Business Translation Services
Here at Teneo Linguistics Company, we understand the importance of effective translation and interpreting in the business world. Your brand, your message, and your product or service information MUST be fully localized in order to reach global and domestic audiences at a personal and cultural level.
Our success comes from your success, and we do what it takes to provide you with the highest quality language services possible. Contact us to request a free quote or any questions about our services. Continue reading to learn more about TLC’s business language services or download the guide now.
Expand your business, expand your reach
Expanding internationally is a high-profit opportunity that takes detailed planning and precision. At Teneo Linguistics Company (TLC), we use the same level of detail and precision to provide stellar business translation to help you get where you are going.
Many companies do not realize the incredible cultural differences when expanding business to another country. Language is entrenched in every culture in various ways and partnering with a language services provider is the smartest way to ensure no cultural nuances are missed or misunderstood.
70% of the world’s purchasing power is located OUTSIDE of the United States
We have a vast network of vetted, experienced, and professional translators and interpreters around the world who are experts in their fields. They, along with our project management team, make up our company’s backbone and guide each project to successful completion.
U.S. companies are profiting big-time from doing business overseas and internationally. In 2017, U.S. exports totaled $2.3 trillion. This number grows annually and can mean significant opportunities for companies considering doing business abroad.
The United States has a worldwide reputation for producing high-quality products, reliable customer service, innovative goods and services, and following sound business practices. This gives U.S. companies doing business abroad a leg-up over the competition.
Millions of jobs in the United States are supported and created by U.S. manufactured exports. Companies who export are LESS likely to go out of business compared to non-exporting companies.
When a company decides to export a product, ALL aspects of the product should be, and in some cases MUST be, translated.
This includes full translation of user manuals, product descriptions, disclaimers, marketing materials, printed and digital advertisements, website localization, and anything people in the new market destination will read. Because, ultimately, people will not buy what they cannot read up on.
This includes full translation of user manuals, product descriptions, disclaimers, marketing materials, printed & digital advertisements, website localization, and anything people in the new market destination will read. Because, ultimately, people will not buy what they cannot read up on.
When a company hires a new workforce in a foreign country, paperwork to hire and sustain new staff members needs accurate translation. Job applications, new-hire checklists, employee handbooks, training manuals, digital content, and any forms the host country requires employees to fill out are all examples of documents and content that need precise translation before entering the new market.
Is the business in a regulated industry? If so, there will be a need for specific handling of language so that all legal requirements are met.
What to consider when addressing global audiences
Translation should be a part of the project from the beginning, NOT an afterthought. The sooner you partner with a translation service company, the sooner a customized plan will be developed to fit all your translation needs. No matter which country you target, your plan should include some or all of the following considerations:
Cultural considerations
It pays to be culturally sensitive when entering a new market. Thorough research is required on the target country in which your company is expanding to successfully penetrate the market.
Certain images, colors, and symbols in American culture can have vast differences in meaning in other cultures. The color red, for example, is associated with mourning in South Africa. If your company’s current website is covered in red, and you plan on entering the South African market, a redesign would be needed to increase your potential of gaining more business.
NEVER assume that just because your marketing strategy is successful in one market, the same strategy will work in the new market. Get to know your target customer by researching relevant demographics for your product or service. This includes aspects like education level, income level, employment status, age, gender, religion, and other factors.
Successfully navigating cultural differences in the language and images used in your business strategy will significantly increase your ROI and avoid devastating miscommunication.
Slang, Idioms, Colloquialisms
Translation and interpreting involve more than just exchanging words from one language to another. Every language uses slang, idioms, and colloquialisms – which can be different depending on the country and region. These words and phrases have meanings that are different than the literal meaning of the words.
In many instances, there is no direct idiom/colloquialism/slang equivalent in the target language. Therefore, it is tremendously important that you partner with a language services provider that works with translators and interpreters who are native to the region you are targeting. Their linguistic expertise and cultural context experience allow them to accurately translate the intent of the messages.
