Making appointments:

1. Brazilians conduct business only through personal connections. There must also be an implicit understanding that the business relationship will be long-term.

2. Before putting the resources into a trip, hire a Brazilian contact in your industry that can help you make the right connections. You can find such a person [known in Portuguese as a 'despachante'] through the Department of Commerce, Chamber of Commerce in Brazil, or an international organization to which you may already belong. A despachante is someone that will unravel the paperwork gridlock, not help you with setting up meetings. For that you should look for the chamber of commerce or consultants that specialize in this type of business. Trade shows are very good 'feel' for the country's business environment.

3. Make appointments of any kind at least two weeks in advance. Showing up at an office without an appointment is unacceptable in Brazilian business culture. This is especially true if the person you are there to see is a director of higher position.

4. Generally, the best times to schedule appointments are between 10:00 a.m. and noon, and 3:00 p.m. and 5:00 p.m.

5. Give yourself two to three hours between each meeting, rather than scheduling your appointments 'back to back.' One exception is if you are in a central location and people will be coming to see you.

6. Avoid scheduling any appointments around 'Carnaval', which precedes Ash Wednesday, the beginning of Lent.

7. 'Official' business hours are 8:30 a.m.- 5:30 p.m. Higher- ranking individuals, particularly those with decision-making capacities, usually begin work later in the morning and stay later in the evening.

8. Poor punctuality is characteristic of Brazilian business culture. You will have to accept that waiting around for your Brazilian counterparts will be part of doing business here. Also, traffic in the main cities is chaotic and most of the time is responsible for the delays.

9. Business travelers should still make the effort to be punctual. You may want to bring some work or another diversion to fill the time while you wait.

10. Always arrive on time for a business meal or meeting at a restaurant. Usually, Brazilian business protocol demands punctuality on these occasions.

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How to address others with respect:

1. In Brazil, people quickly move to a first-name basis. Do not, however, use first names until you are invited to do so.

2. Addressing a Brazilian by his or her first name is not necessarily a sign of familiarity. Here, family names are simply not used as much as in other countries.

3. Always address your Brazilian contact by title.

4. If you are having difficulties with a person's name, you may inquire about the correct pronunciation. Don't try to guess.

5. Professional titles such as "Doctor" and "Professor" should be used to address business acquaintances.

6. For those without professional titles, the term "Senhor" ["Mister"] or "Senhora" ["Mrs."] is used to precede the surname.

7. Brazilians will sometimes introduce themselves using their titles and their first names [i.e. Doctor George]. You'll observe that Brazilians will not always wish to be addressed by their last names.

8. Titles such as "Senhor" and "Doctor" can be added to first names in Brazil. You will probably find that your Brazilian counterpart prefers to be addressed by his/her first name on all occasions. For example, a lawyer whose name is Carlos da Silva may be "Dr. Carlos" to his juniors and "Carlos" to his equals. Often, before handing you a business card, a Brazilian will underline one name [indicating "Call me this"] and cross off a title [indicating "Don't call me that"]. So, if you are handed a card written "Dr. Carlos da Silva" with the "Carlos" underlined and the "Dr." crossed off, that means "Call me Carlos."

9. In Brazil, people usually have two surnames. In writing, the mother's surname comes before the father's surname. It is appropriate, however, to address people using the father's surname.

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How to negotiate:

1. Portuguese is the dominant language in Brazil. Be aware that Brazilians do not perceive themselves as Hispanics, and will only take offense if addressed in Spanish. But if you do speak Spanish you may ask to speak it, and they will accept it better.

2. In Brazilian business culture, English is widely spoken.

3. Women business travelers will have few problems dealing with male colleagues in Brazil.

4. Be aware that it will probably take several trips to bring the negotiations to a satisfactory conclusion.

5. Changing your negotiating team can jeopardize the entire contract and is a major breach of Brazilian business protocol. Moreover, you will have to emphasize that you value people and relationships over business.

6. Bring a plentiful supply of business cards, since Brazilians tend to be very keen about exchanging them.

7. Ensure that your business cards, promotional and presentation materials, or any other documents required in your dealings are printed in both Portuguese and English.

8. Within 24 hours, you can have your business cards printed/translated at various establishments in Brazil.

9. Knock on office doors, but after knocking, follow Brazilian business protocol by standing back and waiting. Many offices, however, are becoming more informal.

