One of Brazil’s strongest elements and a primary source of their national unity is the language. Portuguese is the official language and spoken by almost 100% percent of Brazilians. The only people who don’t speak Portuguese fluently are pockets of foreigners. In Brazil, there is only one dialect of the language spoken with a few regional variations in terms of accent, use of pronouns, vocabulary, verb conjugations and personal nouns. That said national television has done a great deal to diminish major variations in the language. But foreign business people are not required to know Portuguese so as long as they understand the local customs.
#1 Brazilians prefer communication in person
One of the biggest differences between doing business in Brazil and other parts of the world as in the US is that Brazilians prefer face to face interaction. They want to know and see the businessman or woman in person before they make any commitments. Many Brazilian business people believe that the individual behind the business is more important than the business.
#2 Blatant criticism is considered insulting
Brazilians are raised as part of a larger group of individuals. So, an open criticism of Brazilian way of life, culture, clothing or even way of business will be taken as an insult. When you criticize a person like an employee, they lose face with the others like subordinates. Plus, the person criticizing the individual is also going to lose face because they have broken an unwritten cultural rule.
#3 Informal greeting and communication
When you meet someone, it’s considered polite to greet them with “muito prazer,” which means “my pleasure.” You can say hello in a few different ways like “tudo bem” and “como vai”. Brazilians don’t mind being interrupted when speaking even if it’s constant.
If you’re looking to make small talk consider talking about music, family, and football. Praise the beaches and appreciate the pace of growth in the country. Bad conversation topics are religion, age, politics, and salary.
#4 Common Brazilian business customs
In Brazil, your first business meeting does not require that you bring along a gift. However, you can buy lunch or dinner if you’re seeking a business relationship. Never present a purple flower because it’s what’s used at funerals though violets are preferred. When you toast, it’s important to stand up slightly and reach while saying Sah-OO-Day, VEE-va which means ‘Toast’ in English.
You’ll also run into the term ‘jeito’ when doing business. The term usually refers to the idea that nothing is constant or set in stone which means that they want you to break a rule. You will hear the term often when negotiating a deal.
#5 Formal business meeting etiquette
When addressing another business person like your partner or a client it’s imperative to be as formal as possible. Use the title Senhor(a) or if they are a doctor then ‘Doutor(a), preceding the person’s name. In Brazil people usually have two first names, the second comes from the father’s side. A fair number of meetings are scheduled for 10am or 10:30 am. But most business people will schedule a meeting in the afternoon between 3 to 5 pm.
#6 Presenting business cards
You will usually exchange business cards when introducing yourself. Make sure that the Portuguese side of the business card is presented to the recipient.