Doing any business activity in one"s country of origin is fairly straight forward with regard to business etiquette. Virtually anyone who is even marginally successful in the business field has some concept of what "proper" and professional business behavior entails. However, when one makes the jump to doing business in another country, what may be right and appropriate at home may be glaringly inappropriate abroad. Therefore, it is essential to understand the cultural nuances of the particular country in which one wants to operate.

             One useful example of using concepts of "cultural intelligence," or the ability to use one"s knowledge of culture to smooth business activities is the North American doing business in Mexico. Clearly, the worst mistake any northerner could make would be to assume that all North American business practices and customs are equally effective south of the border. In fact, in many instances, using the same practices that may be perfectly acceptable at home could cause offence or otherwise affect one"s business dealings in an adverse way.

             One of the most important things to know about how culture affects business is the way in which personal relationships affect business dealings. Whereas in North America, it is not necessary or even particularly valuable to have personal relationships with the people with whom one conducts business, in Mexico it is difficult to accomplish anything of significance without a personal and friendly relationship. Thus, a typical North American businessperson may be surprised that he or she cannot simply "cold call" a professional, even if their professional credentials may allow them to do this at home (Executive Planet, 2003). .

             Another important factor in Mexico is the characteristic reticence of Mexicans to give firm and blunt refusals. Instead, a typical Mexican, when presented with an idea or request that he or she does not agree with, doesn"t" wish to do, or simply cannot accomplish, will use vague terms to deflect the request.