1. Appearance:  Plan for a very cold climate.  Has a strong influence of French architecture and culture. Behavior:  Don’t eat while walking in public.  Wait for your host to start business conversations during a meal.  If invited over, take candy, flowers, or liquor. Communications:  Men will wait for a women to extend her hand for a handshake.  For French Canadians, print all material in French and English.  Be open and friendly.

2. Appearance:  Standing with hands in pockets is rude.  Dark, well tailored suits.  Skirts should be worn rather than pants.  Men do not take off jackets during a negotiation. Behavior:  It is considered rude to shake hands with gloves on.  Expect people to be late to an event.  Showing the soles of feet is considered impolite.  Compromise is viewed as a sign of weakness. Communications:  Speaking or laughing loud in public is considered rude.  Russian is the official language.  100% literacy rate.  Many Russians speak English.

3. Appearance:  Women dress in expensive elegance.  Shirts may be color or pin-striped, and they should be paired with an Italian designer tie.  Men should wear fashionable, high quality suits. Behavior:  Handshakes are common for both sexes, and may include grasping the arm with the other hand.  Avoid the number 17, it’s bad luck.  Italian cards are often plain white with black print.  The oldest person must get the best treatment. Communications:  Italian is the official language.  Avoid talking about religion, politics, and World War II.  Good conversations include culture, food, family, wire, and films.  English is spoken by most businessmen.

4. Appearance:  People tend to stand very close together when conversing.  Dress for men is conservation (dark business suit, of tropical weight wool.)  Posture while seated is important, avoid slouching.  Fashion is very important to Venezuelan women. Behavior:  To indicate you have finished eating, place your utensils in parallel and diagonally across your plate.  Guests may bring or send flowers and candy to the host of the dinner.  Guests rarely sit at the end of the table. Appearance:  Good friends hug and women kiss cheeks.  Good conversation topics are business, art, history, and literature.  Avoid dominating the conversation, Venezuelans like to be in control.

5. Appearance:  Patterned fabrics and dark colors are mostly accepted, but avoid bright colors.  Must dress in well tailored clothing.  The French are very conscientious of their appearance. Behavior:  Punctuality is treated very casually in France.  France is a highly stratified society, with strong definition and competition between classes.  Business can be conducted during any meal, but lunch is best.  The French handshake is brief, and is accompanied. Communications:  French is the official language in France.  Most individuals in business speak English.  The French have a great appreciation for the art of conversation.

6. Appearance:  The colors of the Brazilian flag are yellow and green, avoid wearing this combination in any fashion.  The OK hand signal is a rude gesture in Brazil.  Touching elbows, arms, and backs is very common. Behavior:  In Brazil, restaurant entertainment prevails versus at home.  Tipping is typically 10% in Brazil.  Business meetings usually begin with casual chatting. Communications:  Portuguese is the language of Brazil.  Good conversation topics include soccer, family, and children.  Bad conversation topics include Argentina, politics, poverty, and religion.  Women exchange cheek kisses when they meet.

7. Appearance:  Women should always wear modest clothing in public.  Foreigners are expected to dress by local standards, although don’t adapt to natural clothing.  At business meetings men are required to wear a jacket and a tie, also long pants and a shirt. Behavior:  Try not to sit with your legs crossed, some may find having the sole of your shoes pointed to them as an insult.  It’s common to smoke in public, so be considerate and offer.  Sending gifts is good.  Egyptians tend to stand closer and moving away may be a sign of aloofness. Communications:  All Egyptians speak Arabic.  Arabic is read from right to left, so don’t be confused (even if printed in English.)  Since their names may be confusing, always ask for English name, and see how they should be addressed.  Appointments may be interrupted by a phone call, and or visit.

