I Love You Translated : How to say I love you in...

Afrikaans
— Ek is lief vir jou
— Ek het jou lief

Akan (Ghana)
— Me dor wo

Albanian
— Te dua
— Te dashuroj
— Ti je zemra ime

Alentejano (Portugal)
— Gosto de ti, porra!

Alsacien (Elsass)
— Ich hoan dich gear

Amharic (Aethiopian)
— Afekrishalehou
— Afekrischalehou
— Ewedishalehu (male/female to female)
— Ewedihalehu (male/female to male)

Apache
— Sheth she~n zho~n (nasalized vowels like French, '~n' as in French 'salon')

Arabic (formal)
— Ohiboke (male to female)
— Ohiboki (male to female)
— Ohibokoma (male or female to two males or two females)
— Nohiboke (more than one male or females to female)
— Nohiboka (male to male or female to male)
— Nohibokoma (male to male or female to two males or two females)
— Nohibokom (male to male or female to more than two males)
— Nohibokon (male to male or female to more than two females)

Arabic (proper)
— Ooheboki (male to female)
— Ooheboka (female to male)

Arabic
— Ana behibak (female to male)
— Ana behibek (male to female)
— Ahebich (male to female)
— Ahebik (female to male)
— Ana ahebik
— Ib'n hebbak
— Ana ba-heb-bak
— Bahibak (female to male)
— Bahibik (male to female)
— Benhibak (more than one male or female to male)
— Benhibik (male to male or female to female)
— Benhibkom (male to male or female to more than one male)
— Nhebuk (spoken to someone of importance)

Arabic (Umggs.)
— Ana hebbek

Armenian
— Yes kez si'rumem
— Yes kez gesirem (eastern Armenian dialect)

Assamese (Indian)
— Moi tomak bhal pau

Basque
— Nere maitea (means "my love")
— Maite zaitut (means "I love you")

Bassa
— Mengweswe

Batak (Nordsumatra)
— Holong rohangku di ho

Bavarian
— I mog di narrisch gern
— I mog di (right answer "i di a")

Bemba
— Ndikufuna

Bengali
— Aami tomaake bhaalo baashi
— Ami tomay bhalobashi
— Ami tomake bahlobashi
— Ami tomake walobashi
— Ami tomake vhalobashi

Berber
— Lakh tirikh

Bicol (Philippines)
— Namumutan ta ka

Bolivian Quechua
— Qanta munani

Bosnian
— Volim te

Braille
— : : ..: | ..: | |..-.. .: : ": .., : .: ;

Brazilian / Portuguese
— Eu te amo (pronounced 'eiu chee amu')
— Amo-te

Bulgarian
— Obicham te
— As te obicham
— Obozhavam te ("I love you very much")

Burmese
— Chit pa de

Cambodian
— Kh_nhaum soro_lahn nhee_ah
— Bon sro lanh oon

Canadian French
— Sh'teme (spoken, sounds like this)
— Je t'aime ("I like you")
— Je t'adore ("I love you")

Catalan
— T'estimo (Catalonian)
— T'estim (Mallorcan)
— T'estime (Valencian)
— T'estim molt ("I love you a lot")

Cebuano (Philippines)
— Gihigugma ko ikaw.

Chamoru (or Chamorro)
— Hu guaiya hao

Cheyenne
— Nemehotatse

Chichewa
— Ndimakukonda

Chickasaw (USA)
— Chiholloli (first 'i' nasalized)

Chinese
— Goa ai li (Amoy dialect)
— Ngo oi ney (Cantonese dialect)
— Wo oi ni (Cantonese dialect)
— Ngai oi gnee (Hakka dialect)
— Ngai on ni (Hakka dialect)
— Wa ai lu (Hokkien dialect)
— Wo ai ni (Mandarin dialect)
— Wo ie ni (Mandarin dialect)
— Wuo ai nee (Mandarin dialect)
— Wo ay ni (Mandarin dialect)
— Wo ai ni (Putunghua dialect)
— Ngo ai nong (Wu dialect)

Comorien
— Ni sou hou vendza.

Corsican
— Ti tengu cara (male to female)
— Ti tengu caru (female to male)

Creol
— Mi aime jou

Croatian (familiar)
— Ja te volim (used in proper speech)
— Volim te (used in common speech)

Croatian (formal)
— Ja vas volim (used in proper speech)
— Volim vas (used in common speech)
— Ljubim te (in todays useage, "I kiss you", 'lj' pronounced like 'll' in Spanish, one sound, 'ly'ish)

Croatian (old)
— Ljubim te (may still be found in poetry)

Czech
— Miluji te (a downwards pointing arrowhead on top of the 'e' in te, which is pronounced 'ye')
— Miluju te! (colloquial form)
— Mam te (velmi) rad (male speaker, "I like you (very much)", often used and prefered)
— Mam te (velmi) rada (female speaker)

Danish
— Jeg elsker dig (see also dialect Friesian)

Davvi Samegiella
— Mun rahkistin du.

Dusun
— Siuhang oku dia

Dutch
— Ik hou van je
— Ik hou van jou
— Ik bemin je (old fashioned)
— Ik bemin jou (old fashioned)
— Ik ben verliefd op je
— Ik ben verliefd op jou
— Ik zie je graag
— Ik hol van die (Gronings a Hollands dialect)

Ecuador Quechua
— Canda munani

English
— I love you
— I adore you
— I love thee (used only in Christian context)

Esperanto
— Mi amas vin

Estonian
— Mina armastan sind
— Ma armastan sind

Ethiopian
— Afgreki' (one of the Ethipians dialects, there are over 80 - see also under "Amharic")

Farsi (old)
— Tora dust mi daram

Farsi
— Tora dost daram ("I love you")
— Asheghetam
— Doostat daram ("I'm in love with you")
— Man asheghetam ("I'm in love with you")

Filipino
— Mahal ka ta
— Iniibig kita

Finnish (formal)
— Mina rakastan sinua
— Rakastan sinua
— Mina pidan sinusta ("I like you")

Finnish
— (Ma) rakastan sua
— (Ma) tykkaan susta ("I like you")

French (formal)
— Je vous aime

French
— Je t'aime ("I love you")
— Je t'adore ("I love you", stronger meaning between lovers)
— J' t'aime bien ("I like you", meant for friends and family, not for lovers)

Friesian
— Ik hou fan dei
— Ik hald fan dei

Gaelic
— Ta gra agam ort
— Moo graugh hoo

Galician
— Querote
— Queroche
— Amote

Ghanaian (Akan, Twi)
— Me dor wo.

