Argentina

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Appearance

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.

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