Here are some examples of idioms:
Spanish idiom
Spanish: “Eso es pan comido”
Literal translation: That’s eaten bread
English equivalent: That’s a piece of cake
Russian idiom
Russian: “Любовь зла, полюбишь и козла”
Literal translation: Love is evil, you may fall in love with a goat
English equivalent: Love is blind
It is especially important to be cognizant of idioms, colloquialisms, and slang when naming and advertising products for your new target market. When companies do not consider the cultural context of where they are advertising and do not utilize language professionals to relay their message, it will mean disaster to their bottom line and international expansion goals.
German idiom
German: “Um den heißen Brei herumreden”
Literal translation: To talk around the hot porridge
English equivalent: To beat around the bush
French idiom
French: “Appeler un chat un chat”
Literal translation: Calling a cat a cat
English equivalent: Telling it like it is
Here at Teneo Linguistics Company, we only use translators and interpreters who are native to the targeted region. Our language professionals and project managers prove that they produce quality results, EVERY time.
Text Conversion
and Design
Have you ever thought about text direction? English is written in Latin script and is read from left to right (LTR), but many languages are written in a script that is read from right to left (RTL) or even top to bottom. And, if you are an American company, you already have your website, product descriptions, employee handbooks, marketing materials, and other business documents designed for LTR readers.
For languages written in RTL script – like Arabic, Urdu, Farsi, and Hebrew – there are special considerations. Converting your LTR design to RTL does not mean simply creating a mirror image. It takes experienced web developers, graphic designers, formatting experts, and language professionals to lay out a visually pleasing and easy-to-use design for RTL-reading consumers.
Many do not realize that other elements, as well as text included in them, must be reversed to adhere to RTL rules. This includes any tables, calendars, or series of images. For example, a digital how-to guide or images in a product user manual.
Some Asian languages like Chinese (Traditional, Simplified Chinese scripts), Japanese (Kanji, Hiragana, Katakana scripts), and Korean (Hangul, Hanja scripts) can be read from top-to-bottom or LTR. Note that it is becoming more common for businesses to display these languages LTR.
Non-Latin scripts
Slavic languages like Russian, Ukrainian, and Bulgarian are read LTR, and use standard Cyrillic script. The Cyrillic script, like other non-Latin scripts, may be problematic during the translation of your website if the language is not coded correctly on your website’s backend. The internet browser may recognize some characters but will try to replace unrecognized characters with familiar ones like rectangular boxes. The browser could also replace unrecognized characters with an image error message.
If the language is not coded correctly, your target consumers will see these errors upon landing on your website, and you will LOSE SALES and CREDIBILITY.
Knowing the language of your target audience is vital but going one step further by using the appropriate script your consumers prefer (depending on their country and region) goes above and beyond.
Partnering with a Language Services Provider will ensure the appropriate script is used for your target audience.
Font
Without realizing it, the font you chose for a non-Latin Script can have a big impact on your message.
Let’s say a company uses the font “Creeper” for its entire English website:
HOME PAGE | ABOUT US | CONTACT | TESTIMONIALS
What impact do you think this would have on the message?
“Creeper” is an extreme example, but the font you choose may evoke your target audience’s emotions in ways you never considered. And at Teneo Linguistics Company, we will work with your marketing team to choose the font that’s right for you, your company’s message, and the values for which you stand, while appealing to the target audience.
Design
Another thing to consider is the expansion or reduction of text during translation and how that affects design. You cannot assume that content that fits the English message perfectly will fit other languages in the same way.
Waiting until the end of the project to implement translation might result in the redesign of content for website translation, marketing materials, forms, and other documents. These costs will add up quickly.
If you partner with Teneo Linguistics Company early on in the project, content design can be developed as you partner with your Project Manager and start to understand how the target language will change in size.
Here are a few examples of how languages
change drastically when translated from English:
Spanish
Another thing to consider is the expansion or reduction of text during translation and how that affects design. You cannot assume that content that fits the English message perfectly will fit other languages in the same way.
Chinese
Waiting until the end of the project to implement translation might result in the redesign of content for website translation, marketing materials, forms, and other documents. These costs will add up quickly.
Non-Specific Text Expansion
If you partner with Teneo Linguistics Company early on in the project, content design can be developed as you partner with your Project Manager and start to understand how the target language will change in size.
