Baltimore Business Daily

How are business interactions in the philippines different than in america?

I'm going on a business trip to Makati and received several pages of information from my boss. It includes information about business culture. I thought it was unusual though because it said that eye contact was inappropriate because it can be seen as confrontational. Also, it said that "no" is a very very negative word and sometimes "yes" or "maybe" can be used as "no". Are these true? I don't want to offend.

Public Comments

1. I am a Filipino American and have lived in both places. Just expect for business dealings and/or negotiations here to take much more time so patience is the key!!! I have never found eye contact to be negative as long as it is not "mataray" or a sharp stare, otherwise you are fine. "Typical" Filipinos are very non-confrontational, therefore, they are not very direct and do not say exactly what they mean or in some cases, mean what they say. Just try to be courteous and hope for the same attitude to be reciprocated. Good luck...