Georgien (Caucasus)
— Me shen mikvarkhar

German (formal)
— Ich liebe Sie (rarely used)

German
— Ich liebe dich
— Ich hab dich lieb (not so classic and conservative)

Greek
— S'ayapo (spoken "s'agapo", 3rd letter is lower case 'gamma')
— Eime eroteumenos mazi sou ("I'm in love with)
— Eime eroteumenos me 'sena(you", male to female)
— Eime eroteumeni mazi sou ("I'm in love with)
— Eime eroteumeni me 'sena (you", female to male)
— Se latrevo ("I adore you")
— Se thelo ("I want you", denotes sexual desire)

Greek (old)
— (Ego) Philo su ('ego', for emphasis)

Greek (Ancient)
— Philo se

Greenlandic
— Asavakit

Guarani'
— Rohiyu (ro-hai'-hyu)

Gujurati (Pakistan)
— Hoon tane pyar karoochhoon.
— Hoon tuney chaoon chhoon ('n' is nasal, not pronounced)

Hausa (Nigeria)
— Ina sonki

Hawaiian
— Aloha wau ia 'oe
— Aloha wau ia 'oe nui loa ("I love you very much")

Hebrew
— Anee ohev otakh (male to female)
— Anee ohevet otkha (female to male)
— Anee ohev otkha (male to male)
— Anee ohevet otakh (female to female) ('kh' pronounced like Spanish 'j', Dutch 'g', or similiar to French 'r')

Hindi
— Mai tumase pyar karata hun (male to female)
— Mai tumase pyar karati hun (female to male)
— Mai tumse pyar karta hoon
— Mai tumse peyar karta hnu
— Mai tumse pyar karta hoo
— Mai tujhe pyaar kartha hoo
— Mae tumko peyar kia
— Main tumse pyar karta hoon
— Main tumse prem karta hoon
— Main tuze pyar karta hoon ('n' is nasal, not pronounced)

Hokkien
— Wa ai lu

Hopi
— Nu'umi unangwata

Hungarian
— Szeretlek
— Te'ged szeretlek ("It's you I love and no one else")
— Szeretlek te'ged ("It's you I love, you know, you", a reinforcement)
(The above two entries are never heard in a normal context.)

Ibaloi (Phillipines)
— Pip-piyan taha
— Pipiyan ta han shili (I like/love you very much)

Imazighan
— Hamlagh kem

Indi
— Mai Tujhe Pyaar Kartha Ho

Interglossa
— Mi esthe philo tu.

Icelandic
— Eg elska thig (pronounced 'yeg l-ska thig')

Ilocano
— Ay-ayaten ka

Indonesian
— Saya cinta padamu ('Saya', commonly used)
— Saya cinta kamu ('Saya', commonly used)
— Saya kasih saudari ('Saya', commonly used)
— Saja kasih saudari ('Saya', commonly used)
— Aku tjinta padamu ('Aku', not often used)
(tjinta is the old written version influenced by Netherlands)
— Aku cinta padamu ('Aku', not often used)
— Aku cinta kamu ('Aku', not often used)
(cinta is the modern written version since 1972; same for saya and saja)

Italian
— Ti amo (relationship/lover/spouse)
— Ti voglio bene (between friends)
— Ti voglio (strong sexual meaning, "I want you" referred to the other person's body)

Irish
— Taim i' ngra leat

Irish-Gaelic
— t'a gr'a agam dhuit

Japanese
— Kimi o ai shiteru
— Aishiteru
— Chuu shiteyo
— Ora omee no koto ga suki da
— Ore wa omae ga suki da
— Suitonnen
— Sukiyanen
— Sukiyo
— Watashi wa anata ga suki desu
— Watashi wa anata wo aishithe imasu
— Watashi wa anata o aishitemasu
— A-i-shi-te ma-su
— Watakushi-wa anata-wo ai shimasu
— Suki desu (used at the first time, like for a start, when you are not yet real lovers)

Javanese
— Kulo tresno

Kankana-ey (Phillipines)
— Laylaydek sik-a

Kannada (Indian)
— Naanu Ninnanu Preethisuthene
— Naanu Ninnanu Mohisuthene

Kikongo
— Mono ke zola nge (mono ke' zola nge')

Kiswahili
— Nakupenda
— Nakupenda wewe
— Nakupenda malaika ("I love you, (my) angel")

Klingon
— bangwI' SoH ("You are my beloved")
— qamuSHa ("I love you")
— qamuSHaqu' ("I love you very much")
— qaparHa ("I like you")
— qaparHaqu' ("I like you very much!") (words are often unnecessary as the thought is most often conveyed nonverbally with special growlings)


Korean
— Dangsinul saranghee yo ("I love you, dear")
— Saranghee
— Nanun dangsineul joahapnida ("I like you")
— Nanun dangsineul mucheog joahapnida ("I like you very much")
— Nanun dangsineul saranghapnida
— Nanun dangsineul mucheog saranghapnida ("I love you very much")
— Nanun gdaega joa ("I like him" or "I like her")
— Nanun gdaereul saranghapnida ("I love him" or "I love her")
— Nanun neoreul saranghanda
— Gdaereul hjanghan naemaeum alji (You know how much I love him/her.)
— Joahaeyo ("I like you")
— Saranghaeyo (more formal)
— Saranghapanida (more respectful)
— Norul sarang hae (male to female in casual relationship)
— Tangsinul sarang ha o
— Tangshin-ul sarang hae-yo
— Tangshin-i cho-a-yo ("I like you, in a romantic way")
— Nanun tangshinul sarang hamnida

Kpele
— I walikana

Kurdish
— Ez te hezdikhem
— Min te xushvet
— Min te xoshwet (Southern dialect)

Lao
— Khoi hak jao
— Khoi hak chao
— Khoi mak jao lai ("I like you very much")
— Khoi hak jao lai ("I love you very much")
— Khoi mak jao (This means "I prefer you",
but is used for "I love you".)

Lappish
— Mun rahkistin du. (Davvi Samegiella)

Latin
— Te amo
— Vos amo

Latin (old)
— (Ego) Amo te ('Ego', for emphasis)

Latvian
— Es tevi milu (pronounced 'es tevy meelu')
('i in 'milu' has a line over it, a 'long i')
— Es milu tevi (less common)

Lebanese
— Bahibak

Lingala
— Nalingi yo

Lisbon lingo
— Gramo-te bue', chavalinha!

