Introducing your business on the international stage can be a daunting experience, but this strategic move can also be the decision that supports your success and cements its place in the world. With technology, travel, and individuals’ interest in other cultures growing rapidly throughout the world, international business has never been easier, and some organizations have only thrived when expanding their products and supplies into other cultures. However, it does come with its own difficulties. One of the main struggles is that Dallas businesses expanding to another country may come across almost immediately-language barriers. And not being able to translate conversations, documents, and other paperwork from English to Spanish, Arabic to English, or even Chinese to English can pose a problem for companies hoping to trade abroad.
Traveling abroad and struggling to communicate with local people who don’t speak English can make for an embarrassing and confusing situation, whether you’re on vacation or traveling for work. But language barriers are something that we must overcome. For companies, business translation services are an important part of expanding to new foreign markets and can prevent you from insulting, offending, or confusing potential customers.
Unfortunately, when a well-known brand makes a mistake with language, it takes a long time to live it down! Once a marketing campaign goes wrong and is published online, it is hard to forget, especially one that turns the brand’s face red. Language barriers often present hidden challenges and so it is important to make sure that every word involved in any campaign translates effectively. The American Dairy Association’s “Got Milk?” campaign famously slipped under the business translation radar when they failed to realize that when translated for Spanish- speaking countries, the phrase read “Are you lactating?” Not ideal when discussing a beverage to be consumed! That’s why having English-to-Spanish and Spanish-to-English translation services are key.
It doesn’t need to be a full marketing campaign that can bring a business crashing down in another language. With words and phrases very often meaning something completely different when used in a non-native tongue, confusion and concern can run astray. For example, the English word “Quick” can translate to German as “Almost.” The misuse of this word could simply cause confusion but also concern if talking about a specific action!
While we often come across these failures in international business and see them as funny or entertaining, it doesn’t take much to move from comical to offending a whole culture, and this seemingly small mistake could be catastrophic for a company trying to grow!
In a world where language is so varied and different, yet international business is so sought after, business translation really is important. Translation services can help ensure marketing plans and campaigns are suitable for each country. And that your health and safety regulations are in order, legal contracts are airtight, and parties on both sides are in agreement. You are not only protecting yourself in doing this, but also your brand, business, and employees.
Give your business the very best chance to thrive in highly competitive markets by investing in business translation. By avoiding all language barriers and keeping your own interests safe, you can nurture your business. We offer English to Spanish, Arabic to English and Chinese to English translation services to businesses across Dallas, Texas.
