Be on time for a formal meeting, but prepare to wait for your Brazilian colleagues. Personal topics such as age, salary and marital or job status are also unacceptable. Brazilians are expressive and passionate conversationalists. Be prepared to be interrupted. Don t smoke in public.
Federal law bans smoking in public places.
Don t refer to Brazilians as Latins. As women increasingly join the workforce, machismo has become less common. Younger, better-educated women have values that correspond closely to those of North American women. Women are well-accepted and are prominent in education, medicine and journalism and as small business owners. Brazilian women are very aggressive, in both their business and personal lives.