Ten Tips for Doing Business in Mexico
This article was written by World Business Culture and first appeared on the “In This Section: Business Culture in Mexico.”
Tip 1 – In Mexico, personal relationships are at the heart of most business dealings. Take the time to cultivate strong, long-term relationships.
Tip 2 – Although the influence of foreign MNCs cannot be ignored, most indigenous Mexican companies will be hierarchical in structure.
Tip 3 – People from the USA are ‘North Americans’ rather than ‘Americans’. Mexicans are also ‘Americans’.
Tip 4 – Key decisions are made by a small number of individuals at the top of the hierarchy. Ensure that you are dealing with the right people.
Tip 5 – Make sure that you send people of the appropriate level of seniority to deal with Mexican colleagues. Do not insult people by sending very junior colleagues to work with older, more senior Mexican managers.
Tip 6 – Managers tend to be instructional and are expected to give direct instructions to subordinates.
Tip 7 – As in many hierarchical cultures, the boss-subordinate relationship is a reciprocal one. In exchange for loyalty, the boss takes a personal interest in the well-being of subordinates.
Tip 8 – Try not to criticize others openly in meetings as this could be construed as an insult and have a very bad long-term impact on your relationships in Mexico.
Tip 9 – Do not be surprised if standards of punctuality do not meet your expectations. Time is a flexible commodity and start and finish times should be viewed as estimates.
Tip 10 – Agendas are not always used in meetings and if they are produced will not always be strictly followed.
Webinar: Exporting to Mexico
This webinar is designed to help in the understanding of the legal requirements of doing business in Mexico and provides an opportunity to focus on updating operations and establishing internal procedures which will enable you to practice a level of reasonable care required by both governments. Learn the documentation requirements for US/Mexican Customs, how to avoid delays, mandatory labeling requirements, Mexico Tariff Schedule and more. (Agenda)
Price: $395 per attendee Includes: Reference Book and Certificate of Completion (Earns CCS and CES credits)
