Business Etiquette
Building Relationships & Communication
The Portuguese prefer to do business with those they feel comfortable with, which means those that they know they can trust.
Therefore, it is advisable to have a mutual contact provide the initial introduction.
Expect to invest a great deal of time developing the relationship.
The Portuguese prefer face-to-face meetings rather than written or telephonic communication, which are seen as too impersonal.
Relationships are built with people, not companies.
If you change representatives or people on a negotiating team once negotiations have started, the relationship-building process will have to begin again.
It is important that you treat business colleagues with respect and not do anything to embarrass them.
Communication is formal and relies on strict rules of protocol.
If your Portuguese business colleagues have questions or want clarification during a presentation, they will wait until you have finished speaking and not interrupt.
Although honest, the Portuguese do not volunteer information unless solicited, especially if remaining silent is in their best interest.
Although the Portuguese are not emotive speakers and do not use hand gestures, they may be demonstrative when greeting friends. . If you tend to use hand gestures while speaking, you may wish to moderate your behavior since it may incorrectly be viewed as overtly demonstrative.
Portugal is a hierarchical culture that respects age and position.
Defer to those in senior positions and maintain a sense of formality in written communication.
Do not be concerned if your Portuguese colleagues fail to follow through on promises.
They have a more relaxed attitude towards time and do not see deadlines as crucial as people from many other cultures do.
They do not appreciate direct criticism, even if you consider it to be justified
Status is important in Portugal. Rent a luxury car, stay in a five-star hotel, wear name-brand clothing and use your title when introducing yourself. This tactic will earn respect with your Portuguese hosts.
Dress
The Portuguese tend to value looking good and have a keen sense of style.
For Men: dark colored conservative suits with shirts and ties.
For Women: stylish business suits or dresses and blouses. Make-up and accessories are usually worn.
Long-sleeved shirts and blouses are typical; Portuguese business people do not wear short sleeves.
It may be acceptable to remove your jacket if temperatures are high, but wait for your hosts to do so first.
Being well groomed and having all clothing neatly pressed is appreciated.
Business casual attire may be appropriate in certain industries.
In Portuguese society appearance is very important, especially in the cities.
People are fashion conscious and believe that clothes indicate social standing and success.
They take great pride in wearing good fabrics and clothes of the best standard they can afford.
Title & Business Cards
Titles are important and it is best to address people directly by using Mr., Mrs., or Miss, followed by the surname. Note: Señhor is for Mr., " Señhora " is Mrs.
Anyone with a university degree is referred to with the honorific title, plus 'doutour' or 'doutoura' ('doctor') with or without their surname.
Use the formal rather than the informal case until your Portuguese friend suggests otherwise.
You should always wait to be invited to use first names before doing so yourself.
There is no specific protocol surrounding the giving and receiving of business cards. It is always best to treat the card with respect.
Meeting
Appointments are mandatory and should be made 1 to 2 weeks in advance.
Reconfirm the meeting a few days in advance.
Initial correspondence should be written in Portuguese.
Since most Portuguese take vacation during August, it is not an ideal time to try to schedule meetings. It is also best not to plan meetings during the week between Christmas and New Year.
Arriving on time for a meeting is important as punctuality is valued.
In many circles, 5 minutes late is considered on time.
Punctuality displays respect for the person you are meeting. If you are kept waiting, it is important that you not appear irritated.
People from the north are generally more punctual than those in the south.
Business meetings tend to be structured but not overly formal, beginning and ending with a bit of small talk.
A fair amount of getting-to-know-you conversation may take place before the business conversation begins.
Agendas serve as starting points for discussions; they do not serve as schedules.
The main purposes of initial meetings are to get to know one another and discuss, not to make decisions.
Interrupting someone who is speaking is common, as is having several people speaking at once.
Presentations should be well thought-out, thorough, and backed up with charts and figures.
Maintain eye contact when speaking.
Meetings may be interrupted.
Do not remove your jacket unless your business associates do so.
Get all commitments in writing and do not assume any verbal promises to be true.
Portuguese business planning tends to be poor, and teamwork is rare. Be prepared for deadlines to be missed and communication to be spotty. Be patient with your Portuguese hosts, and you will reap the rewards of a strong business relationship.
Negotiations
Portuguese put great importance on the character of the person with whom they do business, so they will take time to get to know you.
Portuguese negotiate with people - not companies. Do not change your negotiating team or you may have to start over from the beginning.