International
and Customer Considerations
International Formatting
and Standards
You should adhere to international standards when doing business in another country. For example, date and time, measurement, numeric notation, and currency formats may be different in other countries.
Let’s take a look at different formats of the United States vs. Italy:
| Type of notation | U.S.A. | Italy |
|---|---|---|
| Date | Month Day Year January 17, 2010 01/17/2010 | Day Month Year 17 January 2010 17/01/2010 |
| Time | 12-hour clock 2:00 PM | 24-hour clock 14:00 |
| Measurement | Imperial Inches, feet, ounces, pounds, miles, Fahrenheit (°F) | Metric Centimeters, meters, grams, kilograms, kilometers, Celsius (°C) |
| Numerals | Decimal point 1,000,000.00n | Decimal comma 1.000.000,00 |
| Currency | Dollars $4.99 | Euro 4,99 € * |
| Standard paper size | “Letter” 8.5 | A4 |
Customer service and outreach
Sending out marking surveys – you might not get all the responses back in English. Partnering with a language service provider to develop a system for anticipating survey responses, and transcribing/translating voicemails can make collecting foreign language responses fast and easy.
Use 1-800 numbers for hotlines for your clients abroad without having options for different languages, and/or employees to answer questions in their native language.
Customer service and outreach
Translation should make you money
Yes, it is true! Clients who seek business translation services are usually doing so to gain more revenue, and our translation services make that possible.
When you expand your business internationally or domestically, you expand your reach to a whole new population. Translating and localizing your website, for example, will grant more people access to information about your product – potentially resulting in more revenue.
Entering a new market with respect to the culture will give your brand a better chance of acceptance within the community. It shows potential consumers how sincere you are about establishing a presence, and your goodwill towards them. When you create this cultural connection through professional translation, the community is more likely to buy your product, resulting in more sales.
International business partners, distributors, and marketing reps need supporting materials and tools to earn more revenue.
Hiring a language services provider to translate those materials is the BEST way to ensure that your brand message is received accurately.
Companies can also make money from translation by supporting their customer’s needs. For instance, providing online help with products or services in their language, creating manuals for products, or providing FAQs online or with the actual product. By offering customers support in their language, you are showing your commitment to their satisfaction with the product or service – which creates repeat customers. Effective customer support and brand loyalty go hand-in-hand.
The money you make from translation does not just come from more revenue from new consumers. It can also come from supporting your employees. If any of your workforce primarily speaks another language other than English, translating materials for them is necessary for efficient and productive work. Providing translated documents like training guides will allow employees to understand how to do their job better overall – resulting in quality, efficient work.
Last Minute Translation Devastates Your Budget
Why will planning save you money? Many people do not realize that accurate translation takes time and planning around all elements of the project. So, when language services are put off until the last minute, delays are unavoidable.
Delays devastate your budget, decrease ROI, and extend time to market. The longer it takes to introduce your product or service to the new market, the less profit you will earn. Any projections calculated will be thrown off, and unplanned labor hours will add up.
Lousy Translation means Re-Translation or Worse
Rushing to get a last-minute translation can result in lousy, inaccurate outcomes. A bad translation usually means doing a re-translation (which costs money). This could mean reprinting materials (which costs even more money). Then there is the soft cost of a damaged reputation from which you may never recover. Unfortunately, this scenario happens often when translation & localization are not properly accounted for at the beginning of the project.
Going with In-house Bilingual Employees
may be MORE Expensive
Many people think that when they are just starting with translation, they may get away with using bilingual employees to translate their materials. This may be a big mistake. These are not only unqualified resources from the standpoint of high-quality, professional translation, they may actually be more expensive.
Why?
Let’s assume you take your marketing manager away from doing their job and assign translation to them. They are now out of their comfort zone and moving slowly because they still want to give the job their very best. It is likely that they will take three times as much time doing the work of a professional translator, thus costing you more in their salary than what you would pay a translation service. And the result will still be highly questionable.
You May Cheat Yourself out of Significant SAVINGS
Professional translation services use technology that allows them to work quickly and with 100% consistency while offering you discounts for repetitive content. To make the most out of such an opportunity, you need to work with someone who owns or subscribes to such technology and who employs experienced translators who have been trained in the use of these tools. Depending on the volume translated and the types of documents translated, returning customers may see upwards of 40% in savings when translating updated content.
