probably like to invite you at his/her home to enjoy a barbeque meal (churrasco) with the family.
For a detailed report with most relevant information about starting a business in Brazil, visit the website of the World Bank and download the PDF doc called:
