In moments - or worse, in periods - of crisis, when the market does not seem to move as we would like, and the daily challenges of work become harder, it is common to see the reduction of costs as the first answer; and as is obvious, the first costs to be cut are identified with the superfluous ones. Unfortunately, it is not uncommon for professional translation of corporate materials to be instinctively placed in this category: but is it a wise choice, and above all does it correspond to the truth? Today more than ever, absolutely not.
For years now, access to the Internet has opened international markets - even intercontinental - to companies of any size, when daily transactions of that kind were once limited to large companies such as multinationals. Today, even a small business can have customers on the other side of the world, and supply them on a regular basis.
The speed of this evolution, however, has made many forget how exceptional this situation is: companies have become accustomed to having customers operating in different and distant Countries, but often failing to grasp the impact of this actual revolution and the change of perspective and priority that this possibility entails and in fact requires, remaining stuck on ways of thinking which were developed when they were serving a strictly local clientele.
And one of these necessary changes in perspective is undoubtedly ensuring efficient communication with distant customers who are part of a different culture.
"But there’s English!" many instinctively respond to this type of objection. English, the international language, the one that is spoken all over the world and opens any door to us.
Unfortunately, this is not the case - not anymore.
Globalization has not eliminated the desire of customers to receive information - and in general, to communicate - in their own language: the language they know best, which makes them feel protected from the risk of not understanding some fundamental element of communication, which makes things more comfortable for them. And as always, the work of facilitating the customer's choices, of breaking down the obstacles that separate him from the choice to buy, is up to those who want to sell. English is spoken, understood and certainly used: but it is never preferred to the local language, and this is especially true for those Countries whose markets are more interesting.
But how much difference can the choice of translating brochures, websites, leaflets into one language rather than another make?
Studies in this regard are not lacking. And they highlight how, for example, almost three quarters of Internet users visit and view only pages written in their native language.
But it is even more important to study that data as it describes quite a surprising situation on a commercial level: for more than half of international consumers, obtaining information about a product in their own language represents a more decisive factor than the price in their purchasing choices.
And this is where language can become an obstacle, or an opportunity. By limiting yourself to your own - or at least to English as a lingua franca - you are completely denying yourself a chance to reach potential customers. By choosing to invest in translations, on the other hand, you set foot in whole markets where a large part of the competition has not arrived, and perhaps doesn’t even know why it hasn’t.
But basically, what are the possible positive effects of a structured investment in the translation of a company’s commercial and communication materials?
- Market and income growth: as we have seen, speaking the languages of distant potential customers allows us to open relationships with companies that, otherwise, could never meet us, and this translates into greater earnings;
- An advantage over the competition: this evolution in the way of thinking about one's communication is now a part of many multinational corporations’ mindset, but it is still only relatively widespread in SMEs. Taking an advantage in this sense means beating the competition over time;
-The loyalty of international customers: a customer who perceives attention to his needs in a linguistic sense will be much more inclined to maintain long-term business relationships, because he will be satisfied with them;
- Compliance with legal requirements: especially in some specific sectors, all documentation accompanying the products must be totally free from errors and risks of misunderstanding. A professional translation of company materials protects the company from legal consequences;
- The reduction of commercial risk: expanding a company’s customer base to different countries means reducing fear of crises in a specific market, because it allows for shifting the company’s attention to another market – perhaps a developing one.
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