Lithuanian
— As tave myliu (Ush ta-ve mee-lyu) (over the 's' of 'As' has to be a 'v')

Lojban
— Mi do prami

Luo (Kenia)
— Aheri

Luxembourgish
— Ech hun dech gar

Maa
— Ilolenge

Madrid lingo
— Me molas, tronca!

Maiese
— Wa wa

Malay
— Saya cintamu
— Saya sayangmu
— Saya sayang anda
— Saya cintakan mu (grammatically correct)
— Saya sayangkan mu ( " )
— Saya chantikan awak
— Aku sayang kau

Malay/Bahasa
— Saya cinta mu

Malay/Indonesian
— Aku sayang kau
— Saya cantikan awak
— Saya sayangkan engkau
— Saya cintakan awak
— Aku cinta pada kau
— Aku cinta pada mu
— Saya cinta pada mu
— Saya sayangkan engkau ('engkau' often shortened to 'kau', 'engkau' is informal form and should only be used if you know the person _really_well)

Malayalam
— Njyaan ninne snehikyunnu
— Njyaan ninne premikyunnu
— Njyaan ninne mohikyunnu

Malaysian
— Saya cintamu
— Saya sayangmu
— Saya cinta kamu

Marathi
— Mi tuzya var prem karato
— Me tujhashi prem karto (male to female)
— Me tujhashi prem karte (female to male)

Marshallese
— Yokwe Yuk

Mohawk
— Konoronhkwa

Mokilese
— Ngoah mweoku kaua

Mongolian
— Be Chamad Hairtai (very personal)

Moroccan
— Kanbhik (both mean the same, but spoken)
— Kanhebek (in different cities)

Navajo
— Ayor anosh'ni

Ndebele (Zimbabwe)
— Niyakutanda

Nepali
— Ma timi sita prem garchhu (romantic)
— Ma timilai maya garchhu (less emphatic, can be used in a non romantic conext, too)

Norwegian
— Jeg elsker deg (Bokmaal)
— Eg elskar deg (Nynorsk)
— Jeg elsker deg (Riksmaal outdated, formerly used by upper-class and
conservative people)

Nyanja
— Ninatemba

Op
— Op lopveop yopuop

Oriya
— Moon Tumakoo Bhala Paye
— Moon Tumakoo Prema Kare

Oromoo
— Sinjaladha
— Sinjaldha

Osetian
— Aez dae warzyn

Pakistani
— Mujhe tumse muhabbat hai
— Muje se mu habbat hai

Papiamento
— Mi ta stimabo

Pedi (related to Tswana)
— Kiyahurata. (pronounced as Kee-ya--hoo-rata)

Pig Latin
— Ie ovele ouye (pronounced as I-ay ov-lay u-yay.)

Pilipino
— Mahal kita
— Iniibig kita

Polish
— Kocham cie
— Ja cie kocham

Portuguese/Brazilian
— Eu te amo (pronounced 'eiu chee amu')
— Eu amo-te
— Amo-te

Punjabi (Indian)
— Main tainu pyar karna
— Mai taunu pyar Karda

Quenya (J.R. Tolkien)
— Tye-melane

Raetoromanisch
— te amo

Romanian
— Te iubesc
— Te ador (stronger)

Russian
— Ya vas lyublyu (old fashioned)
— Ya tyebya lyublyu (best)
— Ya lyublyu vas (old fashioned)
— Ya lyublyu tyebya

Samoan
— Ou te alofa outou.
— Ou te alofa ia te oe.
— Talo'fa ia te oe. ("Hello, from me to you")
— Fia moi? ("Would you like to go to bed with me tonight?")

Sanskrit
— Anurag (a higher love, like the love of music or art)

Scot-Gaelic
— Tha gr`adh agam ort

Serbian (formal)
— Ja vas volim (used in proper speech)
— Volim vas (used in common speech)
— Ljubim te (in todays useage, "I kiss you", 'lj' pronounced like 'll' in Spanish, one sound, 'ly'ish)

Serbian (familiar)
— Ja te volim (used in proper speech)
— Volim te (used in common speech)

Serbian (old)
— Ljubim te (may still be found in poetry)

Serbocroatian
— Volim te
— Ljubim te
— Ja te volim ('j' sounds like 'y' in May)

Sesotho
— Kiyahurata. (pronounced as Kee-ya--hoo-rata)

Shona
— Ndinokuda

Singhalese (Ceylon)
— Mama oyata adarei
— Mama oyaata aadareyi

Sioux
— Techihhila

Skopian
— Te sakam (a little stronger than "I like you")
— Te ljubam ("I really love you")
— Jas te sakam ('j' sounds like 'y' in May)
— Pozdrav ("Greetings")

Slovak
— Lubim ta

Slovene
— Ljubim te

Somalian
— Waan ku jeclahay

Spanish
— Te amo
— Te quiero
— Te re-quiero (Argentine way to say I love you very much)
— Te adoro (I adore you)
— Te deseo (I desire you)
— Me antojes (I crave you)

Srilankan
— Mama oyata arderyi

Suaheli (Ostafrika)
— Ninikupenda

Swahili
— Nakupenda
— Naku penda (followed by the person's name)
— Ninikupenda
— Dholu'o

Swedish
— Jag alskar dig. (pronounced "Yag alskar day")

Syrian/Lebanese
— Bhebbek (male to female)
— Bhebbak (female to male)

Tagalog
— Mahal kita

Tahitian
— Ua Here Vau Ia Oe
— Ua here vau ia oe

Tamil
— Naan unnai kaathalikir^en ("I love you")
— Naan unnai kathalikkinr^en ("I love you")
— Naan unnai Virumbukir^en ("I love you")
— Naan unnai Virumbukinr^en ("I love you")
— Naan unna kathalikaren (The last 'n' in both Naan and Kaathalikaren, are spelt thru nose and is almost silent) (Coloquel, when you speak casually, without much stress on grammar)
— Nee yennai kaathalikiraai! ("You love me!") (If its a question like You love me? or Do you Love me? Then "Nee Yennai kaathalikkiraaya?)
— Naam iruvarum vi'rumbukirom (We both are loving).
— Naam iruvarum oruvarukkoruvar vi'rumbukirom (We both are loving each other).

