When you go into your first business meeting in Peru, you’ll notice that Peruvians gesticulate speech with a grand array of hand movements, particularly as conversations become more animated and enthusiastic. Shake hands with business associates at initial meetings, and expect an enthusiastic pat on the back as relationships develop, or a kiss on the cheek for women (women should initiate the first greeting, so follow her lead as to whether a handshake or kiss is more appropriate). Don’t address people by their first names until they advise you do to so, rather, use Senor / Senora / Senhorita followed by their surname at initial stages of association.
Peruvian meetings may start later than scheduled, and you may wait up to an hour after the scheduled time to be attended. Take this in your stride, as time keeping can be looser in Peru that might be the case in other markets. Relationships are seen as more important that punctuality, so if your contact is at lunch with another contact, they will complete this at a leisurely pace, rather than rushing to their next commitment. Don’t worry, you will soon be rewarded with the leisurely lunch too, just arrive on time, and be ready for a wait. In the context of working with a PR agency in Peru, the most obvious occasions this will be a factor will be in journalist briefings. A one-to-one lunch or coffee briefing, well-prepared, can set you up with long-standing relationships and positive media coverage throughout a campaign so it is almost always time well spent. Perceived anxiety about time keeping may make you seem impatient – not a good start for a business relationship.
