My linguistic experience with Brazil went beyond just forming proper sentences or using homonymous words between Portuguese and Spanish. The real difficulty for me was understanding and learning how to convey each idea clearly and precisely in order to communicate what I wanted in a different language and culture—especially with my Brazilian friends.
They are very friendly and everything, “boa gente” as “eles falam”, informal and NOT as protocol-driven as we Colombians are when starting a conversation. They are straightforward—I would even say too straightforward for a business conversation.
It goes something like this:
– Hello, good morning, this is Arnold Cubides, how are you doing? Do you have a minute so we can talk about…
Compared to something like:
– Oi, tudo bem? Com Fulano? Cê tem um tempinho? É o Arnold, da empresa tal…
If I had tried to be friendly while following the communication rules we Colombians normally use, they would have hung up on me during the very first call. Those of us in sales know very well that we need a certain tact to reach the client, and that it’s considered very rude for a client to answer and hang up without letting you finish your message. For us, that’s fatal. But for some Brazilians, that’s just the way they are—it’s cultural, not rude. They simply deliver the message directly, without introductions.
But don’t get discouraged, colleagues. At first, it can be frustrating, but you quickly get used to speaking the same way with them. Once they open the door to you, the business relationship becomes very pleasant—or “muito legal”—and it’s easy to become friends with them.
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Keep in mind that learning is not only about writing and speaking the language. We must understand and embrace each country’s culture and practice actively in order to truly connect with people.
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