Greeting

Greeting and introducing the parties is an important element of the meeting because it is the beginning of the business relationship. Even during the first meeting you may be greeted warmly, cordially and emotionally. How you greet your Brazilian partners in return will have a large impact on the success of future cooperation, as this is where the first impression of you is created.

A handshake is a traditional form of greeting. It is important to shake hands with everyone in the room, both at the beginning and at the end of the meeting. A warm and prolonged handshake is common, as well as various forms of physical touch (pat on the shoulder, hugging, etc.). If your partner sees you avoiding or straining during such emotional gestures, he or she may take it as an insult. As your business relationship develops, the degree of cordiality from your Brazilian partner can increase.

If you know the positions of your Brazilian partners, start by greeting the person in the highest position, gradually moving on to the less important people in the company.

When greeting a woman, wait until she offers her hand.

Have a constant eye contact throughout the meeting.

A 50-60 cm distance is comfortable.

Introduction

Forms of address in Brazil are quite formal, because recognition in society, social status and age are generally important.

In addressing or in introductions, it is common to use professional titles, academic degrees, various titles, or positions of authority, such as Doctor Santiago, President García, Executive Sanchez (Doutor Santiago, Presidente García, Executivo Sanchez).

The honorific title Doctor (Doutor or Doutora) can be used to express respect, especially when referring to someone who is older (but who does not have the academic degree of Doctor).

You may also find that your partner can introduce himself/herself by title/position/title and his/her first name (not last name), and prefers to be called that.

In the absence of titles and degrees, use the polite forms of address, Senhor/Senhora, followed by the person's last name.

Exchange of Business Cards

Have plenty of business cards with you at all times, because everyone in the meeting should get your business card.

The exchange of business cards is generally an important element of the meeting. The information on them is taken carefully.

Brazilians generally have two last names, the father's and the mother's (which she had before she got married), with the mother's last name right after the person's name, followed by the father's last name. It is by the father's surname that you should refer to the person, e.g. Dr Capriotti, whose full name is Dr Juan Vilela Capriotti).

The business card (or one of its sides) should always be in Portuguese.

Small Talk: Overview

Brazilians speak quickly, emotionally and often quite loudly. It's important to engage at the suggested pace of conversation and keep it up, otherwise you might be seen as unfriendly and cold.

Brazilians stand fairly close to each other during conversations, constantly maintaining direct eye contact.

Touching and gesturing emotionally is considered normal behavior during conversations.

It is also normal to interrupt the speaker during speech with (sometimes even confrontational) remarks. In this way, the speaker expresses their enthusiasm for the topic of conversation.

Brazilians prefer conversations that seem to flow by themselves, so try not to monopolize the conversation or direct it too much.

Preferred Topics

Sports: soccer, basketball, volleyball, horse racing, horseback riding.

Holidays and hobbies: fishing, Brazilian dancing.

Tourist attractions: beaches, nature, architectural monuments.

Local cuisine, different kinds of dishes.

Family as an institution, meaning of family.

Taboo Topics

Political and religious topics are considered dangerous.

Do not discuss Argentina (Brazil's longtime rival on the continent), compare Brazil to Portugal, use the word America to mean the United States.

avoid discussing ethnic differences among the cultures living in Brazil.

Economic issues, especially the difficulties of the economy, as well as the situation of the lower classes and poverty in general.

Avoid negative remarks about Brazil (regarding the country's government, cities, history, etc.)

Do not ask questions about family, salary, professional status. However, don't be surprised if your Brazilian interlocutor asks you these very questions. Even if you find the question offensive, don't show it. Try to gently change the subject.

Personal Space

It should be kept in mind that the distance of comfortable communication in Brazilian society is shorter than in other cultures. This is especially true for business communication. During a conversation, businesspeople can stand quite close to one another. Moreover, during greetings, interlocutors may hug each other or put a hand on the other person's shoulder.

Body language and gestures are an important part of communication. Brazilians actively gesture and may touch each other, such as patting each other on the shoulder, hand or even stomach. All of these gestures are considered a socially accepted form of communication between people who know each other.

You should not copy the behavior of Brazilians in conversation. Body language, in general, is a very complex area that only the people of the culture they speak (or rather feel) well understand.

Don't copy the behavior of Brazilians.

Communication Specifics

Brazilians are proud of their Brazilian-Portuguese identity. They might react badly when they see your materials (including business cards) in Spanish (not Portuguese).

Do not call Brazilians by the words "latinos" or "Latin Americans."

If you misspell or spell a Brazilian colleague's name, don't be surprised to see their reaction. Such mistakes are considered very rude.

If you mispronounce or misspell the name of a Brazilian colleague, don't be surprised.