Dress Attire
DO
- dress very nicely. Women who want to blend in shouldn’t dress overly formal or conservative, but should still dress elegantly.
- wear clean and stylish shoes.
- keep nails manicured.
- dress more conservatively for business functions. Men should wear dark suits, shirts, and ties.
Three piece suits indicate that you are an executive, and two piece suits indicate that you hold a lower position.
Women should wear dresses and suits, but they should still be feminine.
DON’T
- wear yellow and green together. Those are the colours of the Brazilian flag.
Table Manners
DO
- expect meals to last long. Lunch itself can last over two hours.
- wash your hands before eating.
DON’T
- eat with your hands.
- clean your nose or use a pick
- discuss business during meals unless the host initiates it.
However, discussing business at meals is more common in Sao Paulo and Rio.
Tipping
DO
- give a small tip to hotel porters. R$5 to R$10 will do.
DON’T
- tip at restaurants unless the service was outstanding. It’s not customary in Brazil.
There is usually a 10% service fee at the end of the bill, but paying it is optional. - tip cab drivers. The bill for a taxi ride is rounded up to the next whole number.
Gift Giving and Accepting Gifts
DO
- give flowers, but avoid purple flowers aside from violets. Purple flowers are traditionally funeral flowers. Orchids are always appreciated, but again, avoid purple.
- open your gift immediately.
- give gifts of liquor, books, or nice pens.
- give gifts to children.
DON’T
- give gifts that are purple or black. Those colours are for mourning.
- give handkerchiefs because they are associated with funerals.
Body Gestures
DO
- the thumb up opens you nearly every door
DON’T
- make the “OK” sign with your hand. (thumb and forefinger to a ring)
It’s considered a very rude gesture in Brazil.
Greetings
DO
- shake hands with everyone who is present and maintain eye contact during the handshake.
Women also often greet by exchanging kisses on the cheeks, starting with the left cheek. - expect hugs and pats on the back among people you are familiar with.
Visitors Etiquette
DO
- arrive about a half hour late for dinner. For a larger party, arrive about an hour late.
- bring your hosts a small gift, such as flowers. You may also send flowers the following day.
Business Meeting
DO
- schedule meetings about two weeks in advance and have it confirmed in writing.
- be on time. In some parts of Brazil, they are very casual about punctuality, but as a guest to their country, don’t be late.
However, in Sao Paulo and Brasilia, meetings tend to begin on time. - be patient. Brazilians negotiate slowly.
- business face-to-face as opposed to over the phone and email.
- impress your Brazilian business associates by staying in a nice hotel.
- expect to be invited to have a drink after work.
DON’T
- be the first to bring up business at a meeting. Let your host bring it up first.
This will usually happen after some get-to-know you small talk. - bring a gift at the beginning of a business relationship. Also, gifts should not be exchanged at a formal business meeting.
- change your negotiating team while negotiations are in progress. Brazilians prefer to negotiate with the individuals, not the company as a whole, and changing your team could set things back.
Socialising and Conversation
DO
- be aware that Brazilian women can be very up front and may try to flirt with a man, even if he is out with his wife.
If you don’t like the attention, be cordial but not overly friendly. - discuss soccer (football), the beach, and Brazil’s growth as a country.
Those are all safe and interesting conversation topics.
DON’T
- discuss Argentina, religion, the Rainforest's, and Brazil’s class system.
- ask personal questions, such as questions about age, salary, or marriage.
Beach Etiquette
DO
- as the locals do at the beach. Local women usually wear shorts, t-shirts, skirts, or tank-tops while going to and from the beach, wearing a bikini underneath. Local men wear a t-shirt and a pair of swim trunks, with Speedo's underneath.
- keep your top on at the beach while soaking in some sun, ladies! Tan lines are considered attractive in Brazil and topless sunbathing isn’t common these days.
DON’T
- wear long sleeves, street clothes, or dress shoes at the beach. You’ll stick out like a sore thumb!