And then there is the
RISK of LEGAL EXPOSURE
Are you in a regulated industry such as the food, pharmaceutical, or financial sectors? Or, do you have the need for translation of documents with legal implications, such as contracts, HR documents, etc.?
If so, you will need a professional translation service that will not only be willing to issue a Certificate of Accurate Translation but also stand by it completely in any potential legal proceedings.
In addition, a professional and experienced translation service should be able to help you recognize varying legal requirements in your target market(s) and make sure you are compliant from the standpoint of language (cultural appropriateness, idioms, colloquialisms, etc).
Translation and Localization of Web Content
Most companies start their translation efforts with website localization, and rightfully so. It is a complex task that requires the assistance of a professional service.
Some considerations include target language or languages, the need for adapting language and content to specific target audiences, software/platform on which a website is built, the need for building glossaries/termbases, and deciding on the ways customers in new markets will contact you. When you list a phone number, how is your customer’s call going to be answered, and in what language?
SEO Research in Your Target Language
Website localization and optimization include conducting multilingual SEO research. Each language that the website will be translated into needs separate cultural and SEO research to determine how that target customer uses search engines to look for products or services like yours. Customers in other countries may be searching based on different criteria than what you might expect.
Adaptation to the Local Market
Website translation and SEO targeting are not the only considerations when building a multilingual website. Also, consider design elements and whether they match the local market you are entering.
There are a few examples of where adaptation comes into play while designing and translating web content. You may need to determine at what reading level you want your content translated into. For example, there is a huge difference between content geared toward highly educated individuals and content targeted to kids.
Also, content must be adapted to the culture in which you are targeting. Any American-targeted topics need to be removed or changed to appeal to the targeted culture. For example, referencing American football would be completely lost on most countries that define football as a completely different sport.
Are the images, symbols, and colors on your website appropriate for the targeted cultures? Each of these aspects requires careful analysis from the perspective of that culture.
Language is acutely regionalized, which is why hiring a professional translation service is so imperative. At Teneo Linguistics Company, we only utilize translators who are native to the country/region where the target language is spoken. Their expertise is essential in navigating the nuances of their culture.
7 Billion People Won’t Buy What They Can’t Read
Offering consumers your products & services in their language is a profitable venture. Psychologically, consumers are more likely to buy if the offer is made to them in their native tongue.
Marketing to and translating for an audience in another country requires a solid understanding of not just their language but also their culture.
Types of Digital Translation for a Growing Business
Multilingual SEO
Digital Video Advertising
Online Customer Forms
Ongoing Website Updates
Text Expansion / Contraction Strategy
Keyword Research
Website Privacy Policy
Mobile Apps
Digital Advertisements
Terms of Service
Software Translation
Website Design with Target Language
Follows Target Country’s Digital Laws
Web Articles
Social Media Posts
Email Campaigns
Interpreting for Business
Consecutive Interpreting
Many situations require consecutive interpreting by a qualified language professional. Businesses setting up meetings with potential international clients or partners want to make a good impression by hiring a professional to interpret their native language.
In consecutive interpreting, the interpreter waits for the speaker to finish their idea or thought, then relays the message to the receiving party. This is suitable for business meetings, press conferences, employee training, company-wide meetings, and more. This service can be scheduled in-person, over the phone, and with video remote interpreting.
Over-the-Phone Interpreting
Over-the-Phone Interpreting (OPI) connects you with an interpreter at a scheduled or unscheduled time via landline, mobile phone, or another device. This is convenient for business meetings where in-person interpreting is unnecessary.
Often, over-the-phone interpreting costs less than in-person interpreting because you pay only for the time spent connected, and you avoid minimum fees and travel costs. It is a cost-effective option for many situations where interpreting is needed. Most languages are offered on-demand, 24/7; this is especially helpful for an impromptu meeting with an international client.
Simultaneous Interpreting
Large events, conferences, employee training, summits, and special projects may require simultaneous interpreting.
