Why choose a native speaker

When you trust a translation agency with an important text that took a number of specialists a lot of time and effort to compile, it is reasonable to expect that the translated text will communicate your message to the target audience, appeal to the people of this other country or culture, and, finally, achieve the results you desire.

What can the best translation agencies offer to meet these needs? The answer is simple: a native speaker of the target language with a good knowledge of the subject matter at hand. Such a specialist will have the same linguistic and cultural background as the target audience and be familiar with all the nuances of their native language. These subtleties can have a great impact on your company’s image and the success of your business in a new market. Bear in mind, however, that a translator is just a mediator between your carefully crafted original idea and the final result.

So what can you, as the client, do to make the translation process a success? There are two things you can offer in order to ensure that your final translation conveys the true meaning and character of your original text and speaks to the target audience with wording and imagery that they can relate to.

• TIME: A message that took days to create cannot be translated in an hour, so plan ahead and allocate enough time for the translators to fine-tune your final text.
  
  

• YOUR INVOLVEMENT: You can provide your translators with guidance and additional information on the specifics of your market and the sensitivities of your target audience. Make sure to let them know about any requirements or guidelines you have for the most appropriate terminology, style, etc. This will make it easier for translators to know what you expect from them.

Of course, you can hand your text over to a non-native speaker and chances are that you will get a high-quality translation, but it can fail to help you achieve the desired result, e.g., improve customer flow or increase sales. So if you are seeking to enter a new market, we recommend that you choose native speakers to do the job and contribute to your business growth.

For more on the subtleties of marketing translation, be sure to read Kathy Quinn's article, "And the #1 Misconception of Marketing Translation Is..." at business2community.com.