Venezuela Business Etiquette
Venezuela is a popular place for international business because of its vast energy reserves. According to the British Broadcasting Co. it has some of the largest oil deposits in the world, along with large quantities of bauxite gold, iron ore and coal. Businesspersons seeking to do business in the country should be aware of cultural differences that may require learning new etiquette for formal and social encounters in the country.
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Greetings
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Greet Venezuelans with a strong handshake, a smile and direct eye contact, according to the website Kwintessential. Use the proper greeting for the time of day: "buenos dias" ( good morning), "buenas tardes" (good afternoon) or "buenas noches" (good evening).
When meeting a group, introduce yourself to the oldest person first; when leaving, say goodbye to each person individually. Address Venezuelans by their professional or academic titles, and use their surnames until invited to refer to them by their first names.
Punctuality
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Arriving late is fashionable and acceptable for a dinner meeting at someone's house, according to Kwintessential. Arrive 15-30 minutes later than the start time; arriving on time or early signals that you are too eager to get started or even greedy.
Accept coffee if it is offered to you, as it is a customary symbol of hospitality in the country. Also, don't be in a rush to leave. Dinner in Venezuela begins at 8:30 p.m. or later and lasts until midnight, according to the Office for Latin American Programs at Texas A&M University. The university also says that being invited to someone's home for dinner in Venezuela should be considered an honor and an indication of friendship.
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Table Manners
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Do not begin eating until all others are seated. The only exception is when the host urges you to start. Your hands should remain visible (not in your lap) while eating, but do not place your elbows on the table. It is polite to leave a small amount of food on your plate when you are done. Kwintessential says that when you are done you should place your knife and fork across the plate diagonally with the prongs facing down and the handles facing right.
Conversation
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It is customary in Venezuela to stand very close to people when speaking to them, and therefore you must resist the urge to back away during a conversation. You may offend your host or guest by doing so, according to ExecutivePlanet.com.
During conversation Venezuelans sometimes touch each other's arms or jackets. Also, maintaining eye contact during discussions signals that you are interested and attentive.
Allow your Venezuelan hosts or guests to lead the discussions. Also, you should bring up only positive things about Venezuela, and refrain from potentially hot-button issues such as Venezuelan politics, religion and U.S. foreign policy. Good topics to discuss include Venezuelan culture, history and family.
Women
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It is customary for a male Venezuelan businessperson to insist on picking up the check when dining with a female. Women business executives visiting Venezuela should dress elegantly, including jewelry and makeup. However, Texas A&M warns against women executives going out alone with their Venezuelan male counterparts because the purpose of the outing could be misconstrued by the man.
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References
- Photo Credit handshake image by Peter Baxter from Fotolia.com
