Columbia

Appearance

• For dress, formality increases as you move inland. It is important to adopt conservative business attire inland. Suits in dark colors are preferred. Women should dress conservatively and modestly: a suit or dress.
• Colombians stand closer together when conversing than North Americans, however they engage in less physical contact during conversation than other South Americans.
• It is impolite to yawn in public.
• Colombian women will often substitute the gesture of holding forearms for a handshake.
• Colombians indicate that someone is stingy by tapping their fingers on their elbow.
• The "O.K." gesture (thumb and forefinger curled into a circle) when placed as a circle over one’s nose indicates that someone is homosexual.
• Two pointing fingers (as North Americans would use to indicate length) is an obscene gesture in Colombia.
• Avoid putting your feet up on a table or other piece of furniture.
• Women visitors should be especially sensitive about making any glance or gesture that might be considered flirtatious.

Behavior

• Schedule business appointments in advance.
• Punctuality is relaxed; although as a foreigner you are expected to be on time.
• Have business cards printed in English on one side and the translation Spanish on the other. Present the card with the Spanish side facing your Colombian colleague.
• Business people prefer relaxed conversation before business.
• Lunch is the main meal of the day and a popular choice for a business meal.
• Typically, the person who has initiated the invitation will pay for a meal in a restaurant, although you may have to fight for the check even though you have issued the invitation.
• Let the host make a toast first, then you might wish to make one.

Communications

• Handshaking the customary greeting in business; don’t rush it. Colombians take a long time in greetings; they feel it conveys respect for the other person. Among friends, expect the abrazo, or embrace.
• Titles are important and should be included on business cards. 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.
• Bullfighting is popular; don’t make negative comments.
• Good conversation topics: history, culture, soccer, coffee, gold museum.
• Bad conversation topics: drug traffic, politics, religion.