The Portuguese are naturally conservative and formal and they place a high value on politeness. They also consider physical appearance to be very important so make sure that your clothes are smart and up to date.
Hierarchy is important in business and family life. Decisions will be made by those at the top of an organisation and seniority is much respected. The Portuguese like to spend time building relationships. If you change representative half way through negotiations, the relationship-building process will have to begin again.
Punctuality is important but might be treated flexibly by your hosts, especially in the south, so be prepared for a short wait before an appointment. Use Portuguese to conduct your business, always using the formal form of verbs. Have your business documents, including business cards translated into Portuguese.
A handshake with eye contact is the usual form of greeting. Use Senhor and Senhora followed by a surname unless invited to do use a first name.
