Business Practices

Business Practices:: Appointments; Etiquette; Negotiating; Entertaining; General (Time, Voltage, etc.)

Appointments

As a foreigner, punctuality is expected from you. Be on time for all business appointments.
Colombians are not noted for their punctuality. A Colombian may arrive at a business meeting fifteen or twenty minutes late, yet may feel that she or he is on time. Do not expect them to apologize for being late.
Remember that many European and South American countries write the day first, then the month, then the year (i.e., December 3rd, 1999 is written 3.12.99). This is the case in Colombia.
Schedule appointments at least one week before your arrival. Do not depend upon regular mail service to arrange appointments; use the phone, fax, telex or registered mail.
Unless you are traveling to the coastal lowlands, it is best to arrive a day early so you can adjust to the high altitude. This is especially true in the capital, Bogota, which is 8,600 feet (2,600 meters) above sea level.
Business hours are 9:00 am to 5:00 pm Monday through Friday.
Store hours vary, but are generally from 9:00 am to 12:30 pm, and then from 2:00 pm to 7:00 pm, Monday through Saturday.
Banking hours are from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm Monday through Thursday, and from 9:00 am to 3:30 on Friday.

Etiquette

Business cards printed with English on one side and Spanish on the other are most effective. These should be presented with the Spanish side facing your Colombian colleague.
Avoid discussing politics, terrorism or illegal drugs in Colombia.
Avoid drawing unflattering comparisons between the U.S.A. and Colombia. Do not try to tell Colombians what would be good for their country.
Colombians are very proud of their nation and its achievements. It is a good idea to be informed about Colombian culture, literature and history, or (at least) show curiosity about such things.
Safe topics of conversation are coffee and emeralds, in which Colombia is a world class producer.
Positive feedback may be given freely and openly, but direct negative feedback is considered rude. This includes refusing invitations. One should be indirect and slightly evasive so as not to offend.
Inland Colombians are among the most formal and traditional people in Latin America. The closer you get to the coast, the more relaxed the manners become.
Do not be surprised if Colombians ask why the U.S.A. is so uncultured and imperialistic. Remember that Panama was once part of Colombia -- and would probably be today, were it not for U.S. intervention.

Negotiating

Pay attention to formalities, especially inland. Make your greetings first; then get down to business. Only along the coast does a more relaxed attitude prevail.
It will be difficult (if not impossible) to conduct business without hiring a local contact. This contact will not only introduce you to the Colombians you must deal with, but often will pick you up at the airport and reserve a room for you at a hotel.
When dealing with the government, you will need to use Spanish or have an interpreter. However, many private business people speak English.
Never change the members of your negotiating team. Such a change could cause a halt to the negotiations. Colombians want to feel that they are negotiating with individuals, not a corporation.
Expect delays. It will take you a week in Colombia to accomplish what you could do in two days in the U.S.A.

Entertaining

Lunch is the main meal of the day, and is a popular choice for a business meal.
Colombians have a tradition of hospitality and frequently invite guests to their homes. The host will usually offer a beverage (primarily coffee) no matter what the occasion, and it is considered rude if the guest does not accept.
It is normal for Colombians to be at least half an hour late to a social gathering.
Always let the host be the first to make a toast.
Theoretically, the person who has initiated the invitation will pay for a meal in a restaurant. In practice you may have to fight for the check, no matter who invited whom.
Leave a small amount of food on your plate to demonstrate that you have had enough to eat.
If there is a distinguished guest at a gathering, be sure to greet him or her.
If possible, be sure to say good-bye to everyone personally.
Dinner is normally eaten between 7:00 and 9:00 pm, but a dinner party will begin and end later. Guests will not arrive until at least 8:00 pm, and they will sit down to dinner anytime from 10:00 pm to midnight. Many people eat something before going to a dinner party so they will not be famished (or drunk) by the time dinner begins. A dinner party will end soon after the meal, but a cocktail party (with dancing) may go on until 5:00 am. Expect formal dress for either event.

General (Time, Voltage, etc.):

Colombia is five hours behind Greenwich Mean Time (G.M.T. - 5), which is the same as U.S. Eastern Standard Time.
Electrical current in Colombia is generally 110 volts, 60 cycles AC. Electrical appliances designed for North America may need converters.
Colombia's electrical wall sockets differ in shape from the sockets used in North America. Electrical adaptor plugs are available to slip over the plugs of North American appliances for use in such sockets. If the appliance being taken has a polarized plug (one blade wider than the other), be certain that the adaptor will accept such a plug. If it has a third grounding prong, it would be wise to obtain slip-on adaptor plugs that also provide grounding in the foreign sockets.
Colombia primarily uses two patterns of plugs:

"A" Pattern - Flat, parallel blades. These are used in the Western Hemisphere, plus several North and Central Pacific countries. They are good for adapting European plugs to North American sockets, and for adapting polarized plugs to non-polarized sockets.

"D" Pattern - Thin, round pins. This is the most common plug pattern around the world. It is also valuable as an extension for step-down converters in recessed sockets.