Expanding your business into new foreign markets can be exciting but also very demanding. When a business is ready to expand from its home market and seek new customers abroad, credibility is crucial in gaining traction in a new market. “Customers, stakeholders and shareholders simply won’t take you seriously if your communications are peppered with errors.”
Poor Communication Brings Business to a Standstill
It is no news that effective communication is key to international growth. If your sales documents, marketing materials or manuals are not localised (adapted to local culture), prospects will simply dismiss you in favour of your competition.
Poor translations do your manufacturing and engineering teams an enormous disservice, as the quality of language reflects badly on the quality of output: it gives a false impression. By failing to give the same weight of importance to language as you do to the products and services you provide, your business will lose out on customers.
Ahmed Elnazir, Global Translations UK
In fact, Ahmed tells me, almost 50% of senior executives say that mistranslations have halted international business for their companies. This could have a significant impact on the bottom line, and could ultimately influence the success or failure of an overseas venture. Ahmed advises that anyone using a translation specialist chooses a service that is ISO certified as a minimum requirement to ensure they are getting the language that their business deserves.
“Rigorous attention to detail and multiple methods of checking are important if you want to have the highest quality translation,” Ahmed says. He recommends that business leaders look for translators who have been accredited in their specialist industry field: with expert knowledge, they’ll bring a nuance and depth of understanding that, coupled with their native language skills, creates communications that allow your business to shine.
Without clear, compelling communications in the market that a business is trying to penetrate, potential customers will simply turn to local suppliers because they can more easily understand one another. Failing to invest in adequate translation services means lost sales, putting your business success at risk in your target market. In other words, you’ll simply be handing business to your competition.
Accurate Translations
From the company website to shareholder agreements and all manner of business documents, getting the language right is essential. As globalisation grows, companies need to be able to communicate with their customers to remain competitive.
Ahmed tells me about the leading online auction site, eBay, which operates in over 200 countries and oversaw more than $14 billion of transactions in 2014. The business found that with only a moderate improvement in translation quality, international trade between countries increased by more than 10%, an extremely substantial figure, and well worth the investment.
Add in the fact that 60% of consumers won’t make a purchase if the website surrounding a product or service is not in their native language, and it quickly becomes clear that language plays a significant role in the customer conversion process. Accurate website translations make all the difference between the success and failure of your entire business.
Employees also feel the benefit of good communications, Ahmed tells me. “Good translations within a business can help to maximise the performance, engagement and confidence of a workforce.”
“Miscommunications have a direct impact on profitability,” says Ahmed. “It’s not just a matter for the marketing department running ads or the Integrated Logistics Support team as they create manuals, but for the senior leadership team. C-level executives need to be proactive in ensuring that their business communicates effectively with its partners and customers. Without consistently excellent messaging across all touchpoints, a brand will be far less profitable.”
Ahmed tells me about the Language Barrier Index, created by Behavioural Insights Specialist Johannes Lohmann. The index shows that a 10% increase in language barrier results in a decrease in trade of between 7 and 10%. In other words, there is a strong negative correlation between difficulty in communication and bilateral trade.
“Communicating your brand message effectively across your markets is crucial in growing global trade,” Ahmed says, “but most business leaders have never considered investing in professional translations before. They are missing out on expanding their business by reaching a demographic that speaks another language.”
It’s a topic that Ahmed feels passionate about. He wants to share his expertise with anyone who has questions about translation services. To find out how to get the language right, get in touch for a chat about how translation services can increase sales.
-->