Stand Close & Be Patient in Chile

Post by Joey Long·

Chilean men usually shake hands and woman pat each other on the right forearm or on the shoulder.
· Dining etiquette is formal in Chile; one should pour wine with on their right hand, wait to be shown to their seat, seat the women before the men, and not hide hands while eating.
· While conducting business one should have a firm handshake and make eye contact, Chileans stand close while talking, some women may refuse to shake hands with men, always use surnames and titles.
· While in a business meeting it is important not to openly criticize anyone, be patient as meetings may take a while, it is common to interrupt people while they are speaking.
· Chile has many exports and imports including food and live animals, beverages and tobacco, minerals and fuels, and manufactured goods.
· The exchange rate for Chile is 461.88 pesos per dollar.
· Flashy colors are not appropriate.
· Men should wear a dark suit, light shirt, and conservative tie
· Women should wear a suit and heels.
· If invited to someone’s house bring chocolates or wine but do not bring yellow, purple, or black flowers.
· Chileans often do not communicate openly and one may need to find hidden meaning in words.

Business Down Under

Austrailia

by Jack Hedstrom

Clothing-
For men going to a meeting for the first time, a conservative business suit is a very common thing to wear. Many companies allow business casual dress, which is usually nice pants and a collared shirt with or without a jacket. For Women, dresses, pantsuits, or business suits are a good idea for a meeting for the first time. Limited accessories are fine, and you should not wear revealing clothing. Jeans and more casual attire are common in some companies.
Common Exports to America-
Ø Meat products
Ø Wine and related products
Ø Iron and steel mill products
Ø Nickel
Ø Medicine
Common Imports from America-
Ø Materials handling equipment
Ø Civilian aircraft
Ø Medicinal equipment
Ø Computer accessories
One US dollar is equivalent to .914 dollars in Australia
Business Etiquette-
In Australia, things are not very formal so greetings are casual and relaxed. A handshake and smile suffices. An Australian might say ‘G’day’ ‘mate’, a foreigner should just say hello and how are you. Appointments are very necessary and very easy to schedule.
Dining Customs-
When you are invited to an Australians house for dinner, it will likely be a ‘barbie’ BBQ. When you go to their house for the dinner, the guests typically bring a gift like wine or beer. You should always arrive on time, or no more than fifteen minutes late if you are invited to somebody’s house for dinner. And you should always be in contact with your host to see if you are in need to bring a dish.

ROMANIAMAGUCHI

Romania is a very good country to trade with and has top class etiquette. They don’t trade often and their business is reserved and formal, but they are very professional. They are a hierarchical culture and they build on respect and strong relationships with other countries first. Age and position are well respected, as well as older people who are viewed as wise. For dining you are expected to show up in office clothes, and user proper table manners. The relationship they have with the U.S. is building rapidly. Over the last three years, their top exports have been fertilizers, industrial machinery, automotive machinery, and household goods. Their top imports are coal, telecommunications, and drilling and oil field equipment. Until recently, Romania’s people have been denied high quality products. Now consumers are getting higher quality products from countries like the U.S., and people are really happy. The new companies forming in Romania today often have some link with foreign participation. 1 Romanian leu = 0.3466 US dollars

If I was to do business in Romania, and I was meeting with a business partner, I would start off very formally. Romanians expect meetings scheduled two to three weeks in advance, usually by letter. Romania has a very strict culture based society, so I would make sure I am very proper in my language and attitude. For the business matter, I might have to wait awhile just to negotiate a simple deal. They also appreciate honesty and strive to build trust relationships. When I am negotiating I will need to be as clear as possible, because Romanians want to be able to understand deals directly. When showing them my business card, I would make sure I have the back side translated into Romanian. If I have been in business for awhile I would include how long, because they like to see stability in companies. I wouldn’t take it too fast, because Romanian business people are pretty reserved and quiet. It is important to give it time and get a strong foundation going. Another thing I would keep in mind is eye contact. Romanians are very particular on eye contact, and might be displeased if you look away or glance off during a conversation.

Bonjour de Belgique: Business in Belgium

Bonjour de Belgique!

Par Mathieu Stein

1. They do business in a bureaucratic method. Many speak English so speaking French or Flemish is not necessary. Business is done logically with reason and usually has critical discussions.

