Doing business in Colombia or with Colombia based employees can be super beneficial for everyone involved. It will definitely make the whole work team grow their working, language and business skills. And it’ll also make the company grow!
The different perspectives of personal and professional lives are a great complement to your team. But it can also cause some confusion and misunderstandings. Why? Because every country is different when it comes to the working culture.
No worries; it all has a solution. You just have to know the cultural differences when working with Colombia based employees. That way, you reduce your chances of misinterpretation and conflicts and increase your chances of success.
But what are some of those differences? We’ll tell you right now.
Greetings in Colombia
Colombia culture is very warm and friendly. They love greeting others; this also applies for a business environment. But, while at work, their greetings are more formal.
A firm handshake with a smile will be very well received. That’s right, you don’t have to put on a super serious face when greeting others in the office. If there are more people there, you can shake hands with everyone.
In terms of what to say, you can’t use the slang you would use with your friends. But you can still be kind by saying:
- “Buenos días” (good morning)
- “Buenas tardes” (good afternoon)
Colombians greet everyone, not just at meetings. Let’s say they go to the bathroom, and they see someone else there. Or they are on break from work, and they encounter someone.
Or they just cross somebody else walking down the hall. Even in those more informal situations, they’ll greet that person; they’ll gladly say “buenos días”. They’re just that friendly and it’s a sign of respect too.
Hey, if you’re at the office and you know somebody very well, they may greet you with a kiss on the cheek. So don’t be too shocked. This is a more casual way of greeting others, but you might see it in the office too.
If you don’t know how to greet someone from Colombia at work, or you’re not familiar with a person, we recommend you stick to the handshake. Or you wait until you see how the other person greets you.
Business Attire in Colombia
Dressing for business in Colombia is still quite traditional in many places. You might see some people dressing very formally. If you’re from a country where this is not a thing anymore, you’ll be surprised.
If you’re a man, you should wear a suit and tie. If you’re a woman try dressing in formal clothes; it can also be a suit.
Make sure your hair is not a mess either.
But all of this depends on where your company is and where you or your employees work. You’ll find this classic way of dressing for business in places like Bogotá or Medellín.
But if you’re in a place where it’s very hot, like Barranquilla, you can dress smart casual. So it’s a bit more informal. It makes sense, since it’s not easy to work dressed in things like blazers and tights when it’s hot outside.
Most importantly, wherever you work, be very clean. Colombians appreciate people that are groomed and clean.
Build Business Relationships
Do you remember we said people from Colombia are warm and friendly? Well, that goes beyond greetings, and it also applies for building business relationships.
Try to create real connections and bonds with others to build business relationships. Because Colombians prefer to work with people they know and are sure they can trust in. They may even ask personal questions to know who you are, for example: about your family.
So, basically, these business relationships are very personal too.
To achieve this, you just have to be sincere, greet people in a friendly manner, engage in some small talk, and network. Overall, be as warm as they are.
Meeting Culture
Colombians love having meetings while eating. Therefore, these kinds of meetings are usually outside of the office.
Many host their meetings during breakfast, so they go to hotels, restaurants, or wherever they want. There are also business meetings during lunch.
Many others prefer meetings during dinner time. So, later in the day.
But let’s not rule out meetings in the classic boardrooms, as Colombians also do meetings there.
But how do you start these meetings? Do you go straight to the point? No, no, no, no. Business meetings in Colombia usually start with some small talk. So go with it. It’s like a way of preparing the environment before fully getting into the meeting’s topics.
Oh, and don’t forget to exchange business cards at the beginning of the meeting; it could be while you greet others.
One of the most important things you must be aware of is the length of the meetings. In Colombia they can last hours, possibly two hours or even more. One topic can lead to another, so it becomes longer.
End of Workday
Usually, in Colombia people start working very early, maybe around 8:00 or 8:30 am. And they finish the word day in the afternoon. You might have a similar schedule for work in your country. In that case you may think: “Oh, this is great news; it’s not that different from what I’m used to”.
But here’s the thing: some Colombians tend to stay more hours in the office than those that are stipulated for their work schedule. Why? Well, if they haven’t finished what they were doing for that day, they stay more hours just to finish it.
This doesn’t mean it’s good nor that everyone (or you) should do it. But it does happen. So, if you work with Colombian based employees, you might see that they stay extra hours.
Language
This may sound too obvious, but it’s always good to emphasize that Colombians speak Spanish. Just in case that’s not your mother tongue and you don’t know the language. After all, language is a very important factor for business and, yes, it’s part of the culture.
You have to know Spanish and at least the basics of Spanish for business to:
- Greet your employees, business partners, bosses, and coworkers properly
- Understand and make yourself understood during meetings
- Give your view or opinion on a topic or project
- Get along with your coworkers, so the work environment is relaxed and not too stressful
- Have an effective communication with the whole company
- Write proper business emails
- Close deals with Spanish speaking people
- Avoid confusions and problems
- Make everyone feel like you appreciate their country and culture enough to learn the language
Basically, you need Spanish for everything if you’re going to work with Colombia based employees or you yourself are working in Colombia.
On top of that, if you’re moving to this beautiful country, you’ll also need the language to adapt to the new culture. After all, you’re going to have to do your life there, from making friends to going out eating to traveling within Colombia.
Expand Your Business to New Cultures with TruFluency
Are you trying to learn Spanish to expand your business to Colombia, but you feel stuck? Or do you want to communicate better with your Colombia based employees, but can’t speak fluently? That’s fine. It’s normal to have ups and downs during your language learning journey.
Don’t be discouraged, though. Here at TruFluency we can help you!
We offer online Spanish classes with native teachers! This is great news, because you’ll learn with people that know how natives truly use the language.
That is, you’ll learn even the things not every school teaches, like idioms, everyday expressions, slang words… Plus, you’ll get to listen to the accent.
We also customize all lessons to your language goals and needs. You just have to tell us what you’re looking for. Is it learning how to write a business email in Spanish? Learn some Colombian Spanish idioms? Or mastering presentations to impress your Colombian boss? We’re here for you!
As if that weren’t enough, we also use the Bellieu Method, created by our founder and CEO, in all our classes. It consists of encouraging students to speak using what they’ve learned. So you achieve language fluency. After all, your speaking skills can only be polished through practice, practice, and practice.
Take two trial classes of one hour each now! It’s completely online and you can choose between our flexible schedules. There’s a 24-hour cancellation window in case you can’t make it.
