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Negotiations in the Mexican Culture
or How the Rules are Different
By
Randy LeClair
Doing business in Mexico really is different. To some degree this relates to different laws and regulations or different responses to the business climate, but to a substantial degree, the culture of Mexico impacts tremendously on how you conduct business relationships and, more importantly, whether you succeed.
Fundamentally, successful negotiations in Mexico require you to bear several critical topics in mind. In general, these are as follows:
? A more personalized relationship between business partners or those seeking to create business relationships
? A more hierarchical business and government structure
? A more formalistic approach to transactions and regulations
? Cultural sensitivity to a perceived historical pattern of exploitation
Let's consider each in turn.
RELATIONSHIPS
While relationships are critical in any successful business negotiation and any resulting business arrangement, they are doubly so in Mexico. In general, you should consider the first meeting strictly a "get to know you" session. You should not expect to cover substantive ground and specifics and are better advised to spend the initial session explaining yourself and what you or your company has to offer.
HIERARCHY
In Mexico, hierarchy, whether in business, industry or government, is a critical factor. Titles, and the prestige and perquisites that go with them, are deemed very important south of the border, and you fail to understand and respect them at your peril. In many cases, the title of a p ...