10. With the exception of Sao Paulo, Brazilian business culture generally has a slow pace and an informal atmosphere. Expect an air of formality, however, during initial meetings.

11. An important part of Brazilian business protocol is to begin a meeting with good-natured "small talk." Delving immediately into business will only cause annoyance.

12. Generally, Brazilians are open to discussing a wide range of subjects, particularly in a business context. They tend to be very reticent, however, about discussing their private lives.

13. Private offices, even for senior executives, are not as common in Brazil. Consequently, be prepared for frequent interruptions during meetings.

14. Brazilians are generally analytical, abstract thinkers. Moreover, they will often look at the particulars of each situation, rather than seek guidance from a set of laws or rules.

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How to behave in Public:

1. Brazilians tend to stand very close to each other.

2. Brazilians usually greet each other with long handshakes and noticeable eye contact; close friends will often embrace.

3. Hugging and backslapping are common among Brazilians, but they will usually refrain from using these gestures with foreigners, who may not be as receptive to this kind of contact.

4. Women will often greet each other by touching cheek to cheek, then kissing the air.

5. Women will often kiss each other by alternating cheeks--twice if they are married and three times if they are single.

6. Frequent touching of the arms, hands, or shoulders will occur during the course of a conversation.

7. Maintain a soft-spoken manner.

8. Say "oi" for "hello" and "tchau" for goodbye.

9. Brazilians often snap their fingers while flailing their hands up and down to add emphasis to a statement or indicate that something occurred "long ago."

10. Pulling at one's earlobe is a sign of appreciation.

11. Flicking the fingertips underneath the chin indicates that you don't know or understand the answer to a question.

12. To beckon someone, extend your palm face down and wave your fingers toward your body.

13. The "O.K." sign [using your first finger and thumb to form a circle] is considered vulgar.

14. When things are going well, it's acceptable to use the "thumbs up" sign.

15. Yawning or stretching in public is frowned upon.

16. Smoking is illegal in most public places.

17. People do not eat on the street or on public transportation.

18. Don't push or shove people in lineups--even if others are doing so.

19. Be careful when crossing the street, since traffic is chaotic and extremely fast.

20. Machismo in Brazil takes a milder, more subtle form than in other Latin American countries. Moreover, it's important for men to appear self-assured and "in control

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How to dress for business:

1. To feel comfortable in Brazil's sweltering, tropical climate, wear clothing made of light materials and colours that will help keep you cool. Light cottons and similar natural fibers are usually reliable choices.

2. Appearance is vital in any business culture, however in Brazil the subtle differences are more acceptable; for instance you may wear jeans and a nice shirt and blazer to a meeting and be totally accepted. In Brazil there is a lot more fashion trends in business.

3. If you are wearing a three-piece suit in winter it is fashionable, but not in summer. Most Brazilian suits are tailor made and that is what distinguishes your position. One distinguishing factor is if the materials in your suit are local or imported.

4. Men should wear dark suits in black, charcoal gray, or navy blue. Again depending on the industry, light colours in the summer months are acceptable. Dark is better if you are traveling because it hides any dirt better.

5. Select ties that are well-made and conservative. There is easy access to imported silk ties, but they are not conservative. They can be very flashy.

6. Ensure that your shoes are polished and kept in excellent condition. Or if you want to--depending on the industry--you can wear sandals or tennis shoes.

7. Wardrobe options for women include conservative dresses, suits, pantsuits, skirts, and blouses. While you should dress conservatively, strive for an elegant, rather than 'frumpish', appearance.

8. Women's nails should be well cared for. Makeup is not a strong feature among Brazilian women, who lean towards the natural look.

9. On occasions for business entertaining, dark suits for men are the appropriate formal wear.

10. On occasions for business entertaining, elegant dresses or skirts and blouses are appropriate formal wear for women. That famous 'little black dress' is perfect on all occasions.

11. The colours of the Brazilian flag are green and yellow. Wearing this colour combination will only make you an object of ridicule. Or, on the other hand, you can say it is an homage, which will be very well accepted, depending on the situation you are in.

12. Even if you're just taking a walk through the streets or shopping, be sure to dress well. Khakis or other pants and an attractive long-sleeved shirt are acceptable for men; women should wear a nice pair of pants or a skirt.