. Business appointments are required and can often be scheduled on short notice; however, it is best to make them about 2 weeks in advance by telephone, email or fax.
. Confirm meetings by fax or email, in Spanish, at least one week before the meeting. It is best to schedule appointments in the morning.
. Avoid scheduling meetings on Friday afternoon, as many Venezuelans leave early for the weekend.
. It is often difficult to schedule meetings in the two weeks before and after Christmas and Carnival, and three weeks before and after Easter.
. Venezuelans are generally punctual for business meetings, especially if they are accustomed to working with international companies.
. The first meeting is formal.
. Have all written material available in both English and Spanish.
. Decisions are not reached at meetings. Meetings are for discussion and to exchange ideas.
. Send a thank you note to the most senior executive after the meeting.