| One of the most crucial decisions your company | | | | makes you a winner. But this "winning" attitude |
| will make as you attempt to build a business | | | | would only alienate your Latin American prospects. |
| relationship with Latin American partners is your | | | | Not only should your ideal representative exhibit |
| choice of the right person to represent you | | | | cooperation over ambition, but he or she must |
| abroad. After an initial contact by senior | | | | also be flexible, very patient, and most of all, |
| management, your company will want to select | | | | good with people. |
| an individual to act as 'point person' to travel | | | | Flexibility The ideal representative should be the |
| abroad and represent your company. Here we | | | | type of person who enjoys new experiences, |
| have some suggestions to guide that choice and | | | | who is a bit adventurous, and who is adaptable to |
| to avoid making mistakes based on misguided | | | | unfamiliar surroundings. She must be willing to |
| expectations. | | | | accept the foreign culture and learn to adapt to |
| Misconception #1: The representative should have | | | | different ways of achieving results. She must be |
| a Hispanic name and background. | | | | available to travel on successive trips to visit your |
| Reality: A Hispanic name will not garner any favor. | | | | potential Latin American partners for however |
| Latin Americans are a diverse population, | | | | long it takes to seal a contract, and beyond. She |
| originating from many parts of the world. You will | | | | will act as the point person during the entire |
| find Hispanics with ethnically diverse backgrounds | | | | process from courting phase, to closing the |
| and names--first and last--that reflect this | | | | contract, and then later to offer consistent |
| diversity. So you should not anticipate | | | | customer service long after initiating the business |
| discrimination or favoritism based on origin. In fact, | | | | relationship. At such time your representative can |
| if you send someone with a Hispanic name to | | | | no longer function in this capacity, she must be |
| Latin America, you run the risk that your hosts | | | | willing to introduce her successor to the Latin |
| will expect this person to be bilingual--and they | | | | American partners and work with the |
| may not be! | | | | replacement until the partners accept him or her |
| Now, let's assume that your representative is a | | | | as honest and trustworthy. |
| bilingual Hispanic. Is his family from the country | | | | Patience is a Virtue North Americans are always |
| where you are sending him? If not, the | | | | in a hurry. We depend on high-speed computing, |
| representative may carry preconceptions about | | | | 'just-in-time' training, multi-tasking, automated |
| the host country, eliminating any cultural | | | | payments, convenience stores and fast food. We |
| advantage. If so, great! Unless the representative | | | | lead stressful lives full of deadlines. In Latin |
| bears cultural prejudices that negatively effect | | | | America, the pace of life is considerably slower. |
| potential relationships because of his preconceived | | | | The representative traveling there will need to |
| notions or attitudes. | | | | devote a long time to developing relationships and |
| Misconception #2: The representative should be | | | | these relationships are expected to be long-term. |
| bilingual--or the other extreme--the representative | | | | Your representative must be personable and |
| will be able to perform 100% in English. | | | | genuinely friendly with each member of the Latin |
| Reality: Neither of these assumptions is | | | | American team. He may not be able to predict |
| necessarily true. If you send a bilingual Hispanic | | | | which team members will be instrumental to his |
| employee to negotiate with a Latin American | | | | success. This person must be willing and able to |
| company, be sure that she is literate in Spanish. | | | | put in the time, effort and interest to network |
| Many U.S. residents who grow up in | | | | and to make return trips before becoming |
| Spanish-speaking households never study the | | | | accepted. He must also be willing to handle small |
| language formally and do not know how to spell, | | | | favors. He should be prepared to accept special |
| do not know how to write correctly, and they | | | | requests throughout this relationship. As he enters |
| are incapable of distinguishing between formal | | | | friendships with your Latin American prospects, |
| language and slang. This would make a very poor | | | | they will likely ask him to provide information, |
| impression. The injection of "Spanglish" is another | | | | make contacts, or facilitate the purchase and/or |
| obstacle. Contracts and price quotes are highly | | | | delivery of U.S. products they cannot access at |
| sensitive--what if your representative commits to | | | | home. He should embrace the role of "go-to" guy. |
| unfavorable contractual terms due to a | | | | They will reciprocate. These favors will be |
| misinterpretation in language? What if there is an | | | | remembered and appreciated. He will have earned |
| accounting error because she lacks knowledge of | | | | their trust. |
| the differences in numbering systems or | | | | A 'Renaissance' Man or Woman In Latin America, |
| measurements? Verify that she is capable in the | | | | intellectualism is an admirable quality. Your |