8. Appearance:  Don’t point your finger at anyone.  For business, men should wear a lightweight suit.  Women should wear a blouse and a skirt, or a dress.  Good eye contact is important during business situations.  Yawning in public is considered rude and should be avoided. Behavior:  Business is only done after a relationship has been established.  The main meal of the day is noon.  Avoid giving white flowers, they are associated with funerals. Communications:  Keep the vocal component of your greeting soft, many Salvadorians do not like loud people.  Titles are important, address of a person directly by using his or her title only.  Have two surnames, their fathers and mothers, only the fathers surname is used when addressing someone.

9. Appearance:  Those who dress according to status or position impress the Japanese, always dress to impress.  Casual dressing are never appropriate in a business setting.  Shoes should be easy to remove, as you will do so often. Behavior:  Never pour a drink for yourself, allow someone else to do so.  Tipping is not expected.  Gifts should be given at the end of a visit. Communications:  In business, situation business can’t begin until an exchange occurs.  The number 4 is bad luck.  The customary greeting is to bow.

10. Appearance:  Standing with your hands on your hips suggests aggressiveness, and keeping your hand in your pockets is impolite.  Mexicans may not make eye contact, this is a sign for respect and should not be taken as an affront.  Men should wear a conservative suit and tie. Behavior:  Working breakfasts are popular, meeting at 8:00 or 8:30 at your hotel, and usually lasting two hours at the most.  Conversations take place at a close physical distance.  Pay for store purchases by placing money in the cashiers hand. Communication:  Refrain from using first names until invited to do so.  Titles are important and should be included on business cards.  Do not use red ink anytime you are writing someone’s name.

11. APPEARANCE:  Colombians indicate that someone is stingy by tapping their fingers on their elbows.  It is impolite to yawn in public.  The “OK” symbol is thumb and forefinger touching to create a circle. BEHAVIOR:  Punctuality is relaxed although as a foreigner you are expected to be on time.  Let the host make a toast first, then you may wish to make one.  Lunch is the main meal of the day and a popular choice for a business meal. COMMUNICATIONS:  Bullfighting is popular, don’t make negative comments about it.  Good conversation topics are history, culture, soccer, and coffee.  Bad conversation topics are drug traffic, politics, and religion.

12. APPEARANCE:  Men can only wear shorts when they are exercising.  The use of leather is considered offensive.  Women should wear long pants when they are exercising. BEHAVIOR:  Never touch someone else’s head.  Whistling and winking are impolite and may be interpreted as either an insult or a sexual proposition.  If your shorts or feet touch another person, apologize. COMMUNICATIONS:  Do not thank your host of the end of meal, “Thank you” is considered a form of payment and therefore insulting.  Titles are very important, always use professional titles.  Never directly refuse an invitation, a vague “I’ll try” is an acceptable refusal.

13. APPEARANCE:  Don’t dress like a person from a culture that isn't your own.  Eating on public transportation and in the streets is considered very rude. BEHAVIOR:  Business people work long hours late into nighttime.  Long meals and long conversations is normal.  Guests wait for the host to sit down before sitting. COMMUNICATIONS:  Good topics for conversations are soccer, history, culture, home, children, and opera.  Bad conversation topics are religion.  Other languages spoken: Italian (2 nd ) and German (3 rd.)

14. APPEARANCE:  Generally wear Western dresses.  Dress well in public.  African woman wear a sari. BEHAVIOR:  Gifts will be open upon receipt.  Business meetings can be held over lunch or dinner.  Do not present gifts with the left hand. COMMUNICATIONS:  Use titles and surnames to address people.  Prefer a “win-win” situation.  Business cards have no formal exchange protocol.

15. APPEARANCE:  Winking is not appropriate in any situation.  Do not touch another persons shoulder.  Do not touch or point at anything with your feet. Behavior:  Translate all written documents.  Good conversation topics are art, family, and Chinese sight seeing.  Give and receive gifts with both hands.  Food is a good gift. Communications:  A nod of your head is an appropriate greeting.  Punctuality has great importance in Taiwan.  Always wait for instructions.