The Culture of Spain - Money? Don't be Crass.
Money? Dont be crass.
Hi! Ive been living in Spain for almost twenty years. My wife is Spanish, my colleagues are Spanish, my customers are Spanish and by businesses are Spanish. Over these years I think Ive learned quite a bit about being Spanish.
If you want to get into the under-exploited fast-growing Spanish market, you need to know more than just how to speak Spanish. You need to understand Spanish customs, Spanish etiquette and Spanish business culture. Otherwise, youll just be another American trying to sell Spanish.
One of the biggest differences between American and Spanish cultures is our relationship with money. Lets face it, as Americans WE LOVE MONEY. We like to make money, we like to spend money and we like to talk about money. Our bookstores are full of guides to making money, and for us a successful business man often is considered a pretty heroic figure.
For the Spanish things are completely different.
In most circumstances talking about money, profits, or prices is considered crass. When theres a news story in the papers about a companys yearly profits the Spanish reaction is usually tinged with jealousy or suspicion. The Spanish bank, Banco Santander just announced there record-breaking yearly profits and basically everyone thought They must be genuine thieves. How dare they make so much profit!
Now dont get me wrong. Spanish businessmen want to make profits. Just like you, they are ambitious and willing to fight for success. They just dont talk about it in public. If youre having a private business conversation, it fine to speak openly about opportunities, results and potential earnings. But if other people are present you should be very careful.
Outside the business environment people seldom mention anything of the sort.
If you purchase something, do it in a way where no one sees the price. If you pick up the check, try not to let your guests see how much it cost (pay with a credit card instead of cash). Remember, the problem isnt having money but being obvious about it. Its fine to wear a Rolex or designer jeans, just dont leave the price tag hanging out!
If youre able to read Spanish, have a look around Empresa-de-Exito.com and youll be able to see for yourself the absolute quality of our team members. Youll be speaking with genuine business people with hundreds of years of collective experience making money in the Spanish-speaking markets.
About the Author: If you would like to extend your business to the Spanish-speaking world, please visit our spanish marketing headquarters.
Dennis H. Lewis has been living in Alicante, Spain with his wife and two children for almost twenty years.
He currently runs three successful companies entirely in the Spanish market.
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