Do you have to speak a foreign language to be a global trader?

If you want to be a global marketer, you don’t need to speak the language like a native speaker, but it is a good idea to know some of the language in your target market.

I can tell you from personal experience that any effort to try to speak the local language will go a long way toward generating goodwill. If nothing else, learn a few keywords.

In my travels around the world, I discovered that I could survive anywhere if I knew the local words for “hello”, “thank you”, “goodbye”, the numbers “1, 2, 3” and “Where is the bathroom? ” A personal suggestion: learn the last sentence first!

Yes, the language of international business is still English, but any knowledge of the other country’s language can humanize it and make the foreign trade partner understand that you value him and his culture.

Most of your communication may be in English, but a good translator (or someone who is really familiar with the language) can be valuable. Sometimes the communication, even if it is written in English, can take on a tone that could suggest anger or frustration. Someone who knows the language or the culture could explain the tone, before you say or do something you regret.

More often, you’ll be involved (or maybe want to be smart, in case you’re asked) in translating catalogs and sales materials.

If you are an intermediary, someone acting on behalf of a supplier, for example, it is important to remember that your supplier went to great lengths to develop a catalog that will appeal to their English-speaking customers. You’re probably overly proud of it.

Your sad duty is to inform him that, alas, he must start over. There are subtleties in language that can become critical when doing business in a culture with dramatically different cultural expectations.

In other words, knowing the language is not enough. Your sales material, especially, needs to be translated with a deft touch. Unfortunately, computers don’t have this touch. There is simply no substitute for human translators.

I am aware of a company that needed to translate a 200 page catalog from English to Spanish and to save money they used a computer translation. You can probably find out what happened next. The computer made such a mess in the catalog that the company had to pay a translator anyway to fix the problem. Expenses. Lost time. Mistreatment.

The question of finding a good translation service is not just a luxury. It can mean the difference between success and failure in establishing a viable business program. You can add value to your provider by pointing out four key attributes of a world-class translation service.

Ability. It is important that your translation service employs native speakers of the language you are translating into. The reason? They are able to grasp the nuances of language and culture that non-native speakers, no matter how well educated, are likely to miss.

Understanding. Your translators should have a complete knowledge of the products and descriptions of your supplier’s catalog. This is important. When you talk to them, determine from their feedback if they understand your products and are willing to learn about them. Ideally, a representative of the company (could be you as an intermediary) should be available to answer questions about the products in the catalog.

Consistency. Remember what I said earlier about the time your supplier spent developing the original catalog? Make sure you choose a translation service that suits your style. You want the translation to be consistent with the visual and written style you’ve chosen (assuming that style won’t offend your target audience’s readers!). And ask the translation service if you can use the same translators for future catalog updates.

Meet deadlines. I probably should have listed this first. The service must be able to meet strict deadlines. Don’t overlook your role in the process. Please provide the necessary text and supporting materials as soon as possible to ensure that your translator does the best job. If you are preparing multiple catalogs at the same time (a good idea because renting presses can be expensive), the ability of your translation service to meet deadlines is even more important.