Of course, there is no substitute for firsthand experience. Nonetheless, it is hoped that the topics covered in this CPR will better prepare you, the business traveler, for the cultural issues you will encounter. Spanish is the official language of the country. Many executives speak English. Business Practices Marketing, through TV commercials, newspaper inserts, house visits or street vendors, is common.
Mail orders are impossible because of low reliability of the postal system.
Placing orders by phone with delivery by messenger is becoming popular, and several such companies have been successful by placing their catalogs in newspapers as weekend issued inserts. As the telephone system continues to improve, direct marketing by phone will become more common. In most cases, support has to be given new agents or distributors in the form of technical information on applications especially if a product is brand new or entails new technologies. The average Venezuelan business does not have sales engineers or specialists, and some form of education is required. The same situation exists for maintenance or repair technicians, and the agent might request that his personnel be trained in the United States.