Telugu (Indian)
— Neenu ninnu pramistu'nnanu
— Nenu ninnu premistunnanu
— Ninnu premistunnanu

Thai (formal)
— Phom rak khun (male to female)
— Ch'an rak khun (female to male)
— Phom-ruk-koon (male to female)
— Chun-ruk-koon (female to male)
— Phom lak kun (male to female)

Thai
— Khao raak thoe (affectionate, sweet, loving)

Tswana
— Ke a go rata

Tshiluba
— Ndi mukusua (I love you)
— Ndi musua wewe (I want you)
— Ndi ne ditalala bua wewe (I have love for you)

Tunisian
— Ha eh bak

Tumbuka
— Nkhukutemwa

Turkish (formal)
— Sizi seviyorum

Turkish
— Seni seviyorum
— Seni begeniyorum ("I adore you") (g has a bar on it)

Twi (Ghana)
— Me dowapaa
— Me dor wo

Ukrainian
— Ya tebe kokhayu
— Ja tebe kokhaju (real true love)
— Ja vas kokhaju
— Ja pokokhav tebe
— Ja pokokhav vas

Urdu (Indien)
— Main tumse muhabbat karta hoon
— Mujhe tumse mohabbat hai
— Mujge tumae mahabbat hai
— Kam prem kartahai

Vai
— Na lia

Varmlandska
— Du ar gorgo te mag

Venda
— Ndi a ni funa

Vietnamese
— Anh yeu em (male to female)
— Em yeu anh (female to male)
— Toi yeu em

Volapuk
— Lofob oli.

Votic
— Mia suvatan sinua.

Vulcan (Mr.Spock)
— Wani ra yana ro aisha

Walloon
— Dji vos veu volti (lit. I like to see you)
— Dji vos inme (lit. I love you)
— Dji v'zinme

Welsh
— Rwy'n dy garu di.
— Yr wyf i yn dy garu di (chwi)

Wolof
— Da ma la nope
— Da ma la nop (da malanop)

Yiddish
— Kh'hob dikh lib
— Kh'ob dikh holt
— Ikh bin in dir farlibt

Yucatec Maya
— 'in k'aatech (the love of lovers)
— 'in yabitmech (the love of family, which lovers can also feel; it
indicates more a desire to spoil and protect the other person)

Yugoslavian
— Ja te volim

Zazi (kurdish)
— Ezhele hezdege

Zulu
— Mina Ngithanda Wena (rarely used; means "Me, I love you.")
— Ngiyakuthanda (pronounced as NGee-ya--koo--tanda)

Zuni
— Tom ho'ichema

Really really dumb Interpreter...

Just for laughs...no malice intended.


Stupid Translator - Click here for more home videos

The Dilemma of the Invisible Business: How to be Seen

How do you get noticed? How do you get them to your website? How do you get them to buy?

Your goal is to get more people to use your services as a freelance translators. The strategy is to get them to your website and from your website to your store, online store, or the nearest Starbucks. Here are some ideas to help you increase your opportunities to more freelance translation jobs from your website.

What Your Website Should Do?

Your website should motivate, inform, and educate people and give people reasons to visit your site and engage your translation services. The only way I know to get people to use a service buy is to give them reasons to decide so. Your website is usually your formal conversation with your clients. One of the best practices we teach is that you should be able to make a change to your website within 24 hours. This allows you to respond quickly to changes in the market and your offerings. Ask yourself this question, "Does my website give my customers reasons to decide to use my translation services or even know about them?" Another website best practice is including a map and directions to make it easier for them to find you.

Are You Kidding? Blogs are a Lot of Work

Your business needs a blog. What I really mean is, your raving fan customers need you to have a blog. Not everybody reads it, just those nutty people who love what you do. Your blog informs them, lets them be engaged with you. Blogs are free, but they do require time (did that unsell you on the idea?). Nancy Skorupa (Kent's Retailer of the year) is the poster child for how to do blogging right. She just put up a blog post on her Hat Attack promotion. When I googled "hat attack kent" Nancy's website and blog were the first three listings. People will find your website easier if you blog. Then link to your website from your blog. Learn how Nancy blogs, visit http://renaissanceyarns.blogspot.com/

Email Marketing is Way Cool

I'm assuming you already have a customer database. Collect those email addresses. Email marketing is the easiest and least expensive way to keep "Top of the Mind Awareness" going with your customers. Once you have an email database of customers you can cross promote with other partners who market to your same target market. It is the easiest way to grow your customer list. If you put links to your website in your emails your customers will find your website and come visit your store.

What's all the Hype about Social Media?

If you have raving fan clients, research shows they have on average about 150 connections somewhere through social media websites. What is crazy about these websites is that they are free or very low cost. Once you take the time to set them up they are like a 24/7 sales person working for you. If you remember to include a link to your website, then people will find it, tell their friends, and come shop at your store or website. Here is a quick list of social media websites for you to check out:

Biznik (of course), Facebook, MySpace, YouTube, Flickr, Digg, Twitter, Eventful, Linkedin, Eons, Glee, MiGente, MyBatanga, and many more.

Other Ideas for Getting People to Your Website

1) Make certain your website is on business cards and brochures.

2) Include a link on outgoing email (usually in your signature line).

3) Create a lot of links to your website by making comments on relevant blogs and forums that include a link to your website.

4) Create attractive or irresistible special offers, coupons, or free reports that customers can find on your website

5) Include your website address on any marketing, ads, postcards, yellow pages, etc.

6) Write articles on topics related to your business or industry. (Include links to your website in the byline.)

7) Send snail mail to send post cards, brochures, or sales letters that lead them back to your website.

8) Use public speaking to promote your business and your website.

9) Networking events (like we do at biznik), classes, and get togethers are great opportunities to get the word out.

10) Paying for online ads with adwords.

Learn more about the author, Kirk Davis.

Nine Dumb Things Sales Managers Do

Let’s face it: there are some dumb sales managers out there. Here are ten things that sales managers do which drive sales reps batty — and on to other jobs:

Dumb Thing #1: Update a website without telling the sales team, so that the customers can tell them what’s new in your product set.

Dumb Thing #2: Offer a better price to customers on the web site than the sales team can offer directly to the customers.

Dumb Thing #3: Hire more sales reps for a region than revenue from that region can support, so they’ll all compete for the same business.

Dumb Thing #4: Save all the best leads for the top rep and send the questionable ones to the other reps, just in case they might get lucky.