2. Business is done with subtlety because it shows directness, so don’t always make eye-contact. Don’t be confrontational because that is viewed as rude.

3. Imports: Chemicals, Equipment, Food,Transportation Equipment, Oil Products, Machinery, Raw Diamonds, and pharmaceuticals.

Exports: Foods, Chemicals, Diamonds, Metal and their products, Machinery, and Equipment.

4. The Belgian Natural Resources are silica, carbonates, and construction materials.

5. The Euro (In European Union)

6. They eat at restaurants and homes, the latter for more secluded personal friends. If food is left on your plate, it is considered rude. They follow the Continental table manners. Arriving on time and dressing formally are the usual expectations for guests. If you praise their food, it delights them greatly so.

7. When eating, keep your hands off the table. A formal handshake before business gives respect. Dress neatly because otherwise it is rude.

8. Handshakes are given and when meeting a woman a kiss on both cheeks, with man and man, just a handshake.

9. How you dress is a very important part of Belgium. They take pride in being neat and is considered a way of showing national pride. They try to dress well for good first impressions.

10. Anthem: The Brabanconne

Flag:

Business In Spain

· Every country has its own unique etiquette protocol and it is important to understand a countries customs. When doing business in Spain handshakes are standard as in the US. It is important to be formal during first time interactions but as a relationship continues you can become more casual. In Spain the people are extremely nice and friendly. Relationships are very important in Spain and people work hard to please their business partners.
· Spain has very little energy resources and therefore is dependent on other countries. They have no large oil fields and few coal mines and natural gas sources. In 2006 Spain received 99% of its oil from other countries. Basic metals, vegetables, minerals and textiles are Spain’s largest exports. Nuts, medical equipment and industrial engines are their main imports.
· Spain has many natural resources such as: coal, iron ore, copper, lead, zinc, gypsum and many others.
· Spain’s currency is the Euro however in older generations and certain places they still use the old currency.
· In Spain dinning customs are very important. When invited to some ones house it is common to bring chocolate, flowers, cake or wine. It is also common to bring gifts for the children. When eating it is important to keep your hands visible at all times and a guest commonly holds a toast to their host.

STARK-CHINA

Everyday people around the world have to do business with China. There are many things to consider when doing business with China. When greeting someone, a formal handshake is necessary and you have to greet the oldest person first, and by their last name. Another important part, is being able to laugh at yourself as this shows a better relationship according to Chinese customs.
China does not like doing business with companies they do not know. So to meet someone it is good to have sometime introduce you to them. You also have to bring your own interpreter and be on time or early. When eating at a Chinese home, consider this a honor. Always finish everything on your plate, even if you do not like it. Not doing so, is considered rude towards the host. Also, when going into a Chinese home, be sure to bring a small gift for the host or hostess.
In China they use the currency Yen. One US dollar is worth 81.31 yen. China exports toys, office products, tea, silk, telecommunications, apparel, clothing, etc.
When doing business with China, you really have to make an effort to go the extra mile in terms of knowing their culture and etiquette. This is important because they take little things very offensively, things here that would not be considered rude at all.

TAIWAN

In Taiwan Good Afternoon is "Wu An", when you close the deal you can say Thank you very much "Fei Chang Hsieh Hsieh Ni". Taiwanese people are very formal and usually nod their head when greeting their business partner. You should assure your customer a parking spot and give them a creative business card. Also, business cards are very colorful and creative in Asia. It is polite to give your business partner a gift after closing a deal. These gifts can be an expensive alcoholic beverage such as champagne or a bottle of wine. It is very rude to point at things with your feet, or touch anyone on their head or shoulders, this is considered very disrespectsable.Believe it or not Taiwan will be coming out with some of the newest products for hand-tools, U.S.A. is Taiwan’s third largest trading partner. Taiwan exports more items to the United States of America than imports. Taiwan exports lots of fish since it is an island and there is very good fishing around the shores. Since 55% of Taiwan’s population is younger than 30 years old, and since people in Taiwan are very disciplined, there will be a lot of smart businessman. Overall, Taiwan is a very fast-growing country and has many natural resources that can be sold to other countries.