If you’ve decided you want to expand your business abroad, there’s more to think about apart from translation. Here are a few ways a translation agency can help you communicate with your clients in other countries. Localisation Localisation is an important aspect of dealing with consumers or companies abroad. To be able to localise your website, marketing materials and/or social media platforms, you’ll need to know to know something about the culture of the people with whom you want to do business. Knowing their culture will help you to correctly tailor your brand information for your target audience. Translation Contact a translation agency and ask them to supply you with a translator who lives, or has lived in the country you are targeting. A business translator who understands that country will not only speak, read and write in the target language, but they will understand slang and colloquialisms. This will give you a translation that looks original and is professionally presented. You can also ask for a document translation of a contract or agreement, so that you and your client are clear on what has been agreed. Interpretation If you are going to hold meetings, an interpreter will help you to sort matters out quickly without any upset caused by misunderstandings. Without an interpreter, you might find that conversations are stilted and progress is slow. Try to learn greetings and numbers if you can. It will please your clients if you can say hello and goodbye to them in their own language. Communication Remember that not everyone is the same as you. If you hold a meeting with people from different countries, bear in mind that the way they present themselves may not be what you’re used to. For example, a Chinese client might ask a lot of questions before they agree to terms. A German client might be very direct and want immediate answers. If you and your interpreter are aware of these differences, it will help you to communicate more effectively. Transcription Finally, if you need to revise the topics discussed in meetings and go through what was said afterwards, then have your meetings recorded and transcribed using a transcription service. A transcription of your conversations will be a useful tool should you need to return to your clients’ and answer questions or give further information about a topic that was discussed in a meeting. Interpreting and Translation Services If you would like to know more about the services we offer, including translation, localisation and interpretation, then contact us at Language Insight. We’ll be happy to provide you with information and assistance for your business communications abroad.
