Appointment! - Business Dress - Conversation - First Name or Title?
Gift Giving - Let's Make a Deal! - Prosperous Entertaining - Public Behaviour
Prosperous Entertaining Entertaining for business success
Business entertaining is conducted over lunch or dinner. Breakfast meetings are now becoming more popular in certain industries since it is better to meet before you get to work.
Set aside at least two hours for a business lunch, and a minimum of three hours for a business dinner.
Brazilian dinners take place any time between 7:00 to 10:00 p.m. Dinner parties often continue until 2:00 a.m.--sometimes until 7:00 a.m.!
Parties are usually held in clubs, rather than private homes. It's permissible to arrive 15 minutes after the “official” time for these occasions.
If you are invited to a social dinner, you may arrive 30 minutes late. For a business dinner, however, you are expected to arrive on time.
If possible, stay in a first-class hotel; if your hotel has an exceptional restaurant, do all of your business entertaining there. Otherwise, another safe option is to ask your guest's secretary to recommend a prestigious restaurant. In any case, ensure that you entertain at only the very best establishments.
Most restaurants will add 10% to the bill; leave another 5% for the tip.
At any gathering, follow Brazilian business etiquette and shake hands with everyone in your company, both upon arrival and upon departure.
If you are invited to a Brazilian home, consider it a rare honour.
Orchids are a very classy gift and most of the time they are of purple colour. Use good sense.
The formalities of dining are closely followed in Brazilian business culture.
Your Brazilian contact will usually sit at the head of the table. You may be seated to his or her immediate right. When you are the host, give the most important seat--at the head of the table--to your highest-ranking Brazilian contact.
If you are toasted, ensure that you raise your glass and propose a toast in return. Be sure to drink after the toast is made, before putting your glass down on the table. If you do not drink after the toast is made, it may be perceived that you do not care for the toast wish.
Never touch food with your fingers, as Brazilians consider this rude.
Cut all foods--including fruit and sandwiches--with your knife.
Don't use your fork to cut, even if the food item is exceptionally tender.
After you have cut your food, position your knife so that the tip of the blade is resting on the plate and the handle is lying on the table. Then use your fork to eat.
To indicate that you have finished your meal, place the fork horizontally across your plate with the fork tines up.
During meals, “small talk” is welcome. Business may be discussed at the conclusion of the meal, when coffee is served; wait for your Brazilian dining companions to bring up this subject.
After an evening at a Brazilian home, send the hostess flowers and a thank-you note on the following day.
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