Dumb Thing #5: Insist that all contact info belongs to the company and demand all copies when the sales rep leaves the company.

Dumb Thing #6: Limit the sales reps’ access within your own firm to minor players so that they don’t “get in the hair” of top management.

Dumb Thing #7: Promise the reps good commissions but hold off paying them until the end of the quarter or the end of the fiscal year.

Dumb Thing #8: Make sure that the most popular products are unavailable to the reps, especially if demonstrating is key to closing a sale.

Dumb Thing #9: Spend big money on a sales and marketing campaign that has no tie-in to the products that the reps must actually sell.

READERS: I’m sure that above list isn’t complete. What needs to be added?

Translation Project Management: Conflict Resolution Tips

We all know that conflicts are a normal part of our life in business and life. The important part is how you handle it can influence the outcome for the better or worse. Ignoring of any kind of conflict will not make it go away, but to learn tips to conflicts resolution skills.

Here are 5 Steps To Resolving Conflicts:

Step #1. Define The Problem

As soon as possible define exactly what the problem is and who is involved in it. You need to get everyone who is involve to agree to this problem and get the whole story so there are no misunderstanding. Do not take side or assume anything. .

Step #2. Discover The Cause Of The Conflict

You need to solve the problem as soon as possible by taking the time to find the cause of the problems. Sometimes it can be easy a misunderstanding or miscommunication on someone end. You just need to be clear what was happen, sometimes it can be by not following instruction or certain procedures. No matter what had started the problem you want to come fast up with the solution and preventing the problem to get out of control or recurring.

Step #3. Brainstorm

The best and powerful tool is brainstorming by writing on a white board or a paper a list of solutions. Make sure everyone who is involved in this conflict is a part of the solution. Take the time and listen if it is a complex problem and it will pays off with the right communication between the members,

Step #4. Narrow Down The Possible Solutions

Sort your solution by ranking them for the best solution by including the cost, resource and time requirement before considering one. Be sure to include the pros and cons for each solution.

Step #5. Make A Decision And Take Action

It is very important that you take action after you made a decision. Any solution will be meaningless and can have a heavy impact in your home business, customers or family when not any action been taken which also will add more stress on everyone.

The best way to solve conflicts is to act in this steps at the early stage. Just remember that every problem has a solution. Focus on solution and you will create a better environment for everyone around you.

How to Develop A Successful Multilingual Website Strategy

Introduction

The relentless pace of business globalisation is, in turn, driving the advancement of multilingual websites as effective business tools, allowing organisations to reach a global audience through their internet activities. Companies are realising that, ultimately, it is the structure, empowerment and recognition gained by their global web strategies that enables them to achieve their long-term business goals.

The challenge is to design, build, localise, host and maintain content-rich multilingual websites cost-efficiently that enables centralised content management, which allows an organisation to manage and publish material relevant to specific international markets.

When you decide to go multilingual, some typical questions arise:

• How can we keep content consistent throughout the different language/country versions?

• How can we ensure that as much content as possible can be re-used or shared?

• How can we assure brand consistency throughout the different country sites?

• How can we empower local markets?

So, what is the best practice for establishing a global online brand? And what are the key considerations that need to be taken into account?

1. Establishing a global brand

Amazon, eBay, British Airways, Virgin, BP, Coca-Cola, Gap, Microsoft, Apple, Vodafone, etc...

Welcome to the world of global branding.

But what exactly is branding? There is a misconception that branding is about the creative side of business; the logo, the advertising, the copy, the look, the image. Well a brand certainly encompasses all of those things, but that isn't the full extent of it. Branding is, in a nutshell, the entire customer experience; the relationship between the company and the customer.
The challenge facing organisations is to establish and maintain their brand on a global basis, and ensure consistency across geographical barriers, whilst at the same time ensuring recognition and relevance in different countries and markets. In order to develop globally, it is necessary to think locally.

The internet has emerged as a key global brand enabler (Amazon and eBay wouldn't exist without it) and a company's website is generally the first point of contact for customers, prospects, suppliers, partners or investors to get information and engage the brand experience. A website provides the opportunity to establish your brand globally with the flexibility to change and maintain localised content across different markets and in different languages.

Make the overall interaction attractive, relevant and convenient to your website visitors. Talk in their language and you have a better chance of attracting and retaining them. These are the key success factors for establishing a global online brand.

2. Having a global online strategy

The internet is the perfect vehicle for reaching a global audience, allowing an organisation to deliver the visual, the informative and the emotional aspects of their business; in short, the brand. Unlike any other communications or marketing media, a web site is the one place where the entire identity of a company is conveyed in a matter of seconds, and with only a few mouse clicks. Either the entire experience works, or it doesn't. Although the internet may indeed be a global community it does not erase cultural and linguistic barriers, in many cases it can actually magnify them. Issues of design, presentation, and copy that appeal to one culture may not necessarily appeal to others. If we consider that there are dozens of languages spoken in the United Kingdom alone, and that many companies consider this as their domestic marketplace, then there are obviously some serious issues for marketers to address, even on our own doorstep.

When you use the internet as a communication medium then you have a powerful opportunity, and an immense challenge. Either way, not having a multilingual online strategy is simply no longer an option for those wishing to develop their business to its full potential.

3. Why build a multilingual website?

A multilingual website demonstrates that you think, work and deal internationally. It is probably one of the most cost effective ways of marketing a company, capturing new users, building relationships with clients and giving your brand a truly global outlook. The internet was originally dominated by English speaking users and sites. However, times are changing quickly with people from all over the world having internet access. English speakers now account for only 29% of the global online population and 99% of all users will search the net in their native language first wherever possible. Having an English-only web site severely restricts the amount of visitors you can attract; it’s the online equivalent of only opening your shop for two days a week.

Research carried out by Nielsen-Netratings described internet markets as 'low hanging fruit', i.e. if you have the will and foresight there are massive revenues to be found for relatively little effort. Results showed that internet use in the traditional strong holds of the USA, the United Kingdom and Germany are levelling out. On the other hand countries such as France, China, Italy, Russia and Japan are seeing substantial growth. Having the ability to communicate to a whole new global audience in their own language will undoubtedly yield results not only in financial terms, but also in terms of marketing and creating brand awareness.

With every language added to a website there is the potential for substantial increase in sales as you expand your market reach. Even if a multilingual website is translated into only a few of the major world languages (Spanish, French, German and Italian) there is a potential four fold increase in sales revenues.

