Transcript Business Etiquette in Spain

Business Etiquette in Spain
By: Olivia Watkins and Autumn Lewis
A Little About Spain
Capital: Madrid
Language: Spanish (Castilian)
Religion: Roman Catholic
Government: Parliamentary Monarchy
A Cultural Overview
Family is the most important component
of daily life.
Men and Women are very equal in the
Spanish society.
Overview
Introduction etiquette
Dinner party etiquette
Relationships and Communication
Negotiation skills
Business Meeting etiquette
Dress etiquette
Gestures and Body language
Introduction Etiquette
When you are introduced shake hands.
Men sometimes use a two-handed
shake in which the left hand is placed
on the right forearm of the other
person.
People are referred to as Don or Dona
followed by their first name.
Dinner Party Etiquette
When you are invited to a dinner party, it
is appropriate to bring a gift.
Some gifts could include: chocolates, pastries,
or cakes; wine, liqueur, or brandy; and
flowers.
If your hostesses have children, you should
also bring a small gift for them, as they will be
included in the night.
Table Manners
Don’t sit down until you’re invited to.
Always keep your hands visible while
eating.
Don’t begin eating until the hostess starts.
Indicate you are finished by laying your
knife and parallel on your plate.
Allow the guest of honor to leave the
table first.
Relationships
Spaniards like to do business with people that
they know and trust.
You need to spend enough time with your
colleagues to establish trust.
Relationships will remain no matter what
company you are with.
Communication
Face-to-face contact is better than
telephoning or writing letters.
Your presentation of self is going to be
very important with dealing with the
people of Spain.
Modesty is important to the Spaniards.
Communication
Avoid confrontation if it is possible.
Spaniards do not like to publically admit that
they are wrong.
Spaniards like to look good in the eyes
of others.
Communication is formal when dealing
with Spaniards.
Negotiation Skills
Hierarchy and rank are very important to
the people in Spain.
Decision making is something that those
at the top of the company deal with.
Decisions
Meetings
*
Negotiation Skills
Since Spaniards do not like to lose face,
they will not always tell you if they don’t
understand something.
Spaniards are very detailed in their work.
They will review every minute detail in a
contract with you.
Steps to Drawing up a Contract
Step One: Reach a verbal agreement.
Step Two: Draw up a formal written
contract.
If you make a contract with a company it is
in your best interest to fully abide by the
rules of that contract.
Business Meeting Etiquette
All appointments should be made far in
advance.
The first meetings are formal and are
used to get acquainted.
When you go to a meeting, make sure
that printed information is on hand in
English and Spanish.
Business Meeting Etiquette
You are responsible for hiring an
interpreter if needed.
More than one person may speak at once.
Most Spaniards will not give their opinion
at a meeting.
How to Dress for Success
You need to dress stylish
but conservative.
Both men and women
need to carry elegant
accessories.
Stand up straight and
speak firmly to show
confidence.
Gestures
A thumbs up gesture is a good gesture to
use when you want to show that things
are going well.
When you point, use your
whole hand and not just
your index finger.
When summoning someone have your
palm down and make a pulling motion
with all of your fingers together.
Learning about Spain is the first
step in our international expansion.