El Salvador

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Appearance

For business, men should wear a conservative, lightweight suit. Women should wear a blouse and skirt or dress.
Do not point your fingers at anyone.
Good eye contact is important in business situations.
Salvadorans are expressive with both hands and face; this complements their verbal communication.
To beckon someone over, extend the arm and wriggle the fingers with the palm down. Only summon close friends with this gesture.
Yawning in public is considered rude and should be avoided.

Behavior

Make appointments a month in advance of your trip by telephone or by telex.
Business is done only after a relationship has been established. Spend time forming a friendship before jumping into business discussions.
It is rare to find women in upper levels of business. A visiting business woman should act professionally and convey that she is representing her company, rather than speaking for herself personally.
Business is discussed in an office or over a meal. It is not discussed in the home or around family. If you are invited to a Salvadoran home, this is purely a social function.
The main meal of the day is at noon. This will probably include black beans, tortillas or meat, and fruit and vegetables.
Small gifts often exchanged. If you are invited to a Salvadoran home, it is appropriate to bring a gift of candy or flowers.
Avoid giving white flowers; they are associated with funerals.

Communications

Handshaking is the usual form of greeting; it is typically limp and normally lasts longer than a U.S. handshake.
Some people merely nod when meeting.
While Salvadoran men are willing to shake hands with women, the women must first extend her hand. Foreign men should wait for a Salvadoran woman to extend her hand.
Keep the vocal component of your greeting soft. Many Salvadorans dislike loud persons.
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:

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.
Good conversation topics: history, geography, culture, families.
Bad conversation topics: local politics, religion.

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