A multilingual website shows that an organisation is thinking about its customers. As with all businesses, if customers think you care, they are far more likely to deal with you. For many cultures there is an issue of trust when it comes to buying online. Offering them a language alternative allows customers to feel secure about what they are buying, how they buy it and who they buy it from.

A multilingual website, if designed properly, overcomes potential cultural and linguistic barriers and automatically puts the user in a 'cultural comfort zone' as they are able to navigate, understand and interact with the website in their own language.

4. Stakeholders - who are they?

Embarking on a global online strategy means that you will have to identify, and give careful consideration to, the stakeholders. They can be defined as those who are involved in creating, managing, maintaining or using a multilingual website and, depending on individual circumstances, can include:

Customers and prospects - These are the key users who will interact with your websites globally on a day-to-day basis. They're the reason you're in business and are easily the most important stakeholders in your multilingual website strategy. It is therefore vital to understand and meet their requirements on a local level.

Investors - For any organisation seeking funding, the ability to communicate strategies, business plans and financial projections to international investors is vital. They need to be able to access information relevant to them easily and quickly, wherever they are and in a language they feel most comfortable with.

Media - It is vital for an organisation to be recognised and represented by global media who will generally expect to see press releases and other company news presented in local languages.
Business partners - Most global organisations forge strategic relationships with suppliers, resellers and other partners, often in different countries. The website must be able to present these relationships clearly within different territories and languages to maximise all business opportunities. The website can also evolve into extranet activity to enable partners to interact with an organisation directly in a secure manner.

Employees - A multilingual website needs to address the needs of employees, from regional sales people to distribution staff, who rely on it for localised information on products and services. In this case, the website can evolve into intranet activities for secure information exchange and interaction within the business itself.

5. Localisation

By its very nature, the internet is a truly international and multicultural engine that crosses global barriers. For global companies to build long-term trust with their customers worldwide, the most effective way is to address audiences in their local languages. Effective content localisation enables companies to leverage corporate assets in ways that reduce overall costs, accelerate revenues and build better relationships with customers and employees around the world.

Most companies have several quantifiable benefits that can form the basis for measuring the ROI of their web site localisation activities, including:

• Infrastructure cost savings

• Time-to-market revenue acceleration

• Impact of a stronger global brand

• Brand consistency

• Enhanced global customer relationships.

There are some qualitative reasons for localisation. According to research company Global Reach, around 75% of the online population was expected to accesses the Internet in a language other than English by 2005. To reach 70% of Europe's audience, a company needs to translate its website into at least five languages, according to one of Anna Bowman Translations Ltd’s most valued clients, Merrill Lynch. To further underline the benefits, IDC have calculated that customers are four times more likely to buy if they are approached in their own language.

6. Information architecture

Designing a web structure in which information is presented is complex enough for a single language website. When creating a multilingual platform, the complexities increase significantly but our experience in dealing with such issues means that the whole process should be straightforward.

However, the one thing that we do recommend is that we are involved from the beginning in order to discuss all complex design and optimisation issues with a company before they build a site. Simply creating an English language site and then presenting it for translation is not the most effective way to develop a multilingual presence online. Focusing on the information architecture at the planning stage can help with the development of a consistent multilingual website in a smoother and more cost effective manner.

Having a global website strategy is not just about translating words; it is about determining not only the brand experience, but also the user experience. The way in which users interact with a web site is fundamental to its success. Design, navigation and the way content is presented are all vital components, as is the capability for visitors to easily and quickly find content that is in their language.

In the development of multilingual site, there may be wholesale or subtle changes that may be required to the user interface to satisfy the requirements and demands of local markets. All of this should be determined at the initial design and development phases through careful assessment of user requirements in different countries. By doing this at an early stage we can create a generic platform, which can then incorporate multiple language content without the need to adapt the site dynamics each time a new language is added. Whilst it is true that there are technical implications for using a single site with multiple languages, especially with foreign search engines, our experience has taught us how to avoid the pitfalls that so many multilingual web sites suffer. The ‘single site’ approach streamlines operational efficiency and reduced the costs associated with multiple website maintenance.

7. Translation

Translation and localisation can combine to allow businesses to expand their global reach. There are a myriad of firms that offer we site translation, but very few fully understand the technical implications of building, hosting and optimising a site in multiple languages. Correctly applied, presenting translated information about your organisation can yield a tremendous return on investment.

The key to successful translation is consistent authoring of the original work. English copy needs to be written ‘with translation in mind’ and should be free from unclear statements, cultural references or any other types of ambiguities that can cause problems during the translation stage. The approach needs to be:

Write once. Translate into many. Sell more.

CONCLUSIONS

Having worked with a very large and demanding global client base for a significant period of time, the lessons we have learned at Anna Bowman Translations Ltd are invaluable. We have seen that local trust is best addressed in the local language. People become more loyal when addressed in their own language and, as a result, a company can build long-term relationships with its customers worldwide.

Key factors to focus on when developing a multilingual website strategy are: revenue opportunities, customer service, brand awareness, trust and cost reduction. Everything else follows on logically from these areas.

For both consumers and business buyers, companies must tailor their website to meet local needs and conditions.

Building long-term trust is fundamental for any organisation and addressing the audience in its local language is an important step to achieving that.

© Jonathan Bowman

Partner - Anna Bowman Translations Ltd
Member of the Chartered Institute of Marketing

How to Write for a Multilingual Marketplace (Part 2)

by Suzan St Maur

In the first part of this article, we looked at how to get over the problems of language length—and, when you're writing for multiple translations, how you need to keep your original very simple and basic.

We've all heard the jokes about embarrassing translations in the marcom arena—e.g., the following edited from a list of supposedly true stories:

* The Dairy Association's huge success with the campaign "Got Milk?" prompted it to expand advertising to Mexico. Unfortunately, the Spanish translation read, "Are you lactating?"

* Scandinavian vacuum manufacturer Electrolux used the following in an American campaign: "Nothing sucks like Electrolux."

* Clairol introduced the "Mist Stick," a curling iron, into Germany only to find out that "mist" is slang for manure. Not too many people had a use for the manure stick.

* Colgate introduced a toothpaste in France called Cue, the name of a notorious porno magazine.

* Coors put its slogan "Turn it loose" into Spanish, and it was interpreted as "Suffer from diarrhea."