Final decisions tend to come down to chemistry. Remain cool and professional; avoid any sort of confrontation and do not resort to hard sell tactics.
Wait for your Portuguese colleagues to bring up business. Never rush the relationship-building process.
The Portuguese tend to take time when negotiating. Do not rush them or appear impatient. Expect a great deal of time to be spent reviewing details before a final decision is made.
Decisions are generally made from the top down. Portuguese business is hierarchical. The highest-ranking person makes decisions.
Once a decision is mad e and terms are agreed upon, avoid trying to make any further changes.
Portuguese are very thorough and detail-oriented.
Portuguese prefer to do business for the long-term although at times they focus on short-term gains.
Have printed material available in both English and Portuguese.
Do not use high-pressure sales tactics. Portuguese are offended by aggressive behavior.
Contracts are respected.
Gift Giving
Gifts are not generally exchanged at initial business meetings.
If invited over for dinner or a drink to a Portuguese home, you should always bring a gift. Either a bottle of high quality wine or a dessert/candy is acceptable.
Avoid giving gifts in numbers of 13 (like flowers) as it is unlucky and be aware that lilies and chrysanthemums are usually given at funerals.
Gifts tend to be opened when received.
Do not give red flowers since red is the symbol of the revolution.
Dining Etiquette
If invited to a dinner arrive no more than 15 minutes after the stipulated time.
You may arrive between 30 minutes and one hour later than the stipulated time when invited to a party or other large social gathering.
Dress conservatively. There is little difference between business and social attire.
Do not discuss business in social situations.
If you did not bring a gift to the hostess, send flowers the next day.
Table manners are formal.
Remain standing until invited to sit down. You may be shown to a particular seat.
Table manners are Continental -- the fork is held in the left hand and the knife in the right while eating.
Do not begin eating until the hostess says "bom appetito".
Do not rest your elbows on the table, although your hands should be visible at all times.
Most food is eaten with utensils, including fruit and cheese.
Keep your napkin to the left of your plate while eating. Do not place the napkin in your lap. Then you have finished eating, move your napkin to the right of your plate.
If you have not finished eating, cross your knife and fork on your plate with the fork over the knife.
Leave some food on your plate when you have finished eating.
Indicate you have finished eating by laying your knife and fork parallel on your plate, tines facing up, with the handles facing to the right.
The Portuguese prefer to do business with those they feel comfortable with, which means those that they know they can trust.
Therefore, it is advisable to have a mutual contact provide the initial introduction.
Expect to invest a great deal of time developing the relationship.
The Portuguese prefer face-to-face meetings rather than written or telephonic communication, which are seen as too impersonal.
Relationships are built with people, not companies.
If you change representatives or people on a negotiating team once negotiations have started, the relationship-building process will have to begin again.
It is important that you treat business colleagues with respect and not do anything to embarrass them.
Communication is formal and relies on strict rules of protocol.
If your Portuguese business colleagues have questions or want clarification during a presentation, they will wait until you have finished speaking and not interrupt.
Although honest, the Portuguese do not volunteer information unless solicited, especially if remaining silent is in their best interest.
Although the Portuguese are not emotive speakers and do not use hand gestures, they may be demonstrative when greeting friends. . If you tend to use hand gestures while speaking, you may wish to moderate your behavior since it may incorrectly be viewed as overtly demonstrative.
Portugal is a hierarchical culture that respects age and position.
Defer to those in senior positions and maintain a sense of formality in written communication.
Do not be concerned if your Portuguese colleagues fail to follow through on promises.
They have a more relaxed attitude towards time and do not see deadlines as crucial as people from many other cultures do.
They do not appreciate direct criticism, even if you consider it to be justified
Status is important in Portugal. Rent a luxury car, stay in a five-star hotel, wear name-brand clothing and use your title when introducing yourself. This tactic will earn respect with your Portuguese hosts.
Dress
The Portuguese tend to value looking good and have a keen sense of style.
For Men: dark colored conservative suits with shirts and ties.
For Women: stylish business suits or dresses and blouses. Make-up and accessories are usually worn.
Long-sleeved shirts and blouses are typical; Portuguese business people do not wear short sleeves.
It may be acceptable to remove your jacket if temperatures are high, but wait for your hosts to do so first.
Being well groomed and having all clothing neatly pressed is appreciated.
Business casual attire may be appropriate in certain industries.
In Portuguese society appearance is very important, especially in the cities.
People are fashion conscious and believe that clothes indicate social standing and success.
They take great pride in wearing good fabrics and clothes of the best standard they can afford.
