That day of the year in which we get together, celebrate
all our blessings, eat as the world will end tomorrow and wait for the day best sale,
is here.
This year we will not eat the turkey. But I want to take
few minutes and few lines to share my virtual gratitude to those who has been
with us every day -in the good times and in the bad times, in the night of insomnia
as we as in our hilarious moments. Those who are there “listening” when we
share our best foods, best smiles, best scenarios and best lifestyle moments: the
social media channels.
Why I am thankful?
The social media channels inform me in a short but, pleasant
way.
The social media and its visuals bring a lot of color to my
life.
The social media channels give me the opportunity to share
my ideas openly and for free.
The social media channels expands my geographic limits and
my knowledge about what is happening in the world.
The social media channels are inspiring.
The social media channels make me laugh in the most stressful
and difficult times.
The social media channels help me creating the virtual
world that I want, without limitations.
The social media channels help me to appreciate my real
world, and keep my feet on the ground.
The social media channels give the chance of accepting to or rejecting people from my life, no diplomacy, no regrets.
The last and the most important one: The social media channels
connect me with my people, with those who I love and have been part of my life.
With those who are far away. Social media let me feel present in their lives
despite of the distance.
My most sincere thank you Facebook, Twitter, Instagram,
Pinterest, Google+, Snapchat. Thanks for creating a world full of possibilities for all of us.
Happy Thanksgiving to all of you.Thank you for be there and for reading my posts.
I was talking with a customer couple of days ago and the
phone call was getting longer than expected. Although I was in a hurry to keep
my schedule and get done everything planned for the day, I said to myself,
remember, he is Latin. I am Latin myself, but I have been in Finland long
enough to adapt to the quick and direct way of doing business here.
Unfortunately,
that does not work there in the South. So when on the phone, I forgot about the
time and managed the phone “a la Latina”.We talked about life, about my country and our future expectation in the
market. A bit of serious talk and a bit of laugh, too. We talked about our deal
and I got all the details we needed to move forward.
Yes, doing business with Latin American people is
different. Here are some easy tips that can make your life easier:
Relationship
matters:
It is all about relationships. Latin Americans like to do
business with people from their own circle, or at least with somebody who they
know (e.g. recommended by a friend). You need time to build these
relationships. This means that you might not close the deal at the first
meeting. In fact, if you just go in and get straight to the point, it might be considered
rude and even offensive.
Relationship matters when doing business with the Latins
Se habla Español:
More and more, English is becoming the business language in
many companies in Latin America.However,
you will get more from them, if you speak the local language. I know, perhaps
you have no time to learn the language, so I can recommend you at least to try
to learn some basic words. This might work as an ice breaker. People will appreciate
the effort, and they will try their best if you try to communicate in their local
language.
Countries in which Spanish is the official language. By Wikipedia.
Understanding
the Latin culture:
There are so many words that I can use to describe people
from Latin American: passionate, temperamental, believers, religious,
superstitious, colorful, happy, etc. First, do not assume that all are the same.
Each country is different and therefore each country has touches that define
their authenticity and their own culture. Make your homework and read at bit
about the country you are planning to visit before you land there. You need to
know a bit of local culture to conduct business in Latin America.
Family
and community are important:
Most of the Latin American countries are collectivist
countries which means that the value of the people around and especially, of
the family are very important even when talking about business. They belong to
a group and they like to be accepted as part of the group, too. You might need to invite the wife/ husband to
the party and you also should ask about people’s life and family. It is a very
thin line the one that separates work from personal life.
Be
ready for bureaucracy:
Depending on your business, there might be different
procedures to follow, people to meet to get approvals and paper work to do. Better
to say: a lot of procedures, a lot of papers to fill and a lot of approvals. This
can be time consuming and even expensive.
Take
time for a coffee:
You need to be ready to go out from the meeting rooms. Take
time for a coffee, a dinner or even a party depending in which business or
industry you are. Business talks are part of these events, however, remember
that Latins are expecting to talk about something else than work. Don’t be
pushy, don’t be always in a hurry, don’t be that guy who only talks about work.
Enjoy and take the time to be with your customer or business partner.
Taking time for a coffee is important when doing business in Latin America
Being
on time is overestimated:
Is not only part of the culture to be late, but also you
need to be ready for the hours that you are going to spend sitting on your car,
stuck in traffic. Frustrating, but you just need to live with that. Ah, don’t
forget that things can get ready “mañana”.
The
little present:
Somehow it is expected that you bring a present when doing
business with people there. As higher the position the person you are meeting
has, as more careful you should be when selecting the present. Not knives, not
towels, no red roses, and especially no hygienic products.(It is like saying to
somebody that he needs to go to take a shower). The positioning of women in
business is changing, please don’t bring things for the kitchen or for domestic
work if you are meeting a lady-manager, this kind be a sensible topic.
Be
ready for the kiss:
Maybe you will not be kissed good night, but it is very
common that as long as you are getting to know people, they are getting closer
and closer. Kissing on the cheek is a very common practice in many countries in
Latin America.
In general dealing with a different culture is challenging
at first. The basic rule is that if we are on this side of the world and try to
reach the Latin American market, is us who should adapt to their way of doing
things, and not the other way around.The best thing about the culture is that most of them are very social and
open to meet new people. In addition, their optimist and positive mindset might
help you to see your own world and business under a new and refreshed
perspective.
I am a millennial and I believe in
new ways of working. I like using social media channels as sale channels, and
in addition to the printed magazines, I check my prospects' Facebook videos, Instagram and
LinkedIn accounts. My best memories at work are a mix of long working areas
with doing something new and having fun. I remember launching products at 4:00 am and
be around a bunch of smiley people. Often I am one of those who, instead of
avoiding additional time with my colleagues, might arrange some dinners and get-together with them.
Is having fun at work a bad thing?
Call me a dreamer but, I believe
that if you work, your job need to have some kind of purpose and enjoyment. If
you spend more than eight hours a day in a place where you have no chance to
smile or to have a normal chat with your colleagues, there is something weird
and a bit agonizing. I do not mean that you need to have a party every Friday but, I believe that having fun at work is essential for the
team motivation and therefore, a key for employees’ engagement. There are many benefits from having fun at work. Do you agree?
Having fun at work has helped me:
Building relationships with my team members as well as
with other people in the organization.
Facilitating communication. There is nothing better to
break the ice as a joke and a funny fact.
Ensuring team members stay synchronized. If you are the
boring one, nobody will talk to you or even want to work with you.
Inspiring and being inspired.
Facing stress and difficult times.
Increasing productivity. Happy people = productive people.
Developing my creativity. Have you ever had a brainstorm
with funny people? Try it!
Developing my work flexibility. If it is fun, it does not
feel so bad to work those extensive hours.
Connecting with customers easily and efficiently.
As a team, sharing good times and
laughing create a bond that brings the team together. This bond is stronger
than the one created by complaining, because no one wants to stop the fun. If
you are in manager position, create a work atmosphere in which employees feel
encouraged to have fun at the same time they are productive. This will create
an enjoyable corporate culture. The only result with be healthier and happier people,
better results and a long queue of prospects employees looking to join your
company.
