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When traveling to Costa Rica for business, the following tips regarding business etiquette and communication should be kept in mind:
-Hispanics consider titles very important. You should address an individual directly using the title alone. For example, a physician or Ph. D will be called a ‘Doctor’. Refer to teachers as ‘Profesor,’ engineers as ‘Ingeniero,’ lawyers as ‘Abogado,’ and architects as ‘Arquitecto.’ If someone does not possess a professional title, call them ‘Don (first name),’ which means gentleman. The feminine version of this title is ‘Dona (first name).’ It is a symbol of courtesy for business associates to refer to each other in this manner unless otherwise requested by either of them.
- Start out with the common greeting and a handshake. Abrazos, hugging between good friends, is not as widely accepted here like other Latino American countries.
-Politics can be discussed freely due to the stability of Costa Rican politics.
-Costa Ricans tend to refer to themselves as ‘Ticos.’
-Bad topics for discussion would be religion and any personal criticism. On the other hand, a safe and good topic for discussion with clients would be history, art, and family.
-Most Hispanics possess 2 surnames. The first comes from the father, followed by a second one from the mother. Use the father’s surname alone to address someone.
-Have proposals, business material, and business cards printed in both English and Spanish available at hand.
-As Costa Ricans only allow a limited time period on midday breaks from work, all are expected to be punctual for business meetings over lunch.
- Much of the business entertainment will take place in the evening, as lunch is the central meal of the day. Feel welcome to bring along your spouse to a business dinner while in Costa Rica.
Take heed of these great tips on Costa Rican business etiquette, and you can be confident to rock your clients with some business-savvy Costa Rican culture on the next business trip down to Costa Rica.
