I am traveling to Argentina for business, are there any etiquette issues I should be aware of?

Question

Are there common American customs or behaviors that would be considered impolite or offensive in Argentina?

Answer 1

Dress is very important for making a good impression in Argentina; your entire wardrobe will be scrutinized. Business dress is conservative: dark suits and ties for men; white blouses and dark suits or skirts for women. Indian clothing is for Indians -- don’t adopt any native costumes!

  Maintaining eye contact is very important

  A pat on the shoulder is a sign of friendship

  A sweeping gesture beginning under the chin and continuing up over the top of the head is used to mean "I don’t know" or "I don’t care"

  With thumb and finger touching (as if holding a pinch of salt), one taps them with the index finger to indicate "hurry up" or "a lot"

  Make sure to cover your mouth when yawning or coughing

  Don’t put your feet up on any furniture

  Eating in the street or on public transportation is considered rude

Behavior  

  Prior appointments are necessary

  Argentine executives may put in a very long day, often lasting until 10:00 p.m.. An 8:00 p.m. business meeting is not unusual

  Business dinners are popular and are usually held in restaurants; business lunches are uncommon outside of Buenos Aires, since most people go home to eat lunch

  Tender beef and red wine virtual national symbols. American beef and red wine compare poorly to theirs

  Long meals and conversation is the norm. Crossing the knife and fork signal "I am finished". Never pour wine back-handed; it’s considered impolite. When dining, keep your hands on the table, not in your lap

  Gifts to be avoided include personal items such as ties and shirts, leather, and knives. High taxes on imported liquor make this a highly appreciated gift; the most popular are scotch and French champagne

If the visitor is entertained in the Argentine home, he/she should arrange to send flowers or candy to his hostess. Bird-of-paradise flowers are highly prized

A guest should always wait for the host to sit down before sitting, and to open the door for him before leaving

Communications  

Handshaking common when meeting for the first time

Titles, especially among the elderly, are very important. Address a person directly by using his or her title only. A Ph.D or a physician is called Doctor. Teachers prefer the title Profesor, engineers go by Ingeniero, architects are Arquitecto, and lawyers are Abogado. Persons who do not have professional titles should be addressed as Mr., Mrs., or Miss, plus their surnames. In Spanish these are:

Mr. = Senor

Mrs. = Senora

Miss = Senorita

  Most Hispanics have two surnames: one from their father, which is listed first, followed by one from their mother. Only the father’s surname is used when addressing someone

  Italian and German second and third languages

  Good conversation topics: soccer, history, culture, home and children, opera

Bad conversation topics: the Peron years, religion, Falkland Islands conflict

Doing Business in Argentina

Argentines are tough negotiators. Concessions will not come quickly or easily. Good relationships with counterparts will shorten negotiations.

Contracts are lengthy and detailed. A contract is not final until all of its elements are signed. Any portion can be re-negotiated. Get everything in writing.

An Argentine contact is essential to wading through government bureaucracy.

  Be punctual for business appointments, but prepare to wait thirty minutes for your counterpart, especially if you are meeting an important person.

  The pace of business in Argentina is slower than in the United States. A meeting that is going well could last much longer than intended, even if it means postponing the next engagement.

Personal relationships are important and must be developed before business is done.

  Argentines often need several meetings and extensive discussion to make deals.

  Decisions are made at the top. Try to arrange meeting with high-level personnel.

  Guests at a meeting are greeted and escorted to their chairs. The visiting senior executive is seated opposite the Argentine senior executive.

  During business meetings, sustain a relaxed manner, maintain eye contact and restrict the use of gestures. Don’t take a hard sell approach.

  Be prepared for a certain amount of small talk before getting down to business.

  Make appointments through a high-level person. Your Argentine contact can help with this.

  Confirm meetings one week in advance.

Answer 2

make sure you tell them you are canadian, they hate Yanquis over there

Answer 3

"they hate yankees over there" its a little bit broad. Im born and raised in Buenos Aires and my brother in law is American. Every time he goes there he is  welcomed and well treated. Maybe youre hanging out with the 'I hate everyone' crowd. You can find that kind of people in EVERY part of the world.

Answer 4

relax, enjoy, and dont worry.  it's an excellent place to do business or to go for toursim....and cheap.  try to combine both.  where r u staying?  just some safety issues you should keep in mind....unfortunately ba has changed in that regard since the collapse of 2001.    write me!   [e-mail]  i go every week (i live in montevideo, uruguay)

Answer 5

Just be prepared to kiss and be kissed.  Portenos are lovely people who will not be unkind nor too critical of you.  Just relax and enjoy yourself.

Answer 6

http://www.crazycolour.com/os/argentina_...

http://www.pasadenaisd.org/rayburn/Clubs...

Answer 7

Hello,

I'm Argentinean and I worked for an american company for 7 years. You don't have to worry about etiquette issues.

After reading the mail posted a while ago, it looks like Argentineans are a sort  of medieval-ruled bunch of people that doesn't know they are dealing with a foreign person.

The most of us are open minded. We accept foreign manners - specially when doing business !!. Even the most of us dislike to talk about Malvinas (falklands) or Peron times, we are all ways disposed to give our point of view. If you are planning to do business with an Argentinean company, go ahead and - above all - be yourself, beyond the manners. It will be greatly appreciated.

Good luck!