Greeting

The customary form of greeting in the Chilean business community is the handshake, which in formal situations is usually exchanged between people of the same sex. Men should wait for a woman to take the initiative in these situations.

It is important to say hello to everyone 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 personally. You should not limit yourself to just greeting the group in general. This can be perceived as rude.

When greeting, it is important to maintain direct eye contact with the person you are greeting.

In a business meeting, it's important to give special attention to the person in the highest hierarchical position, or if this is not known, the oldest person in the room.

If the greeting in the initial contact seems generally quite formal and reserved, then subsequent meetings may be more emotional and warm.

The traditional Chilean greeting is the ritual abrazo, exchanged by friends, relatives, good acquaintances and long-time partners. The men lightly embrace each other while shaking hands and patting each other on the back or shoulder. Women greet each other in the same way, complementing the ritual with light kisses on the cheek.

Typical phrases Chileans use to greet each other are: "Buenos días" ("Good morning"), "Buenas tardes" ("Good afternoon") and "Buenas noches" ("Good evening").

Introduction

Chilean surnames, as in a number of other South American countries, consist of two parts: the father's surname in first place and the mother's surname in second place. For example: Maria Silva Santiago is the daughter of Mr. Silva and Mrs. Santiago. It should be emphasized that the father's surname, in this case Silva, is the "official" surname, and many Chileans use it in communication.

After marriage, women often add their husband's surname to their last name, using the prefix de, e.g. Maria Martinez Diaz, marrying Arturo Beeche Santiago, will become Maria Martinez de Beeche.

In your first contact in formal, formal and even social situations, use the formal forms of address, Señor/Señora/Señorita, followed by the person's last name.

In the beginning of a business relationship, Chileans tend to address a foreign partner using their last name rather than their first name and expect the same in return. It is obligatory to mention the respective formal title or rank of the person, if he/she has them.

In official communication, one should use the professional qualification or position of the partner, if any, when addressing. The most common are Doctor (for men), Licenciado (Lawyer), Ingeniero (Engineer), Profesor (Teacher).

If you do not know (or do not have) the professional title or title of your partner, use polite forms of address, namely: 'Señor' (Mr) for men and 'Señora' (Ms) or Señorita (Miss) for women, followed by the person's last name.

In terms of using names and titles/titles, follow the example of your Chilean colleagues. Be formal at the beginning of the business relationship, as appropriate to the situation. Wait for a Chilean colleague to take the initiative to suggest that you go by your first name.

Wait for the Chilean colleague to suggest that you go by his/her first name.

Exchange of Business Cards

Describe on the business card all relevant regalia, including title or position in the company and other qualifications or academic honors, if any.

The design of the business card should be simple and unadorned. Bright fonts, colorful emblems, and any other symbols are more likely to be seen as unnecessary ostentation and poor taste.

The text on at least one side of the business card should be in Spanish.

In passing your business card, make direct eye contact with your partner and smile. When you receive the other person's business card, take note of what is written on it.

It is customary to give business cards to everyone in the meeting (with the exception of secretaries).

Small Talk: Overview

A significant characteristic of communication in Chilean society is the creation of a relationship of trust and mutual understanding. This can take a long time. Therefore, in your conversation, pay attention to non-business topics.

When talking with your Chilean partner, take an interest in his or her family. Simply ask how the health of family members (wife, children) is, if they are doing well. Be prepared to answer similar questions from your Chilean counterparts about your family.

Chileans are often quite emotional during conversations, especially if the issue being discussed is of concern to them. They can interrupt each other, jump from topic to topic, engage in an expressive discussion, etc.

Chilean Spanish is one of several variants of Spanish spoken in most regions of Chile and differs significantly from standard Spanish. These differences apply to virtually every aspect of the language, primarily pronunciation, but also grammar and vocabulary.

When communicating with Chilean colleagues, it is important to pay attention to the older people present. They should be treated with special reverence.

In the course of conversations with Chilean colleagues, it is important to pay attention to the older people present.

Preferred Topics

Travel. Chileans love to travel, both in their own country and in other parts of the world. They are happy to keep the conversation going on these topics. They will also be happy to recommend interesting places in Chile to foreigners.

Family in Chilean society is not a closed topic at all. On the contrary, your partner will happily encourage the conversation, because they are considered to take a genuine interest in your companion in this way.

Chile's history, economy, culture, food and wine are all topics that attract the right people to you. It is well worth preparing for your trip to Chile in advance by familiarizing yourself with the most famous landmarks.

Positively experience Chile, its nature, its landscape, its individual districts, or its cities.

Sports and, in particular, soccer, skiing, fishing.

Taboo Topics

Do not raise issues of the country's indigenous population, ethnic groups and national minorities with your Chilean counterpart.

Religion in any society is traditionally a taboo topic.

Avoid comparisons between Chile and other South American states, particularly Bolivia and Peru, but especially Argentina (due to border conflicts between the two countries).

Do not comment if your Chilean colleague starts criticizing state policies or certain government decisions. A foreigner in such cases is unlikely to take a position, much less express it publicly.

The time of Augusto Pinochet's rule is still a rather painful topic in Chilean society. Even mentioning those times can provoke an emotional response from your partner.

Don't bring up occupation or work-related issues, especially salary levels or expenses.

When talking about the United States, don't call the country America and its citizens Americans, since people in the Central and South American states also consider and call themselves Americans. It is better to use the words "US Americans" or "People from the United States. Also, the term Latin America is not common in this region.

Personal Space

It should be kept in mind that the distance of comfortable communication in Chilean society is shorter than in other cultures. They stand fairly close to each other during conversations. This is part of the warm personal style of communication in Chile.

Try not to take a step back during a conversation if you think the person you are talking to is standing too close (which may be customary in your culture). This could be perceived as unfriendly or even rude.

Tactility is an important element of communication in Chilean society. During conversations, Chileans may often touch each other, such as patting each other on the shoulder or arm, hugging or lightly squeezing the other person's shoulders, thereby showing their friendliness and affection. However, active gesturing during a conversation is rather not the norm.

Tactility is an important element of communication in Chilean society. During conversations Chileans often touch each other, for example by patting each other on the shoulder or arm, hugging or lightly squeezing the other person's shoulders, thereby showing their friendliness and affection. However, active gesturing during conversations is not the norm.

You should maintain direct, constant eye contact during conversations. In doing so you show that you are genuine with the person you're talking to and that you're engaged in the conversation.

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

Communication Specifics

In the initial stage of developing relations with Chilean partners, it is important to adhere to the rules of appropriate protocol. Communication is generally low-key and formal. This manifests itself, above all, in the use of accepted forms of address.

With time, however, and as you become more friendly, you will develop more emotional and warm tones. Appropriate behaviors, such as being genuine and concerned, can help.

Chileans in general are very direct people, they tend to be open about their opinions. However, if that position somehow hurts the other person's feelings, they are more likely to express it in a veiled, perhaps not very clear way.

In conversations, the Chileans always take into account the general situation of the person, as well as factors such as the status of the other person, the location of the conversation, the relationship between the speakers, etc. When they are conversing, Chileans often exchange different types of non-verbal signals which are understandable and acceptable in their society.

In an unfamiliar situation, Chileans are more likely to choose cautious and neutral, or even friendly, statements so as not to accidentally provoke a conflict or cause the other person to "lose face.