Doing Business in Mexico

To: Shellie Gage, President, XYZ Corporation

From: Elwood Blues, Foreign Relations Director

Date: October 10, 2005

Subject: Important Info for your Business Trip to Mexico

On Thursday, October 20, you'll be taking a one-week business trip to Mexico to meet with our potential clients there. As you have never visited the country before, I have prepared a short report for you on what you will need to know so as not to offend anybody.

Business Relationships

Mexicans place a good deal amount of emphasis on personal relationships. The key to a successful business trip to Mexico is establishing a close relationship with the client. Good personal relationships are the basis of business success in Mexico. In Mexican business culture, interpersonal skills such as "fitting in", cultivating relationships, and, most importantly, winning the favor of others, are sometimes considered more important than professional competence or experience.

Mexicans prefer to do business only with people whom they "know". Getting to "know" the clients will be a difficult task especially on your first trip. Because establishing close relationships, trust, and favor are so important in Mexico, it may take many return trips to Mexico to build these bonds.

You'll find that Mexican business culture has a warm, friendly relaxed atmosphere, with a slower pace. Mexican men are warm, friendly, and may initiate physical contact. They often touch shoulders or hold the arm of another. Withdrawing from these affectionate gestures can be perceived as an insult. Personal space is not as important in Mexico as it is in the United States, therefore they may be only inches away when they talk to you. To avoid insulting them just relax and speak normally.

Many Mexican companies are family owned, and because families play such a dominant role in Mexican society and have such a large influence on individual behavior it is wise not to ignore or overlook any person in the meetings you will attend. Because Mexicans value close personal relationships, many extended families can include college friends and business associates.

Business Attire

The Business Attire in Mexico is similar to that of the United States. Standard office attire for women includes dresses, skirted suits, or skirts and blouses. Femininity is strongly encouraged in women's dress. However nothing revealing should be worn in public or to a meeting. Women business travelers will want to bring hosiery and high heels. They will also appreciate a light coat for evening wear.

Jeans are an acceptable piece of casual wear if they are clean and are in good condition. They should only be worn to places more casual than an office meeting such as the client's home, or at a meal. There are some strict rules that shorts and tennis shoes are never acceptable in Mexico City for any type of business meeting, and in the case of shorts should not be worn at all while you are on the trip. In addition, personal security is a problem in Mexico today, and both women and men should leave any valuables at home. This includes rings, watches, necklaces, etc.

Roles & Status

As this is your first trip to Mexico and business relationships are such an essential element to doing business in Mexico, you will want to use a person's professional title when addressing them. First names are reserved for family and closer acquaintances. Wait to be invited before you start using first names, don't be concerned if at the end of the business trip you are not on a first name basis. It may take several trips to develop that relationship.

Professional titles are an extremely important part of Mexican business protocol. Doctors, professors, engineers, lawyers, and architects are always addressed by their professional titles. If they are without a professional title then they should be addressed by the title of "Mr.", "Mrs." or "Miss" followed by a surname. If you don't know someone's last name, just use the courtesy title.

The proper way to say "Mr." in Spanish is to say "Seсor". The proper way to say "Mrs." is "Seсora". Finally the correct way to say "Miss" is to say "Seсorita". If you are unfamiliar with a women's title you should address her as Seсorita just as in the United States.

A few things about the role and status of women during a business deal in Mexico that you should know is that a woman traveling by herself should not invite a man to a business meal unless he is accompanied by his spouse or by one of his business partners. A woman should also hold a business luncheon in her own hotel restaurant and sign the bill in advance. Otherwise, a Mexican businessman will usually resist allowing her to pay.

Business Etiquette

In Mexico doing business can be very similar to doing business in the United States. However a number of things are different enough that you should be aware of them so as not to offend any of our potential clients.

Conversations occur at a much closer physical distance than you may be accustomed to in the United States. Moving away to establish distance is considered unfriendly. In response, a Mexican will often step forward and close the distance again. To avoid insulting them just relax and speak normally.

Many Mexicans treat appointments with foreigners as tentative until they know their person is actually in Mexico. Many veteran foreign businesspeople call from their hotels on arrival to confirm appointments