Giving Gifts

To conclude this blog on business in Spain my last post will talk about gift giving. It is important to know the etiquette of gift giving in Spain because you don’t want to give a gift at an inappropriate moment or seem like you are trying to bribe the Spaniards and offend them. The following are the most appropriate times to give gifts:

·         Christmas- Companies in Spain give their employees a hamper or basket of fancy food and drinks as a tradition. Companies also often send bottles of cava, champagne, or wine at Christmas to their best clients.

·         Successful Negotiations- Once a negotiation has been closed and both parties have come to an agreement then it is time to celebrate by giving a gift. Give only a small token gift though. Flowers or chocolate are preferred if it’s a female and a good bottle of wine if it’s a male.

·         Invited to a Spanish Home- When you are invited over to a Spanish home you should always give the host/hostess a gift. The gift can be something such as fine wine, chocolates, dessert items such as pastries, or flowers. If you choose flowers don’t give them dahlias, chrysanthemums, white lilies or red roses, and the flowers should be an odd amount that is not thirteen (this number is considered bad luck).

Tips to Follow About Gift Giving

·         If you receive a gift open it immediately in front of the giver and say Gracias (Thank You)!

·         When offering any gift, you should ensure that it is a high-quality item [perhaps a brand-name] and that it is finely wrapped.

·         Never give anything too personal or extravagant otherwise your gift may come off as a bribe.

·         Only give gifts with your company name/logo if it is a fine pen or a tasteful desk accessory.

·         If you come unprepared and have no gift then a bottle of fine brandy or whisky is always appreciated.

·         Gifts are usually not exchanged at business meetings.

Works Cited

Bosrock., Mary M. "Spain - Cultural Etiquette." Spain - Cultural Etiquette - E Diplomat. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 May 2013. <http://www.ediplomat.com/np/cultural_etiquette/ce_es.htm>.

"Doing Business in Spain." Business Culture in Spain, Business Etiquette in Spain. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 May 2013. <http://www.strongabogados.com/business-culture.php>.

"International Gift Giving Etiquette - Spain." International Gift Giving Etiquette - Spain. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 May 2013. <http://www.1worldglobalgifts.com/spaingiftgivingetiquette.htm>.

Non-Verbal Communication in Spain

Now that I have gone over the business attire in Spain I am going to now discuss the non-verbal communication style of people in Spain. The language and culture in Spain varies a lot from that in America. Certain gestures that we Americans find normal can be taken offensively if you were to do those same things in Spain.

Greeting and Touching

When Spanish speakers meet they almost always touch. Family members and young friends shake hands at every meeting. Close friends will hug and if one friend is a female then they will give little kisses on the cheeks. Spanish unlike Americans constantly are touching each other.

Hand Gestures

Spanish people talk over each other constantly, using their hands to get their points across. Some gestures are similar to the English-language but with different meanings. When you make a circle with the index finger and your thumb it means “money”. The thumbs up signal has many meanings in Spain none of them meaning “Good” or “OK” and some of the meanings are insulting. The English gesture “come here” to people in Spain this gesture signals romantic or sexual interest. To signal “come here” in Spain they turn the palm down and move all the fingers together to signal this gesture. When Spanish people wag their index finger while pointing up this gesture simply means no.

Facial Expressions

In Spain your stance and facial expressions will speak stronger then your actual spoken words.

Smiles and Eye Contact

Spanish people smile more and avoid making frequent eye contact. Too much eye contact in Spain is considered cold and threatening.

Speaking Distance

In a Spanish culture a comfortable speaking distance is 6 to 18 inches from face to face. This comfortable speaking distance is much closer in a Spanish culture then it is in an American culture.

Throwing Things is Not Acceptable

In English-speaking cultures, it is common to toss small objects such as keys to each other. In Spanish-speaking cultures however, throwing small objects to one another is considered rude.

 

 

Works Cited

Stanic, Claudia. "Nonverbal Communication Rules in Spanish Cultures | EHow." EHow. Demand Media, 14 Aug. 2010. Web. 28 May 2013. <http://www.ehow.com/list_6863857_nonverbal-communication-rules-spanish-cultures.html>.

Pick, Jo. "List of Nonverbal Communications for the Spanish Speaking | EHow." EHow. Demand Media, 07 Aug. 2010. Web. 28 May 2013. <http://www.ehow.com/list_6827387_list-nonverbal-communications-spanish-speaking.html>.

