CULTURE SHOCK. UNWRITTEN RULES AND BODY LANGUAGE

I believe that one of the most important things you have to take into account when doing business abroad is the culture of the country you are negotiating with. As you would not wear shorts when visiting mosques in Dubai, you should never give two kisses when meeting the CEO of a company. Unless you want to be fired, of course.

In the case of Spain, although giving two kisses on the cheek is a must when meeting someone (except for men, who usually shake hands), it is important to bear in mind that it is only done in informal situations.

However, at the work place, people usually adopt a more formal approach and shake hands when meeting, even between women. Of course, there are always exceptions. I once went to a job interview where the head of HR chose to greet me with two kisses even though I offered her my hand. This can happen but again I would definitely give my hand first and wait for the other person´s reaction.

On the other hand, in Spain, among working colleagues, there is also a more informal approach, and some people will laugh at you for trying to shake their hands or talk to them using the formal personal pronoun “usted” instead of “tú”.

As for Asian countries, the etiquette can vary considerably, but it is interesting how they use bowing as a greeting. The more status the other person has, the longest and most forward your bow will be, as it is considered a sign of respect. In China it is also polite to greet the most senior person before the others. Howerver, due to bigger contact with westerners, hand shaking has become more popular for Asian people when negotiating with foreigners. Just remember that when shaking hands you should avoid eye contact, and shaking too hard of for too long!

In conclusion, it is crucial to get to know the culture you are going to be working with beforehand. It does not matter whether you are visiting that country for just a week or for a year, because you will notice the differences right away. On the other hand, if your business partners/clients are coming to visit you instead it can earn you some points if you know their etiquette and have some nice gesture.

As an example, check out how Shia Labeouf in the film Wall Street 2 addreses his clients in Mandarin and offers them a gift.