Guide to doing Business in Mexico

When doing business in and with another country it is important that you remain conscious of any cultural differences. Below are some guidelines to fellow when doing business in and with Mexico.

Be sure to address people by their title

It is common practice in Mexico to address people by their title and surname unless invited to act otherwise, especially if the person is in a senior position. If you address someone by their surname it could be seen as a lack of respect, although it is likely that people will be conscious of other cultures and not take significant offence.

Approach your business with a view to building relationships

Mexican business activity is based upon the building of relationships and trust. Often people will consider trust as a more important characteristic than things such as experience and competence. Be sure to stick to your word to encourage the build of trust.

Patience is key

Mexican people, as a general rule, are more relaxed with their time management than other cultures, so you may need to exercise some patience on occasions in order to achieve your goal. For example, if you have scheduled a meeting for 3 o’clock you should perhaps allow for 20 minutes either side of this.

Be conscious of long lunches

Often, the Mexican day can be built around a significant lunch period which can extend to as long as 2 hours, so you should account for this when timetabling any activities.

Don’t expect calls to be returned

Mexican logic is that if a call is important enough the person will call back, so do not expect calls to be returned and make the effort to call again if you are unsuccessful the first time.

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