Title & Business Cards
Titles are important and it is best to address people directly by using Mr., Mrs., or Miss, followed by the surname. Note: Señhor is for Mr., " Señhora " is Mrs.
Anyone with a university degree is referred to with the honorific title, plus 'doutour' or 'doutoura' ('doctor') with or without their surname.
Use the formal rather than the informal case until your Portuguese friend suggests otherwise.
You should always wait to be invited to use first names before doing so yourself.
There is no specific protocol surrounding the giving and receiving of business cards. It is always best to treat the card with respect.
Meeting
Appointments are mandatory and should be made 1 to 2 weeks in advance.
Reconfirm the meeting a few days in advance.
Initial correspondence should be written in Portuguese.
Since most Portuguese take vacation during August, it is not an ideal time to try to schedule meetings. It is also best not to plan meetings during the week between Christmas and New Year.
Arriving on time for a meeting is important as punctuality is valued.
In many circles, 5 minutes late is considered on time.
Punctuality displays respect for the person you are meeting. If you are kept waiting, it is important that you not appear irritated.
People from the north are generally more punctual than those in the south.
Business meetings tend to be structured but not overly formal, beginning and ending with a bit of small talk.
A fair amount of getting-to-know-you conversation may take place before the business conversation begins.
Agendas serve as starting points for discussions; they do not serve as schedules.
The main purposes of initial meetings are to get to know one another and discuss, not to make decisions.
Interrupting someone who is speaking is common, as is having several people speaking at once.
Presentations should be well thought-out, thorough, and backed up with charts and figures.
Maintain eye contact when speaking.
Meetings may be interrupted.
Do not remove your jacket unless your business associates do so.
Get all commitments in writing and do not assume any verbal promises to be true.
Portuguese business planning tends to be poor, and teamwork is rare. Be prepared for deadlines to be missed and communication to be spotty. Be patient with your Portuguese hosts, and you will reap the rewards of a strong business relationship.
Negotiations
Portuguese put great importance on the character of the person with whom they do business, so they will take time to get to know you.
Portuguese negotiate with people - not companies. Do not change your negotiating team or you may have to start over from the beginning.
Final decisions tend to come down to chemistry. Remain cool and professional; avoid any sort of confrontation and do not resort to hard sell tactics.
Wait for your Portuguese colleagues to bring up business. Never rush the relationship-building process.
The Portuguese tend to take time when negotiating. Do not rush them or appear impatient. Expect a great deal of time to be spent reviewing details before a final decision is made.
Decisions are generally made from the top down. Portuguese business is hierarchical. The highest-ranking person makes decisions.
Once a decision is mad e and terms are agreed upon, avoid trying to make any further changes.
Portuguese are very thorough and detail-oriented.
Portuguese prefer to do business for the long-term although at times they focus on short-term gains.
Have printed material available in both English and Portuguese.
Do not use high-pressure sales tactics. Portuguese are offended by aggressive behavior.
Contracts are respected.
Gift Giving
Gifts are not generally exchanged at initial business meetings.
If invited over for dinner or a drink to a Portuguese home, you should always bring a gift. Either a bottle of high quality wine or a dessert/candy is acceptable.
Avoid giving gifts in numbers of 13 (like flowers) as it is unlucky and be aware that lilies and chrysanthemums are usually given at funerals.
Gifts tend to be opened when received.
Do not give red flowers since red is the symbol of the revolution.
Dining Etiquette
If invited to a dinner arrive no more than 15 minutes after the stipulated time.
You may arrive between 30 minutes and one hour later than the stipulated time when invited to a party or other large social gathering.
Dress conservatively. There is little difference between business and social attire.
Do not discuss business in social situations.
If you did not bring a gift to the hostess, send flowers the next day.
Table manners are formal.
Remain standing until invited to sit down. You may be shown to a particular seat.
Table manners are Continental -- the fork is held in the left hand and the knife in the right while eating.
Do not begin eating until the hostess says "bom appetito".
Do not rest your elbows on the table, although your hands should be visible at all times.
Most food is eaten with utensils, including fruit and cheese.
Keep your napkin to the left of your plate while eating. Do not place the napkin in your lap. Then you have finished eating, move your napkin to the right of your plate.
If you have not finished eating, cross your knife and fork on your plate with the fork over the knife.
Leave some food on your plate when you have finished eating.
Indicate you have finished eating by laying your knife and fork parallel on your plate, tines facing up, with the handles facing to the right.