Colombia Culture Tips
+ Colombia is highly stratified: the traditionally rich families of Spanish descent have benefited from the country’s wealth to a much greater extent than the majority mixed-race (mestizo) population. Upward social mobility is quite limited.
+ Appearances matter. Colombians are fashion conscious and judge people on their appearance. They believe that clothes indicate social standing and success.
+ Colombians are outgoing and are quick to make friends, especially with foreign visitors. They enjoy sharing meals with friends and will often invite you out after a short acquaintance.
+ Colombians have an indirect communication style and rely on facial expression, tone of voice and posture to tell what they feel. They often trust non-verbal messages more than the spoken word.
+ Although Colombians are friendly, it is best to err on the side of formality rather than jeopardize a business relationship because you were too informal.
+ When meeting in a professional context, allow the Colombian to determine when it’s time to discuss business. The preference is to converse informally, part of the relationship-building process, before moving to more serious topics.
+ Because decisions may be reached on the basis of personal sentiment, spend time cultivating the personal relationship.
- from RW3′s CultureWizard™ Country Profiles
