Doing Business in Spain
Language
Patience is essential
No substitute for face-to-face meetings
First meeting
Hierarchy & slow decision making
Punctuality
No business discussions outside meeting
Welcome topics of conversation:
Your home country;
Your travels, especially in Spain;
(Spanish) art, architecture and pre-20th century history;
Spanish traditions (e.g. flamenco);
Spanish wines and sherry;
Sport, especially football;
Bullfighting (if you and your counterpart share the same enthusiasm or hostility);
Politics (with care and only if you really do know what you are talking about);
Family, especially (your host's) children.
Topics to avoid:
Bullfighting (if you and your counterpart are likely to disagree);
Religion (i.e. any aspect of Roman Catholicism);
The Civil War and WWII;
Franco;
Basque separatism and Catalan regionalism;
Gibraltar;
Enquiries of a personal nature, especially during first introductions;
Machismo and feminism.
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