And so on. Whether these are true is debatable. But the awful thing is, they could happen for real. And if I were responsible for a hefty international marketing or ad budget, examples such as these would wipe the smile right off my face.

Ad Copy and Brand Names: Only By the Experts, Please

There are some lessons to learn here about writing for branding and ad copy in multiple languages:

1. Get the homework and background research done by marcom experts in every language market you're going to. One Spanish-speaking country will have words and interpretations that are different from another. Brazilian Portuguese is different from the Portuguese in Portugal. Parisian French is slightly different from Belgian French and Swiss French and Québécois French. And that's before we even get started on languages in the Middle East, Africa, Asia and beyond.

2. Make sure that your translations are done not just by translation experts in each language but by translation experts who understand how to write ad copy. Insist on this when you hire the translation agency. They may think it's OK to use a native-speaker journalist or other professional writer who isn't a trained copywriter. That's not good enough if you want to get bang for your buck in the foreign ad spend.

3. It's impossible to judge the quality of translations into languages you don't speak, so get them double-checked by an appropriate native speaker. Don't leave it to the translation agency; play it safe. Preferably, get a native-speaker copywriter (perhaps from the local ad agency?) to run through it and tighten it up if necessary.

Humor: Some Works, Some Doesn't

Humor can be a hot potato because what is hysterical in one country could be deeply offensive in another. However, here a couple of tips for humor that should work internationally.

Use humor about situations, not people. Obviously, most humor is going to involve people in one way or another. But as long as the butt of the joke is a situation or set of circumstances, not people, you're far more likely to get a laugh whatever the language. For example:

Some people are driving along at night and are stopped by a police car. The officer warns the driver that one of the rear lights isn't working. The driver jumps out and looks terribly upset. The officer reassures him that it's just a warning, so there's no problem. "Oh yes there is a problem," says the man as he rushes toward the back of the car, "if you could see my rear lights it means I've lost my trailer."

The butt of the joke is the broken rear light and the loss of the trailer, not the policeman or the driver, so no one can be offended. And most people can identify with how that would feel.

Play on the concept, not the words. Wordplays just don't work from one language to another. However, if the play or double entendre is in the concept rather than the words, it probably will work.

For example, a couple of wordplays in English that wouldn't translate easily, if at all:

* Deja-moo: The feeling that you've heard this bull before.

* The two most common elements in the universe are hydrogen and stupidity.

These, however, probably would translate because the humor is in the concept, not in the words themselves:

* You don't stop laughing because you grow old. You grow old because you stop laughing.

* The trouble with doing something right the first time is that nobody appreciates how difficult it was.

Hope that helps next time you need to write something for translation. Bonne chance!

Suzan St Maur (www.suzanstmaur.com) writes extensively on marketing and business communications and is the author of the widely acclaimed Powerwriting.

Top 10 Freelancer Lies

I have time free now to work on your project

True meaning: This one might be true, but I will never say I don't have time for a project unless I really don't want it or I am insanely busy.

I understand your instructions

True meaning: I have not read them fully yet or not at all.

I am waiting for delivery on ….

True meaning: I am stalling for time, and I am blaming someone else for the delay.

I really look forward working on your project

True meaning: I am already counting the money for the project, and I am hoping you don't waste my time too much during the project, so I can make a killing, and take my family on vacation.

I enjoy working with you

True meaning: I have nothing better to do, and I am already spending the money I will earn from you.

I never got that e-mail

True meaning: I think I never got that e-mail. (Sometimes a mail does not go through, but yes, its very rare).

I already sent you an e-mail about that

True meaning: I hope that I can make you believe that the e-mail is somewhere in your inbox. For some clients, where I used that excuse often enough, I actually convinced them into changing hosts (to which I made a side-kick from a gratefull friend).

I could not work since my computer was down

True meaning: I try to blame the computer for not working correctly. Who has not experienced that problem? Most clients will be sympathetic, however, it only works once, or they start looking for someone else who is more professional / has a better computer.

I am waiting for my sub-contractor

True meaning: This could happen, I have experienced it myself, I never use that as an excuse in front of my clients, I would rather take the blame myself. However, as an excuse because I simply have not worked on a project, it works fine as an excuse! (Just remember if you are using subcontractors, or the client might become suspicious).

I have been working hard, so I have not had time to get back to you

True meaning: I was out doing something else that was more entertaining than working on your boring project.

So, thats it. which ones have you used? Both those who worked, and those who didn't.

9 Tips For Increasing Translation Quality While Decreasing Translation Cost

In some cases, there's no win-win situation when you're looking to increase product quality while decreasing cost. Translation is the exception; measures that decrease word count and therefore cost often result in a more precise and accessible translation. Here are some "translator's eye view" tips gleaned from some of my recent projects.

1. CONDENSE AND CLARIFY

Many businesses ignore the value of pre-editing materials for translation, but this step can reduce costs by 25% and more while ensuring a higher-quality final product. How? By reducing sentences such as "The objective of this chapter is to explain the use of macros in word processing software." to "Chapter Objective: Explain word processing macros." It's easy to see how this saves money, cutting 11 words down to 6 for a cost reduction of almost 50%, but it's also important to see how this makes the sentence clearer, easier to translate, and easier for the end user to understand. Consider hiring a translator or specialized translation editor to eliminate redundancies, standardize style, or even vet entire sections that aren't relevant to the target reader.

2. BANISH JARGON

Many translators comment that industry-specific jargon is one of the biggest barriers to producing a quality translation. What's more,we use our own jargon so much that we don't even recognize it as such. To a translator, "I'll deliver the target" connotes the transfer of a translated file, while to a hunting goods supplier, it means something very different. A Google search for "industry jargon" reveals 307,000 sites, many of them dedicated to jargon-busting, and full of examples of how jargon leads us astray. When I first encountered the term "belly lift" on an aeronautics jargon site, I thought "yoga posture or plastic surgery procedure?" while the correct definition is the cargo capacity of a passenger airliner. To ensure a quality end product, ask an industry "outsider" to review your documents for problematic jargon.

3. SCREEN FOR SPORTS TERMS

Americans in particular have a fondness for using terms and examples from sports, often our "homegrown" sports like football and baseball. However to most of the rest of the world, superlatives like home run, pinch hit, touchdown, Hail Mary pass, or bottom of the ninth fall flat. In addition, making use of sports-centric examples alienates the target audience and slows translators down, resulting in delays and cost overruns. Recently I worked on a computer manual translation where students in an HTML class were asked to create an ordered list of the teams in the American League. This text, destined for Western Europe, required the translation team to localize the exercise by asking students to alphabetize a list of Formula One drivers. Better yet, screen these terms out of your text entirely.

