Brazilians conduct business only through personal connections. There must also be an implicit understanding that the business relationship will be long-term.

Before putting the resources into a trip, hire a Brazilian contact in your industry that can help you make the right connections. You can find such a person [known in Portuguese as a 'despachante'] through the U.S. Department of Commerce, the American Chamber of Commerce in Brazil, or an international organization to which you may already belong. A despachante is someone that will unravel the paperwork gridlock, not help you with setting up meetings. For that you should look for the chamber of commerce or consultants that specialize in this type of business. Trade shows are very good 'feel' for the country's business environment.

Make appointments of any kind at least two weeks in advance. Showing up at an office without an appointment is unacceptable in Brazilian business culture. This is especially true if the person you are there to see is a director of higher position.

Generally, the best times to schedule appointments are between 10:00 a.m. and noon, and 3:00 p.m. and 5:00 p.m.

Give yourself two to three hours between each meeting, rather than scheduling your appointments 'back to back.' One exception is if you are in a central location and people will be coming to see you.

Avoid scheduling any appointments around 'Carnaval', which precedes Ash Wednesday, the beginning of Lent.

'Official' business hours are 8:30 a.m.- 5:30 p.m. Higher- ranking individuals, particularly those with decision-making capacities, usually begin work later in the morning and stay later in the evening.

Poor punctuality is characteristic of Brazilian business culture. You will have to accept that waiting around for your Brazilian counterparts will be part of doing business here. Also, traffic in the main cities is chaotic and most of the time is responsible for the delays.

Business travelers should still make the effort to be punctual. You may want to bring some work or another diversion to fill the time while you wait.

Always arrive on time for a business meal or meeting at a restaurant. Usually, Brazilian business protocol demands punctuality on these occasions.

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