As companies evolve in order to remain competitive in the world stage, communication is key. Some companies may expand physical locations to encompass a multicultural, and multilingual workforce, while others may simply expand their customer base by reaching out to foreign customers online and through direct marketing. No matter what circumstances bring a company onto the world stage, it is vital that businesses make the most of their messages, when dealing with the public. This should be so regardless of the language. The best way to make sure a company's message and products are seen clearly and that the company itself appears approachable, is to ensure the message itself is clear, concise and easy to understand.
Before expanding their business, most companies take a step back to make a plan. A good business strategy will encompass initial marketing, as well as plans for after care and supportive customer service options. For many companies, this process is a great undertaking requiring money and resources. But the best, most well crafted piece of business planning will fall flat on its face if it is not implemented with clear, professional translations for worldwide customers and associates.
One of the biggest challenges international businesses face, is that of translation. Translating a business or legal document is more than simply running the original through an automated piece of software. Instead, a professionally executed translation that takes into account key ideas, concepts and supportive data as a whole, should be done. In this way, the final document reads fluently and is easily understood in the target language. Words and phrases need to be seen both individually and as part of a whole to make sure that everything reads correctly in context and does not leave room for guessing or misunderstanding.
Many times, documents may need to be translated with the target culture in mind. For example, Ford has had several problems with the names of its cars over the years. Their model, the Cortina was translated as 'Jalopy' to the Japanese public, the Caliente meant 'streetwalker' in Mexico and the Fiera saw poor sales in Spanish speaking Latin America where the word means 'ugly old woman'. While these examples may draw a smile from many, each one represents a headache for Ford who needed to either overcome the unintended stigma or revamp their marketing and branding for each model. This problem can happen for any language combination, particularly where cultures differ in many ways, such as companies with products where they need to translate English to Russian for brand names and marketing plans.
In the struggle to be clearly understood across linguistic barriers, the hiring of a professional can ease the way and ensure a smooth transition from one sales area to another. Professional translation forms are able to translate English to Russian, Chinese, German, Spanish or any other language in such a way that the marketing of product information will read as though it was initially written by a native speaker. When this is done, the reputation of the company is protected and customers can have more confidence in dealing with the business.
Kelly McCloskey is a freelance writer and enjoys writing on a wide range of topics. She has researched and written several articles on business communication, with special attention on specific challenges, such as the need to translate English to Russian and other niche issues.
