Business Etiquette in Spain By Olivia Watkins and

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 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. A o i d ! s !