- change your clothes at the beach
something for the private after the business meetings
DO
- Stare at everyone, everywhere, as everyone will stare at everyone else in Brazil. It’s polite to do so and you will always be aware of your surroundings. This is very important. If you keep looking down and don’t acknowledge with your eyes anyone who is closer to you than two meters away, you may be a potential victim of pickpockets. The good side of it is lots of flirting and smiles while staring :-)
- Carry in you wallet only the money that you will need for that day, and leave the rest in your inside money belt/hidden pocket inside your clothes, together with credit/debt cards, air tickets and passport.
- If you are visiting a VERY crowded place with thousands of people, make sure to carry nothing in your pockets, don’t wear any jewellery neither a wristwatch, nor a wallet. Don’t wear an external money belt either and don’t keep anything in your socks. Keep your money for that day in a separate inside pocket in your bermuda shorts or trousers.
- Report to the tourist police if you are a victim of any crime.
- Always ask at the reception of your hostel if it is safe to walk through the streets that you plan to go, as in a few cases side streets off main walkways are not so safe in downtown areas.
- Get a taxi when moving between far-away neighbourhoods, it’s faster than buses and inexpensive (about US$0.32 per km). Unlike most Latin American countries, taxis in Brazil have meters and are totally safe; almost all drivers have a big photo-ID card facing the passenger.
- Look at both sides of the street before crossing…unfortunately in most cities pedestrians don’t have the right of the way.
- Wear your day pack in front of your chest in crowded areas, not on your back.
- Accept help from reasonably well dressed locals who approach you speaking English. Brazilians are always proud of being able to help while practising their basic language skills.
- Use ATM machines preferably inside banks and shopping malls. Note that in some cities ATM's function only from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m.
- If you want to look like a local as much as possible: do wear walking shoes, not hiking boots; avoid carrying a bottle of water around; wearing a bermuda shorts and a plain T-shirt will do in most informal situations.
- Follow your instincts and use common sense, but remember that what FEELS dangerous in a culture may not BE dangerous somewhere else… and contrary to some people’s beliefs, all big cities are different; touching others in some parts of Brazil is common among people from the same social class, and part of the communication process, although it may be perceived as a sign of danger for those who are more formal and not used to body contact.
DON’T
- Don’t get drunk, you will hardly see a Brazilian get drunk. Try to drink up to your limit and stop before feeling tipsy or getting drunk; if you do get drunk keep a low profile, otherwise people may loose respect for you and you may be mocked at.
- Drug consumption other then alcohol is a criminal offence in Brazil, so if you are into it, don’t do it in public, otherwise you run the risk of getting in trouble with both the police and the guys who are trying to sell you the drugs.
- If you (hello single guys…) happen to get involved with prostitutes, the odds of being robbed will be much higher, it’s your choice…and if the girl is under 18 you will end up in jail if caught.
- In the unlikely event that you are help up at gun point or knife, don’t resist neither fight; make sure that you see (or feel) the gun or knife, but don’t look at the thief’s face. It’s rare but not impossible, it happens daily to an average of only 5 foreign tourists out of thousands in the most dangerous cities in Brazil.
- Don’t stay in extremely cheap accommodation, as the owners won’t probably be prepared to deal with foreigners. Also, a few things may not be as safe as they should: windows and door locks, food, electric showers…
- Don’t leave anything unattended in public places. Sometimes the rule in the streets is: “if you are not holding it, who grabs it first owns it”
- Don’t feel unsafe only because a beggar or a poor kid asks for money, they are not thieves…ignore at first or just say "não" once, don’t give any money, don’t smile and don’t maintain eye contact...do as the locals do.
- Don’t walk through half-dark and deserted streets after 10 p.m.
- Don’t go to the beach after dark.
Don’t become paranoid, all the above will become your second nature
after the first or second day…
Enjoy your next business trip or holiday in Brazil.
after the first or second day…
Enjoy your next business trip or holiday in Brazil.
sources: http://www.vayama.com and http://www.lonelyplanet.com (updated from CBI-Consulting)
More questions or you need support in projects, write us a mail office [at] cbi-consulting [dot] com