Communicating Effectively

Many people outside of the region do not realize that Spanish is not the only official language in South America. Brazil uses Portuguese, French Guiana uses French, and Suriname’s official language is Dutch. And besides the languages, newcomers to the region need to understand the style of conversations and the use of non-verbal communication.

Conversing in local language

Learning at least a few polite greetings and courtesies in local languages goes a long way with South Americans, even if you rely on a translator for the greater part of communication. Most South American executives who are university educated will speak a foreign language in addition to their native language. This is often English, though it may also be French, Italian, or German. However, even executives who can make themselves understood clearly in another language may feel self-conscious if they think they are not perfectly fluent or have a strong accent.

Going with the flow

Conversations and even formal negotiations in South America tend to wander through many detours. The shape of a discussion is not as deliberate as the circular conversation patterns of Asia or the point-by-point conversations of Anglo cultures. It may be necessary to write down reminders about points that are left undecided so that you can return to them later. It is far better to go with the flow and build on shared energy than to insist on a planned agenda. The flow of conversation is one way a South American will determine whether someone is a good person to do business with. If conversation flows easily, this bodes well for a constructive friendship or business association.

Brazilian Portuguese

Brazil is the single largest nation in the region, with over 180 million Portuguese speakers. Brazilians know their language is unusual in the region, but they also know they are the most populous country in South America, and prefer packaging instructions and labels to be printed in their own language. If space constraints or costs make that impossible, at least the main points of labels should be printed in both Spanish and Portuguese. Spanish speakers will find their language skills useful in Brazil, but it will be appreciated if you make the effort to learn at least a few basic Portuguese phrases, and apologize for speaking Spanish to Brazilian contacts.

Expressing emotions

South Americans are emotionally expressive when they talk. More reserved cultures may mistake raised voices and hand-waving for anger or negative emotions, but such gestures are rarely threatening or directed at someone in particular. Gentle pokes to the chest or tugs on the arm will be made for emphasis and to keep attention, not to threaten or intimidate. Anger is rarely expressed in business conversations. The general volume of conversation in South America may seem like yelling, but tone rather than volume should be used to identify the emotion of a speaker. In a culture that prioritizes relationships, it is important to spend some time talking as friends before getting down to serious business. Starting a meeting by announcing the objectives is considered cold and formal.

Greeting appropriately

In every culture there is a distance between people that is considered professional, another that is considered friendly, and the closest that is considered intimate. South American friendly distance is more like the intimate distance of US and European cultures. A kiss on each cheek is the standard greeting between women who are friends and between women and men. Men shake hands and may grasp their partner’s elbow or shoulder to express greater friendship. The South American kiss is more a gentle touching of cheeks than lips to cheeks. Remember that South Americans like to be friends with their co-workers and partners, so if a South American leans forward to kiss a cheek, that’s a positive sign of a good working relationship. Flinching instead of welcoming this gesture may seem cold or unfriendly. Making the rounds of a table to greet each person individually makes each person feel important.

Building relationships

Table

Fast track	Off track
Greeting all members of a group individually	Flinching away from a greeting kiss instead of welcoming it
Opening a meeting with informal conversation	Assuming loud voices indicate anger or annoyance
Taking a relaxed attitude to physical contact and raised voices	Feeling annoyed or threatened by shrinking personal space
Looking out for subtext if answers seem evasive or unclear	Attempting to keep personal and business relationships separate

Understanding “no”

Communication in South America is high energy and high drama. To understand someone, you must pay attention to their tone of voice and body language. In South America, disagreement is often expressed with polite words of agreement stated with a flat reserve and negative facial expressions or body gestures. “Yes, some day we should talk about going into business together when we are not so busy with our other concerns” really means, “We have other concerns right now and should not talk about doing business together.” When in doubt, a follow-up call will make the intention clear. Avoiding calls, changing the subject, and talking in broad general terms without ever getting to specifics are all polite ways to say no. Don’t think of a polite “no” as “giving you the runaround.” The true intention is to say no while still maintaining the friendship and keeping communication open.