With simultaneous interpreting, the interpreter listens and renders the message in the target language at the same time the presenter is speaking; this type of interpreting is often referred to as “U.N. style” interpreting. This style of interpreting requires 2 or more interpreters, switching off about every 20 minutes or so. Specialized technical equipment is needed for simultaneous interpreting. Examples of simultaneous equipment are sound booths, radio transmitters, headsets, microphones, etc.
Video Remote Interpreting
Over-the-Phone Interpreting (OPI) connects you with an interpreter at a scheduled or unscheduled time via landline, mobile phone, or another device. This is convenient for business meetings where in-person interpreting is unnecessary.
Often, over-the-phone interpreting costs less than in-person interpreting because you pay only for the time spent connected, and you avoid minimum fees and travel costs. It is a cost-effective option for many situations where interpreting is needed. Most languages are offered on-demand, 24/7; this is especially helpful for an impromptu meeting with an international client.
Interpreting Management Platform
TLC Translation offers an easy-access Interpreting Management Platform to our clients. You will have the ability to schedule interpreting for in-person, over-the-phone, or video remote interpreting assignments conveniently on any device with a reliable internet connection, like a smartphone, tablet, laptop, or desktop.
The platform also allows for instant access to an over-the-phone interpreter or video remote interpreting. This cloud-based system enables us to deliver high-value and lower-cost service.
Our Interpreting Management Platform is scalable, robust, and guarantees a 99.95% uptime.
Interpreting services are not just for use in other countries, but also for employers who are required to provide equal access to their LEP (Limited English Proficiency) employees.
Business Interpreting Services are Perfect for:
Seminars
Company-wide meetings
Client consultations
On-boarding new employees
Conferences
HR assembles
Phone meetings
Potential business partner meetings
Client appointments
Video conferencing
Trade show conventions
Consumer support call centers
Board meetings
Summits
Company engagements
Choice matters
This is a BIG MOMENT, right here, right now.
Your company is ready to embark on an international or domestic expansion strategy. This important project is a long time in the making and requires attention to detail to be successful.
The time has come to choose a language services partner who will customize the translation process to fit the aspects of the project. How do you find the right partner for your needs?
Getting to Know YOU
Have you ever worked with a company that did not take the time to get to know you? You felt disrespected, discarded, and that they did not care about your success.
For starters, every project should be assigned a Project Manager who personally oversees every aspect of the details. In the early stages, the Project Manager should discuss important components with you that affect planning and implementation of the project.
Some components include target audience & language, previously used terminology – if any, target country, type of distribution, and types of deliverables (like print-ready, graphic formats, or bilingual tables/spreadsheets). Processes can be customized to fit the specific needs of the client.
But most importantly, your Language Services Provider should spend time with you to get to know you, your business, and your services or products.
Knowing what your goals are for communicating in other languages and within other cultures is paramount to the success of any language project.
Here at TLC, your success is how we measure our own success.
✓Check and ✓Re-check
Precise quality assurance differentiates mediocre translation service from stellar translation service. If your language service partner is stellar, they will have a set quality assurance process.
The process should include steps like document preparation, translation, and linguistic review by AT LEAST 2 translators, formatting, in-house quality assurance check, client review, if desired, and follow-up modifications if needed.
Certificate of Accurate Translation
A certificate of accurate translation has legal implications that someone who just speaks the language will not be able to offer you. The certificate must be signed (and in most cases notarized), and the translation service company should be willing to testify in court (if necessary) that the translation of the original document is accurate.
When seeking a certified translation, ask about their processes in keeping high standards a priority. If the language services provider has an ISO certification (International Standards Organization), this is a plus.
An organization that is ISO certified has established processes that aim at high-level quality control and continuous improvement.
Any translation company should have multiple steps in checking and reviewing the translation of the original document.
Such a process includes, for example, linguistic review by multiple translators and quality assurance checks.
It also means that the organization undergoes annual audits that review its processes for efficiency and quality. Any translation company should have multiple steps in checking and reviewing the translation of the original document. Such a process includes, for example, linguistic review by multiple translators and quality assurance checks.
A Certificate of Accurate Translation authenticates that a vetted translator worked on your project, proves the information is correct, and sets a high standard.
If the translation service company offers a Certificate of Accurate Translation, the language services provider takes responsibility for the product and will testify to its accuracy.
