Looking to build business in Mexico? Start by making friends. That’s the advice from a group of inside observers who are wellversed in the intricacies of Mexican business etiquette.
    “The most important aspect is preparing and getting yourself informed about the social nuances,” says Matt Harrup, founder of mexperience.com, a Web site offering information about travel, etiquette and real estate in Mexico. “Social etiquette and business etiquette are similar,” he points out, because, after all, “you’re doing business with people.”
    Indeed, the personal touch goes a long way in building rapport south of the border. “Mexicans are not just about the money,” says Sergio Serra, director of sales and marketing at the Hilton Cancún Golf & Spa Resort. “They are genuine people who want to know the person behind the transaction as well. Be yourself, and leave business for last. Make a connection. Establish the grounds of a social relationship first, and then you can introduce the business component in your agenda.”
    Mexico City-based Harrup agrees. “People are wary about doing business with people they don’t know. They’ll want a chance to get to know you—whereas, for example, if a Brit and an American meet for business, it’s more about ‘How are we going to do this business? How are we going to make some money?’”

FIRST IMPRESSIONS LAST

“In Mexico, first impressions will count a lot more than in the United States and Canada,” according to Carlos Abaunza, general manager at the Hilton Cancún. So how do you make that stellar entrance?
    Mariana Mora Pedrero, director of the New York office of the Mexico Tourism Board, offers some advice. “I would read up on Mexico and the current news,” she suggests. “Mexicans love to talk about politics and sports. You should always know what’s going on to be included in more personal conversations. If you do not know Spanish, learn a little bit. Even saying ‘Buenos Días’ will be appreciated.”
    Making small talk, as Mora Pedrero suggests, is part of the process of getting to know potential associates better. “Sometimes, foreign visitors may find the structure of the Spanish language kind of ‘spiraled,’” says Jorge Gutierrez, general manager of the Hilton Villahermosa & Conference Center. “It sometimes seems like it takes a while to get to the point, while the English language is extremely practical, direct, to-the-point and straightforward. However, it sometimes comes across as being too aggressive [to Mexican businesspeople]. Patience and tact are the keys here.”
    Harrup says that personal greetings should also be emphasized. “Mexicans expect a good, firm handshake, and they expect you to stand closer,” he notes. “Latin norms are that people stand a little bit closer to each other. These are all small things, but when you’re trying to make a first impression, being aware of these things will give you an advantage.”
    Harrup also says that visitors should be careful about addressing people appropriately. “Status is really important here,” he explains. “People with degrees and certain professional qualifications have titles, and they will use them. In the early stages [of a business relationship], they will expect their business associates to address them with these titles.” So pay attention to business cards and correspondence. If your client calls himself a licenciado (an academic title used by lawyers and people with bachelor-level degrees in certain fields), arquitecto (architect) or ingeniero (engineer), you should too.
    The title and status of the people you’re meeting are also indicators of how successful your encounter will be, according to Harrup. “If you’re not negotiating with the boss, you’re wasting your time,” he says. “And that works both ways. If you send a junior person to see a director, they will feel offended. It’s quite important that equals meet to discuss important things.”
    Mora Pedrero also stresses the importance of having appropriate professional materials on hand. “Business cards, a briefing of your corporation—including pamphlets and financing—and printed reports are fundamental tools,” she says. But even with the importance of first impressions, Abaunza notes that visitors should keep a relaxed attitude in mind when waiting for clients. “In Mexico, time is a very flexible thing,” he says. “Don’t be offended or surprised if your contacts in Mexico don’t arrive on time.”

THE ALLURE OF LUNCH
Given the importance of personal relationship building and friendship, it’s no surprise that social time is a big part of doing business in Mexico.
    “Perhaps the most significant difference between Mexican business etiquette and business etiquette in other Latin American countries is the Mexican tradition of having a tequila or beer over a long lunch in the afternoon,” says John Dorsey, an attorney in the Austin, Texas offices of Strasburger & Price, LLP, who focuses his practice on international business transactions. “However, in Mexico City, Monterrey and other urban centers, early morning breakfast meetings are becoming more commonplace, and in some cases, they’ve supplanted the traditional long Mexican business lunch.”
    These seemingly leisure-oriented meals are so important, Dorsey notes. “A business relationship in Mexico may not develop until after the parties have spent considerable face-to-face time together, which may include participation in several breakfast, lunch and dinner meetings, and other events.”
    And who pays for these gatherings? “When an invitation is issued—such as to go to dinner or to a bar—invitees assume that everything will be paid for by the person doing the inviting,” says Abaunza.
    Even when you’re invited, Mora Pedrero advises, “Always try to pay the bill. Of course, [the person who made the invitation] won’t accept it, but the generous gesture will be appreciated.”
    Waitstaff at upscale restaurants are wellaware of the importance of the business meal. “In Mexico, a waiter will not bring a check to your table unless you specifically ask for it,” says Serra. “It is very common for Mexicans to entertain a conversation at the table for a while after lunch or dinner has been finished.”

DRESS FOR SUCCESS
In today’s increasingly relaxed business environment, Mora Pedrero says that foreign business travelers sometimes make the wrong wardrobe choices in Mexico. “In cities like Mexico City, Guadalajara, Monterrey and Puebla, business attire is a must,” she notes, “including a tie, clean shoes, suit perfectly pressed and a pristine shirt.”
    Still, she adds, the dress code may vary by destination. “In tropical cities like Cancún, Puerto Vallarta and Veracruz, formal tropical attire is suitable—dress pants and a shirt, like a guayabera, and shoes with socks—not sandals.” Visitors may notice other regional differences, she posits. “Some of our people from the north—Monterrey, or people from Guadalajara—tend to be louder in volume and body language, while people from Puebla and Guanajuato tend to be more reserved.”
    Gutierrez agrees about regional differences within Mexico. “The people from the north are more business oriented,” he says, “closer to the U.S. business style, maybe because the border is so close and they’ve been doing business with the U.S. for a while now. They are brief—more direct—but still want to go to lunch. The people from the center of the country are very proud of their heritage, their structures, their methods and traditions. They may seem cold at first, but once that circle has been breached and they offer you their friendship, they’ll do anything for you, and then they might open up to your methods of working.”
    As with any region of the world, there are some universal rules for success in business, asserts Gutierrez. “The best way to make a good impression is the [same way] that works for almost all countries: Be yourself, don’t lie, listen first, try to help. Then, you’re doing business. And go to lunch!”