As globalisation alters the way business is conducted, the accurate communication of information across languages takes on an increasing importance.
When a foreign client or customer's impression of you is solely dependent upon your company's literature, it is critical that this literature is as well written in their native language as it is in yours.
You want the message to read the same way in both languages so that there is no room for misunderstanding, but you also want to feel confident that your message is delivered as accurately and professionally in their language as it is in yours.
Naturally, since you are unlikely to know the language you are wanting your literature to be translated in well enough to be able to do it yourself, you enter into a position of trust with the company you have given the job to.
This article assists you in making the decision of which company to entrust the work to.
The first thing to determine is whether the translation company has enough translators in the mother-tongue you want your work translated into to be able to do the volume of work you require to a sufficiently high standard.
Bear in mind that translation can often be done in stages, with an employee whose mother tongue is the same as yours doing a rough translation into the foreign language, followed by a rewriter whose mother tongue is the language into which the article has been translated editing the translation so that it reads accurately and fluently.
Depending on the specific nature of the work, you might also require this rewriter to have a specific knowledge of a designated country or business field.
For example, if you are an IT company, it is worth checking whether the translation company has translators skilled in writing IT related copy, and if you wish legal documents translated, it might be an idea to ask whether the company has any translators who specialise in legal translations.
Another thing worth considering is whether the translation company can offer a one-stop, single-source solution to all your translation needs.
Perhaps you want to translate the literature into ten different languages, or need slightly different translations in the same language for different markets (the grammar and spelling of American English is slightly different from British English).
Can the company handle these requirements? How many languages does it cover and how many in-country specialists does it have? It is possible that the company keeps a database of several thousand freelance mother-tongue linguists on its books who specialise in particular industries or writing in different styles.
If so, ask questions about how your translation work will be managed and whether you will be able to do background checks on the specific translators who have been chosen for your needs.
Also what vetting processes and standards of excellence do the translators have to pass in order to work for the company.
Different cultures have different standards of what is culturally acceptable, and what is taboo in one culture can be socially acceptable in another.
The last thing you want to do is cause offence, so ensure there is somebody in place after the copy has been translated to check on such things, in addition to tailoring the copy so that it reaches the target audience and appeals to local advertising sensibilities.
In order to carry this out to the standard you are expecting, it is possible your marketing department will be drawn into the process to evaluate any local documentation and make the necessary changes themselves.
The document should also be checked to ensure that the various concepts which form an integral part of the message are conveyed in the translation.
This is particularly important for marketing or advertising text, where the ideas conveyed and the vocabulary used may not be so easily translatable.
In order to accelerate the translation process for specific markets it is likely that the translation company has an archive of glossaries for specific countries and manages a database that enables the redeployment of text segments from previous translations.
This has the double benefit of saving costs and increasing familiarity within a particular market by developing an identifiable style of copy.
Other factors that you should take into consideration include the way the translation is managed.
For instance, it is worth checking whether each project will have a project manager in overall charge of the work who will be able to give you regular updates.
And check the degree of flexibility that the company has with regard to your requirements.
For instance, does the company offer overnight and weekend translations and any additional services, such as the provision of interpreters for business trips.
Ask about their privacy standards too, with regard to how confidential the information they translate for you will be and what measures they take to protect any privileged information that is gained through access to your business.
Keeping the points raised in this document in consideration during the selection process for a translation company should ensure that you do not overlook any important issues and choose a company that suits your needs.
Now all you have to do is start looking.
Good luck, or, as they say in Japanese, ganbatte!