Speaking Abroad Part 1: Communicating with Latin American Clients

by Suzanne Franchetti, Franchetti Communications, and Diane McGreal, Living Abroad Cultural Advisor

Presenting to people from different countries comes with its own set of challenges. While the obvious barrier is language, there is more to consider than just your ability to speak the local language. Executives who demonstrate a higher level of cultural knowledge will better engage with their audiences and network more effectively.

This is the first in a series of articles about speaking and presenting abroad. In this article, we focus on Latin America. We tapped the expertise of Living Abroad, a Connecticut-based firm dedicated to helping global companies prepare employees to go abroad. They provide expert, up-to-date reports on living and doing business in over 197 destinations and 550 cities worldwide.

On Time: According to Which Culture? An American recently returned from a business trip to Mexico and reported to his colleagues: “The entire trip was fraught with miscommunications about meetings, deadlines, and even social activities. Start times were clearly stated in advance, but no one ever arrived on time! Lack of respect for the itinerary, combined with having to continually push scheduled agenda items to a later date, was so frustrating”.

If you have ever traveled to Latin America on business, perhaps you can relate to this frustration. In some cultures, being late is considered rude and can have negative consequences. However, according to the cultural norms of many Latin American countries, arriving late is acceptable.

Complex cultural values drive many behaviors. In many Latin American cultures, the value of relationships is more important than the value of time management. For example, in some cultures, the clock drives the agenda –  to be late for a meeting or exceed the allotted time is considered disrespectful.

In other cultures, including most Latin American cultures, the meeting, conversation, or visit takes as much time as needed, regardless of what is on the schedule. Understanding which value is more dominant in a given culture can ensure that you are prepared to adapt and withhold judgment.

Adapting your approach and communication style builds trust and achieves success.

Americans are often “low context” communicators. Low-context communication is direct, precise, and especially reliant on verbal communication. Low-context cultures also focus more intensely on objectives; the message itself means everything. Personal relationships, work, and other aspects of day-to-day life are compartmentalized. 

Consequently, each time low-context communicators interact with others, they need detailed background information. However, many Latin American cultures, including those in Mexico, are comprised of “high context” communicators.

A high-context listener determines meaning by correctly reading contextual clues such as non-verbal communication, and the status or the age of people involved in the conversation, among other factors. Because members of high-context cultures often have extensive personal relationships with family, friends, colleagues, and clients, they do not require, or expect, much background information.

When high-context listeners receive a message from low-context communicators, they may interpret it as rude or aggressive. Meanwhile, low-context communicators often think high-context speakers take too long to get to the point, and that the message is unclear.

Building trust and strong relationships are keys to reducing these misunderstandings. Asking questions and paying careful attention to non-verbal cues can bring clarity to communication, and result in greater success during your next presentation with a Latin American audience.

Originally published on LinkedIn.