Bolivia
Business etiquette
Bolivia
Greeting
A common form of greeting in Bolivian business practice is the handshake, which both men and women shake in formal situations. Handshakes are also exchanged when saying goodbye.
It is important to say hello to each person if you are meeting with a group of people. Everyone sitting at the table where the meeting is taking place, or who is in the room, should be greeted or said goodbye in person. You should not limit yourself to just greeting or saying goodbye to the group in general.
Bolivia has its own ritual of greeting: when partners meet, they shake hands, then they can hug or pat each other on the shoulder and then shake hands again. This second handshake is an affirmation of their friendship.
At the time of greeting, eye contact is important. Interestingly, its duration may vary from region to region in Bolivia.
While communication during the initial contact seems rather formal in general, subsequent encounters are more emotional and warm.
Between women who know each other well, kissing on the cheek (without touching the face) is accepted.
Typical phrases Bolivians use when greeting each other are: "Buenos días" ("Good morning"), "Buenas tardes" (Good afternoon") and "Buenas noches" ("Good evening").
Introduction
Bolivian surnames have a Spanish tradition. The surname itself consists of two parts: after the first name comes the paternal surname and then the maternal surname of the father. For example: Armando Tejada Urquizo. In communication it is enough to use the first of these surnames, in this case Señor
Bolivians can also receive not one but two names at birth, for example: Armando Carlos Tejada Urquizo. In everyday communication, usually only one of them is used. In official correspondence and when signing documents, the full name should be used.
After marriage, women often add their husband's surname to their own, using the prefix de, for example: Maria Martinez Diaz, marrying Arturo Beeche Santiago, becomes Maria Martinez Diaz de Beeche. You should address her as Señora Beeche.
In your first contact in formal, formal and even social situations, use the formal forms of address - Señor/sSeñora/sSeñorita, followed by the last name of the person.
In the beginning of the development of a business relationship, Bolivians usually address the foreign partner using his last name rather than his first name and expect the same in return. One should mention the person's relevant position, professional qualification or academic degree / title, if they have one
The most common forms of address are Doctor/a (when referring to doctors and lawyers), Ingeniero/athe following: (Engineer), Profesor/a or Maestro/a (Professor or Lecturer).
If you do not know (or simply do not have) the title, professional qualification or academic title/degree of your partner, use polite forms of address, namely: 'Señor' (Mr) for men and 'Señora' (Ms) or Sñorita (Miss) for women, followed by the name of the person.
Like your Bolivian colleagues in using names and titles/ranks. Be formal at the beginning of the business relationship, as appropriate to the situation. Wait for a Bolivian colleague to take the initiative to suggest that you go by your first name.
Wait for the initiative of a Bolivian colleague who will suggest that you go by your first name.
Exchange of Business Cards
In Bolivian business practice, it is customary to exchange business cards during the introduction or immediately afterwards as part of the first meeting. If you are meeting with a group of Bolivian businessmen, for example, you should give a business card to each of them. When going to an event, it is important to have plenty of business cards.
In addition to the standard information usually on your business card, be sure to include your academic degree or rank, as well as other qualifications, if any.
The text on at least one side of the card should be in Spanish.
There is no special ritual for handing business cards in Bolivian business practices. However, when accepting another person's business card, pay attention to what is written on it.
Small Talk: Overview
Bolivians have a warm and emotional style and are happy to have an informal conversation. However, this does not mean they will be willing to discuss anything that concerns them, especially at the beginning of a business relationship.
Bolivians in general will behave rather reservedly during the first meetings. Even the humor that is so appreciated in South America is unlikely to break the ice right away. Save the good jokes for later contacts.
In your interactions with your Bolivian counterparts, it is important to remember that a certain element of formality must be maintained when dealing with people of a higher social status. This same restraint also applies to strangers, including new potential partners.
A greater reverence for status and hierarchy in general is more common in western regions, where protocol and the use of titles, degrees, and titles are more important.
Always, in eastern Bolivia, communication is more open and direct and therefore less formal.
Do not raise your voice when you are talking. It is considered impolite.
Preferred Topics
Tourism and travel, especially in Bolivia.
Family and everything somehow related to home and family relations.
Local cuisine.
Climate and geography of the country.
Sports and, in particular, soccer.
Taboo Topics
Controversial topics of a political nature, especially the anti-government protests of 2019,
Any issues of a religious nature are taboo topics.
Painful is the topic of relations with Chile, especially in relation to the events of the Second Pacific War, which resulted in Bolivia losing some of its territories and access to the sea.
Social problems, including discrimination against indigenous people, the situation of different ethnic groups.
The whole spectrum of topics related to sexual relations.
Avoid praise of Bolivia's neighbors, especially Chile. In Bolivian society, they are often perceived as rivals, for example, in matters of trade.
Personal Space
It should be kept in mind that the distance of comfortable communication in Bolivian society is shorter than in other cultures. They stand fairly close to each other during conversations. This is generally true in other South American cultures as well.
If you stand quite far away from the person you are talking to (which may be common in your culture), it can be perceived as a kind of detachment and lack of interest in that person.
It is interesting that the distance for comfortable communication changes when people of different social status are talking to each other: superiors and subordinates stand further apart during conversations than ordinary employees.
Body language and gestures are an important part of communication. Bolivians gesture vigorously, often touching each other, such as patting each other on the shoulder or arm, hugging or lightly squeezing shoulders, to show their friendliness and affection.
In different regions of Bolivia, nonverbal communication varies. In the southern and southeastern regions, Santa Cruz, which are mostly inhabited by descendants of Spanish settlers, body language is quite rich and expressive, with direct eye contact between speakers.
In the western regions, where the indigenous Amerindian population is the majority, body language is more reserved and sometimes no eye contact is maintained, especially if speakers belong to different social groups.
Communication Specifics
The ethnic composition of Bolivia's population is very heterogeneous. There are Indian peoples (the largest of which are Quechua and Aymara, mestizos (descendants of mixed marriages between Europeans and Indians), white Bolivians (mostly natives of European countries).
Native people traditionally live in agrarian areas, but in recent years the situation has changed due to the increasing migration of people to cities. As a result, it is possible to see almost any ethnicity in the major metropolitan areas.
37 languages (including Spanish) spoken in Bolivia are recognized as official languages of the state. However, some of them are considered extinct. The language of business is Spanish, spoken by the vast majority of the country's population.
Bolivians in the western part of the country have an indirect style of communication, preferring more discreet and less explicit expressions so as not to provoke a conflict situation or cause the other person to "lose face".
It is common in communication not to use a direct "No". Instead, phrases like, "I need to think about it," or "It may take time. The answer might even be silence, especially if the conversation is between people of different social statuses.
A significant characteristic of communication in Bolivian society is the creation of a relationship of trust and mutual understanding. This can take a long time. Also keep in mind that people from the East are more personal and informal, while those from the West tend to be reserved, especially in the beginning stages of a relationship.
Bolivians in general are warm and friendly. You will impress a potential mate if you are genuine and interested.
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