1. Speak the language: While it’s not essential, having a representative who speaks Spanish could help open doors for a Canadian company looking to do business in Colombia.
2. Hierarchy is important: Colombians are very welcoming and like to connect with people at the top of an organization.
3. Dress it up: There are various business hubs in Colombia; be prepared to engage with companies based in cities other than Bogota, including Medellin, Cali, and Barranquilla. In cold- weather cities, work attire is more formal, so people should wear business suits, especially for the first meeting. In other parts of the country, where weather is warmer, the suit can be dressed down.
4. Business in boardrooms: Business meetings often take place in boardrooms, especially in the early stages. Once a relationship is well-established, meetings may be held in a restaurant for lunch or dinner. But meetings with government officials, regardless of when they occur, are always in offices.
5. Mind the clock: Punctuality, on the part of their guests, is important to Colombians. If you’re having a training session, build in a buffer, in case your counterparts are late. Sometimes, key decision-makers come only for the last 10 minutes of a meeting. Keep in mind that traffic in Latin America is almost always jammed, especially in Bogota. It’s unrealistic to expect to successfully get through more than three meetings in Bogota in one day. Planning for two is a safer bet.
