If you’ve got your sights set on taking advantage of the global economy, you’ll need to broker some international business deals. Finding a reliable, proactive online translation agency, that you can rely on no matter where in the world you happen to be, is key to helping you do so. As such, we’ve taken a look at how you can use a translation agency to broker international business partnerships and how to assess the quality of the service when you don’t speak the language yourself.
Why You Need A Translation Agency To Break Into The International Business scene
Let’s start with the basics. What is a translation agency? It’s a service that converts one language to another, thus facilitating international business communications. However, Ofer Tirosh, CEO of translation agency Tomedes, advises that a modern agency will do much more than that, providing a wide range of specialist expertise that can help international business ventures to thrive. It can support expansion into other countries through the translation of contracts and other legal documents, as well as a wide range of marketing materials.
And while we’re looking at definitions… What is an international business? International business refers to the trade and movement of goods and services between countries. It also incorporates the flow of technology, knowledge, and capital across international divides.
Why does brokering international business partnerships through language translation matter so much? Because it enables businesses to take advantage of globalization. Trading internationally means massively expanding your potential customer base. Through business translation, you can put your products in front of vast new markets.
There’s also the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic to consider. The global economic scars are already deep. According to Xiaozhun Yi, World Trade Organization Deputy Director-General, we’re looking at a likely 9.2% decline in world merchandise trade volume in 2020, with only partial recovery – a rise of 7.2% – in 2021.
With many companies and even entire sectors losing out as a result of social distancing measures and shifts in consumer behaviour, those businesses that survive the pandemic are likely to have to adapt their approach. They will also need to think carefully about where to find new customers. That’s where using a translation agency to pursue international business opportunities comes into play.
How To Broker International Business Partnerships Using A Translation Agency
An international business partnership doesn’t simply refer to a partnership between a supplier and a distributor. It can encompass manufacturing, haulage, investment, partnership working, and much more.
As such, the first thing you’ll need is a strategy. Where do you want to sell your wares and why? Have you researched each market in detail, from cultural nuances to likely competitors and appetite for your product? It’s important to get your goals in order first so that you can get the maximum value out of the translation agency that you choose.
With your international business objectives established, it’s time to find the right online translation agency to meet your needs. Some of the key factors to look for include:
- Localization experience – this will help you to shape your marketing and other materials to suit each target market, thus providing your brand with maximum potential impact.
- 24/7 customer service – so that you can use the translation agency no matter which time zone you happen to be in. If you want a local service, then Googling translation agency UK will point you in the right direction but be sure to check international availability too.
- Sector-specific expertise – this will allow you to access business translation skills that suit your particular needs, such as legal translation skills for contract work.
- Interpretation – the spoken equivalent of translation, interpretation services will help you manage video conferences and face-to-face international business meetings.
Obviously, you’ll need to undertake plenty of due diligence to ensure you have the right translation agency to meet your needs, from reading online reviews to looking the company up on Trustpilot or similar. If possible, check reviews for your specific language pairing, such as English to Spanish translation, to assess the agency’s expertise as precisely as possible.
At Eloquent Agency, they don’t just translate your website, they work with you to understand your business goals that helps you succeed in overseas markets.
In terms of brokering your international business partnerships, you can use your language translation agency to deliver everything you need in the target language. As a minimum, it’s worth translating:
- Business cards
- Emails/letters of introduction
- Your website
- Marketing materials
- Financial reports and/or accounts
- Product information, including any technical documents
- Product packaging
The more materials you have at your fingertips in the target language, the more smoothly discussions should flow. Line up interpreters as well and you should be able to advance partnership discussions rapidly and easily.
How To Assess The Quality Of Your Business Translation When You Don’t Speak The Language
Finally, be sure to assess the quality of your business translation. Don’t speak the language? No problem! Use an online translation tool, an acquaintance who speaks the language natively or even buy an hour of a multilingual proofreader’s or another translator’s time to have them assess your documents. Catching any errors is worth the expense – first impressions count for a lot when it comes to brokering international business partnerships.
