When a business is under economic stress, it can lead to considerable uncertainty. Cutting back on what’s seen as less important for the existence of business then typically takes place. Translation of key documents often gets forgotten or is deliberately left off the budget because it’s not considered to be an essential expenditure.
If the business has an international presence and a firm customer base, suddenly omitting translation could be a bad mistake. Similarly, giving a translation project to the lowest bidder is not a good idea either. You should keep to your translation budget, but just be a lot more careful who you choose to do your translation work. The cheapest is rarely the best, so you should choose someone who is capable but offers a good price that fits in with your budget. Check some examples of your chosen translator before you give the go ahead.
Skills of a professional translator
A key skill of a professional translator is not just the mastery of two languages but precise industry knowledge is required as well. Every different industry has specialist terminology that only an experienced translator in that industry will know well. In order to promote their skills, a translator will have taken up relevant training in the area that interests them the most. This means they are capable of undertaking a professional, accurate translation in that specialized area.
A good translator also must make sure that the correct meaning is conveyed without making any mistakes. A good translation usually means the translation isn’t a literal translation but is one that conveys with accuracy the true meaning of the original or source text. There are times when a very technical document may require a literal translation because that’s seen as the best type of translation for that type of document. No business should ever choose a translator who can’t prove what his or her ability in the type of translation required.
Project managers are an important part of a translation
When you get your documents ready to send to your translation company make sure you get the name of the project manager. A project manager is a key to an effective, high-quality, cost-effective translation which is delivered on time. Also, an experienced project manager quickly anticipates any potential problems that could affect the quality of a translation. The best project managers keep their clients informed and will ask for feedback once the translation has been delivered.
The translation company should be up to date
It’s important to get the best translator for any type of business document translation, but the translation company needs to have invested in the best and most current technology as well. There are many good computer programs that offer support to translators so they are kept informed about the latest terminology in the industry they specialize in offering translations.
Quality translations mean quality control
Once you have chosen your ideal translator you will need to check to make sure the translation is going to be checked by another translator with equivalent qualifications. This is all part of the quality control process. A new set of eyes reviewing a translation is the best step forward to ensure you are getting the translation you are paying for.
You may need to consider an interpreter for your business
If you have a video or podcast on your website you may need an interpreter to translate the words in the video or podcast so a potential customer can view it in their language. Another event when you might need an interpreter at your side is when you are giving a speech at a business meeting and those attending don’t speak your language. To get your message across an interpreter will translate word for word exactly the words you have spoken.
The best interpreter will know your industry well and the language used by it so that the translation flows well and in the tone you want and which will be the most effective. If your presentation could have legal implications then it’s important you get a certified translator. This will cover you if the interpretation isn’t completely accurate and those listening act in a way to reflect this. There are different grades of certification for interpreters and if you require an interpreter for an appearance in court, for example, he or she will need to be a Level 3 interpreter.
If you take on an interpreter at an international business meeting where the players don’t all speak your language, it will improve your relationship with clients and attract new ones if you have an interpreter ready to convey your business message. At times there may be speakers of several different languages present at the business meeting so you may need more than one interpreter to help you through the meeting. Choosing a certified translator, even though not always required, will guarantee that the interpretation will be of a high quality which you won’t need to doubt.
In summary, no business should ever dismiss the importance of translation if they intend to keep a global presence. Customers, whoever they are, gravitate towards written or oral information that is presented in their own languages so that they know what buying decision they should make which doesn’t throw any doubt on the product.
Any business which fails to recognize the importance of translation and interpretation is likely to lose out on sales to their competitors who have been more mindful when marketing their products. Business is all about maintaining a competitive edge over others who work in the shared industry, so if this means the translation is important, then it will, in the end, be a cost-effective way to keep up with both translations and interpretations as they are both parts of the marketing process. Not providing these services would not be a cost-effective thing to do and could spell disaster for a business.