Even today, people are wary of being taken advantage of by the gringos. When conducting business with Mexicans, US executives need to show their willingness to negotiate on a level playing field. Understand the agenda Negotiations in Mexico do not always proceed in an orderly fashion by US standards, and discussions are seldom sequential or logical. Mexicans are quite comfortable with this, since it allows them to be creative and demonstrate their personal flair. If Americans present a checklist-style negotiation schedule and rigidly stick to it, the Mexicans may feel confined and pressured.
Sociologists classify the Mexican society as high-context.
During business negotiations, there is less emphasis on words, numbers and written documentation, and more on inflection, tone of voice, setting, the history of the relationship, feelings about the individuals, and the level of trust that has been developed. When compared to the Japanese, Americans and Mexicans are quite similar in negotiation styles. We are both position-based in our orientation. We jockey back and forth. We have our fall-back position, our third position, and our bottom line.