Mexico, Persuasion, Relationship First

Friends of Fox

In 1998, an association called Amigos de Fox was formed to bring Vicente Fox to the presidency. It grew through personal circles. According to a study in the journal Espiral, of the University of Guadalajara, “cada simpatizante invitó a cinco amigos y éstos a su vez a cinco más” (each supporter invited five friends, and each of them invited five more).

The network was separate from Fox’s party, the PAN. It reached 262 houses across the country. According to the study, 5.48 million people had signed up and contributed. The study’s author considers this figure probably inflated. The study dates the founding to February 1998 and notes that other sources give September.

Becoming a Regular Customer

Mexican Spanish has a verb for it. The dictionary of the Royal Spanish Academy marks amarchantarse as Mexican and defines it as “hacerse cliente habitual de un comerciante” (to become the regular customer of a merchant). The regular customer is the marchante. Many market vendors tease their colleagues roughly, the magazine Chilango wrote, “pero respetan al marchante” (but they respect the regular customer).

The relationship has a reward. The pilón is a small extra on top of the purchase. Matador Network in Spanish describes it as the extra that customers earn “por nuestra fidelidad” (through our loyalty).

Ninety Percent

In April 2012, a column in Excélsior reported on a global Nielsen survey of trust in advertising. In Mexico, it said, “los mexicanos confían en mayor medida en las recomendaciones de las personas que conocen (90%)” (Mexicans trust most the recommendations of people they know, 90 percent). The column does not give the date of the survey.

How Confianza Works

In an article in the Revista Mexicana de Sociología, the researcher Larissa Lomnitz described confianza as a relation between two individuals. It “presupone un cierto grado de familiaridad” (presupposes a certain degree of familiarity), she wrote. An increase in confianza in turn promotes exchange.

She describes how compadrazgo, the bond between a child’s parents and godparents, and friendship link the members of networks of reciprocity.

Only With Friends

A paper published by the Autonomous University of the State of Hidalgo describes how business negotiation works in Mexico. Citing an earlier study, it says that “es común ver que solo se concretan los negocios con ‘amigos'” (it is common to see deals closed only with “friends”). The negotiation itself may take place over breakfast or lunch.

Selling Through Acquaintances

About 3.1 million people in Mexico work in venta directa, direct selling, according to the Asociación Mexicana de Ventas Directas, as reported by the magazine Emprendedor. In 2024, the industry’s sales reached 88,574 million pesos.

According to the same article, the business rests on “recomendaciones personales” (personal recommendations).

After the Meal

Sobremesa is the time spent talking at the table after a meal is over. Mexico News Daily calls it “a cultural tradition ingrained in Mexican culture.” A guest who gets up and leaves as soon as the food is finished will seem rude.

At a business meal, the article notes, “the sobremesa can be the weightiest part.”

The Vocabulary of Trust

Confianza means trust. It also means familiarity between people.

De confianza, a person one can rely on, or a close and intimate one.

En confianza, in private, between people who trust each other.

Agarrar confianza, to grow at ease with someone over time.

Pásale, con confianza, “come in, make yourself at home,” said to a guest.

Tomarse confianzas, to take liberties, to act with more familiarity than the relationship allows.

The Lever

In Mexico, a person who tiene palanca, “has a lever,” has a connection who can open a door. In a 2021 article, the researchers Arellano-Gault and Trejo Alonso describe the palanca as a mechanism for exchanging favors among acquaintances and “acquaintances of acquaintances.” It forms a network “that rests on relationships of trust.”

One participant in their focus groups said: “En México, la vida se compone de una serie de palancas” (In Mexico, life is made up of a series of levers).