Business Attire

As I had mentioned in my first post the first thing I am going to discuss is the business attire in Spain. When you are doing business in Spain it is much like doing business in the rest of Europe. People in Spain take their attire very seriously and are very dress-conscious. First impressions truly are everything to Spaniards and they will perceive your appearance as an indication of your professional achievement and your social standing. People in Spain always dress both elegant and conservatively at all times, even for casual occasions.

Here are some tips for how to be successful when figuring out how to dress to do business in Spain:

· High-quality and expensive brand names say successful- classic brands such as Loewe, Dior, Chanel, Louis Vitton, Hugo Boss, Armani or Ermenegildo Zengo are all noticed and highly approved.

· Good quality accessories- When pairing accessories along with the outfit it’s important that they make the outfit look good and don’t ruin the look and make you look cheap. Something like a good Hermes scarf or Dior bag would be good accessories.

· Clean-cut, Well Groomed Appearance- Just like in the U.S. it is important that when meeting someone in Spain that you are neat and tidy. Your hair should be combed and neat. You should be clean shaved and your shoes should be clean. If you wear scruffy or dirty shoes it can mess up the whole outfit and Spaniards will notice.

· Perfume is important- The type of perfume a woman wears says a lot about them. So it’s important you pick a nice elegant scent

·  Men are best off in dark subdued colors- Men should preferably wear tailor-made woolen or linen suits, and white cotton shirts with silk ties.

·  Avoid bright or flashy colors

·  Woman should wear well-cut suits of high quality fabric- Woman should dress with modesty, Spanish woman are expected to dress without drawing attention to their physical sexuality (can’t show bare skin). So woman tend to emphasize their femininity through their immaculate clothes and hair.

Business Casual means a clean and fashionable designer cotton shirt and good pants, and no tie. Casual does not mean un-ironed T-shirts, cheap jeans and trainers/sneakers.

·  Shorts are not acceptable in public- Shorts should not be worn around city. Shorts show too much bare skin which is unacceptable for Spanish woman and the only place it is ok to wear shorts is at the beach.

· Formal attire means REAL formal-a black tuxedo for men and a cocktail dress for women, always in conservative colors should be worn. For these events, women wear more make-up, and have their hair done professionally. For men remember there is a big difference between the Spanish cut of the suit and the American or British cut.

These are all the basics that you should know about attire to help you dress appropriately and be better prepared when doing business with people in Spain. For my next post I will talk about the non-verbal communication styles of the people in Spain.

Works Cited

"Doing Business in Spain." Business Culture in Spain, Business Etiquette in Spain. N.p., 2000. Web. 27 May 2013. http://www.strongabogados.com/business-culture.php.

Bosrock., Mary M. "Spain - Cultural Etiquette." Spain - Cultural Etiquette - E Diplomat. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 May 2013.

<http://www.ediplomat.com/np/cultural_etiquette/ce_es.htm>.

"Spain: Business Dress." - ExecutivePlanet.com. N.p., 5 Dec. 2006. Web. 27 May 2013. <http://www.executiveplanet.com/index.php?title=Spain:_Business_Dress>.

Pictures Cited

Louis Vuitton Robusto 1 compartment briefcase. N.d. Photograph. Louis Vuitton Briefcases and Work Bags in Monogram Canvas. 23 Aug. 2011. Web. 27 May 2013. <http://www.men-bags.com/mens-bags-20110823/louis-vuitton-briefcases-and-work-bags-in-monogram-canvas.html>.

She Set The Bar. N.d. Photograph. Icons of Beauty and Their Bags. 2 May 2013. Web. 27 May 2013. http://www.vanityfair.com/style/diehl-of-the-week/2013/05/icons-beauty-bags_slideshow_item0_1.

Introducing business in Spain

The purpose of this blog is to inform international company executives about the culture of Spain and the proper business etiquette when doing business here. This blog is not to promote tourism. For my blog I will be talking about the following:

·       Business Attire

·       Nonverbal Communication

·       Gift Giving

Picture work cited

Kalinchuk, Andrew. "Why All Eyes Are on Barcelona and Mobile World Congress next Week." Digital Trends. N.p., 22 Feb. 2013. Web. 28 May 2013.