| language. Or conduct all sensitive business dealings | | | | representative will be spending a lot of time with |
| in English with the aid of a competent interpreter, | | | | the Latin American team members. Much of the |
| which is the common practice anyway. | | | | conversation will not be business-focused. Instead, |
| Spanish (or Portuguese, in Brazil) language skills are | | | | your representative will be engaged with the |
| not necessary for your representative to have. | | | | hosts in social situations. Latin Americans |
| English is still the language of business and some | | | | appreciate intellectual dialogue on a broad range of |
| of your Latin American contacts will be functional | | | | topics. Your best liaison will be prepared to discuss |
| in English. However, your representative should | | | | everything from global to local affairs, historical |
| develop conversational skills anyway. Attempting | | | | contexts, current trends, sports, the arts, and |
| to practice even the most rudimentary speaking | | | | much more. It's fine to ask questions of the hosts |
| skills will communicate to your hosts that you | | | | about politics, religion, gender and all the taboo |
| value their culture and their friendship. To learn | | | | subjects, as long as the representative does not |
| some conversational skills there are many options | | | | risk offending his hosts by expressing personal |
| available: language software, tutoring, college and | | | | opinions. Your representative doesn't really have |
| continuing education classes. The most effective | | | | to have a deep understanding of a wide range of |
| method is to learn some basics at home then | | | | topics, as long as he can sustain interest in the |
| schedule some time at a private language institute | | | | free exchange of ideas. |
| abroad. These programs are inexpensive and | | | | Entertainment Preferences for leisure activities |
| focus on conversation. Some are flexible enough | | | | enjoyed by Anglo and Latin American cultures |
| to provide training on a week-to-week basis. Try | | | | gravitate toward a dichotomy between the |
| a school located in the area where your | | | | private and public spheres. Many of us in the U.S. |
| representative will be networking and the school | | | | choose to entertain ourselves with solitary |
| personnel will facilitate a cultural orientation and | | | | pursuits such as watching television; playing |
| may even help the representative make | | | | videogames; and enjoying electronic |
| connections and resolve issues. To identify a good | | | | entertainment (consider the popularity of |
| language school, ask for recommendations or look | | | | computer solitaire!). We host private parties in our |
| online and then verify the quality of the school | | | | homes, by invitation. We work out with home |
| through credible testimonials of former students. | | | | gyms and bow-flex machines. We shop online. We |
| Misconception #3: The representative must be | | | | care about convenience. In Latin America, it's |
| highly skilled, knowledgeable and competent in | | | | more about relationships. Leisure is about spending |
| your area of business. | | | | time with other people, often outdoors, at public |
| Reality: You may be surprised to find that initially, | | | | festivals, at the local (Internet)cafe, at clubs, |
| your representative will not be given much | | | | exercising with companions at gyms or in sports |
| opportunity to illustrate his business acumen nor | | | | clubs or shopping at open-air markets. Your |
| to promote your company when making contacts | | | | representative should be outgoing, a great |
| abroad. First, the Latin American hosts must feel | | | | conversationalist, eager and knowledgeable to |
| comfortable with your representative and learn to | | | | speak on a wide variety of topics, and willing to |
| trust this person. More important than degrees, | | | | socialize. |
| position and mastery of the sales pitch, a good | | | | While visiting the target location, your |
| representative must do everything he can to get | | | | representative should find a pretense to spend |
| to know his hosts and slowly build a relationship of | | | | time with her contacts. She may ask to attend |
| trust. The best representative will be a good | | | | the soccer match starring a Latin American team |
| "people person." What are the characteristics you | | | | member's son; ask to join the wife's gym or |
| should seek? | | | | morning walking club; schedule tango or samba |
| Characteristics of a Good Representative | | | | lessons and go clubbing with her new circle of |
| In the U.S. business culture, ambition trumps | | | | friends. She may invent a personal project |
| cooperation. With all the rhetoric we hear about | | | | requiring the assistance of her new contacts such |
| "team building" and collaborative strategies among | | | | as shopping for a special gift from the country |
| peers, self interest and aggrandizement instead | | | | for her spouse, children or parents. It will make |
| are rewarded in the business world. Just watch an | | | | her visit memorable to them. The idea behind |
| episode of Donald Trump's The Apprentice to | | | | such favors is to engage the hosts, provide an |
| discover that fighting to defend your own position | | | | opportunity for interpersonal contact and forge |
| while throwing the competitor 'under the bus' | | | | bonds of friendship. |