4. ELIMINATE DUPLICATE TEXT

Many documents include redundant text, which, if not eliminated, results in paying for the same translation twice, or even more. One of my recent projects included translating a workbook, and the workbook's answer key. The client simply noted the word count for each document, not realizing that the entire text of the workbook was repeated in the answer key. When I pointed this out, the client was happy to have saved several hundred dollars. While every text contains some amount of necessary repetition, try to eliminate the unnecessary kind. In cases where budgets are tight, consider referencing duplicate text, i.e. "see instructions on pg. 42" rather than having it re-translated.

5. MAKE A MULTILINGUAL GLOSSARY

Most businesses have specific terms that always need to be translated in the same way throughout their literature, for example the name of a certain machine, process, department, etc. While these terms often appear on a company's multilingual website, "standardize the terms with what's on our site" is a tall order when the site runs into hundreds or thousands of pages with terminology scattered throughout. Creating a multilingual glossary of crucial terms avoids this problem; simply e-mail it to all of the translators on the project. This saves the time needed to respond to translator e-mails when terminology is unclear, and results in a standardized final product.

6. PROVIDE CONTEXT

Good translation depends on context, since words mean different things in different situations. This is especially important in documents such as a spreadsheet of terms, where no context is available. One of my regular clients is a software company doing market research abroad, with the results coming to the translation team in spreadsheet form. The client always provides the text of the survey questions so that translators know what the context of the responses is. Recently I translated a survey where one of the responses was the word "Linus." My immediate thought was "like the Peanuts character?" However when I referenced the survey text and saw that the question had to do with computer operating systems, I saw that this was a typo of the "Linux" open source operating system. Providing context allows translators to be more precise in their terminology. Consider providing either supporting documents, or a short summary of what the text is used for.

7. GO METRIC

Whether used as a unit of measurement to give the dimensions of a product, or as a figure of speech such as "an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure," realize that America is the odd one out when it comes to metrics. Pre-convert all measurements, speeds, distances, etc. into metric before sending the document to be translated.

8. PROVIDE DOCUMENTS IN READ-WRITE FORMAT

Read-only formats such as PDFs are a great way to exchange documents between users of different systems and platforms, but they slow down the translation process and make it hard to standardize the end product. Many end clients want their documents returned with the same layout, look and feel of the originals, thus saving desktop publishing time later on. When documents are read-only, this is impossible, and results in the translator having to describe where the text should go, i.e. "this is the caption below the picture of the jaguar." Embedded and scanned objects that include text fall into this category too; consider typing the text below the object so that it's ready for the translator to work on.

9. COLLABORATE

Translation consumers can save time and money by paying attention to the human element of the process along with the technical and linguistic sides. Benefit from your translation team's expertise by asking "What can we do to make this project a success?" rather than just sending off the files and waiting for the result. Every agency and every translator can draw upon a multitude of "do" and "don't" examples from past clients, so take advantage of this advice and use it to your benefit. Encourage translators to ask questions, and discuss how they should be managed in order to get answers back quickly and accurately. One of my clients requests that I type up questions and send them in batches (rather than one at a time) so that the client can just paste in responses. This is fast, easy, and cheap. "Should euros be converted to dollars?" "No," etc. With pre-editing of documents for translation, these types of questions can even be anticipated and answered in an advance instructions sheet for translators.

These tips reflect my experience as a translator and my own opinions, not those of my clients. Feel free to use them in your own work, and let me know if they are helpful!


By Corinne McKay

So you want to run your own business?

Posted by: Lars Koudal In: freelancetips

Running your own business is a dream many people have, but few ever come through. Managing your own time, earning a decent living (or a killing) and not having to answer to anyone but yourself is a great dream, but many people fail, and that’s because the reality does not correlate with their fantasy.

In this article, I go through some of the misconceptions people have, and try to make sure people entertaining this idea knows what they are heading toward.

Misconception 1 : I will have more time with my family.

Wrong. You will not have more time with your family, you will spend more time working on your projects and your clients dont care if it is your girlfriends birthday, they want that project finished tomorrow, so you will have to suck it up, hunker down, and skip dinner.

Misconception 2: I don’t have to work those long hours at work anymore.

Wrong. You will have to spend even longer days now, since there is no boss or colleagues to share the workload/blame for failing.

Misconception 3: I will have a lot of clients from the get-go, so money will be no problem.

Wrong. Even if you have a client as well as a project from the first day, you still need to actually finish the project, have the client approve it, and then you need to invoice the client. When invoicing the client, you set a pay-by date, but are you sure that all clients will actually pay by this date? Most clients I have believe that they have a month by the day that they receive the invoice, and they usually wait at least that month before paying. Do you have money to live by until then?

Before starting your own business, you should make sure you have enough money to pay for all your expenses (rent, food, car, etc.) for at least 3 months. Start saving up money!

Misconception 4: I will be able to pick and choose between the jobs I want and the boring ones.

Wrong. Maybe in the beginning if you jump at the right time and have some interesting projects. But what will happen when you run out of interesting/fun projects? Will you stay the course and wait for a fun project, or will you accept less interesting/less paying projects? Of course you will. You need to maintain a fairly steady income even if you are single and you do not have the need to pay mortgage for a big house/car and/or maintain a big family.

Being self-employed is a state of mind. You need to figure out what kind of person you are before you walk down this path. Are you the kind of person who need security, you propably wouldn’t enjoy this lifestyle very much. If you on the other hand is the kind of person who enjoys challenge, and loves having the opportunity to manage your own time, you will love it.

After having been self-employed for 5+ years, I notice a lot of differences in the people trying and the people succeeding. If you have the skill, and the network, you will propably do well.

Don’t get me wrong. I enjoy being a freelancer, and I would not choose differently even if a very attractive job-position was offered me right now. (Well, maybe, but it had to be an extremely good one). My choice to become a freelancer and live purely on this basis was brought forward by me being fired from a good steady job due to lack of proper income, but the choice to remain a freelancer was my own.

What about you? When did you make the jump to being a freelancer? Was it a gradual process or did you jump feet first?

There are more misconceptions to add, share your experience with the rest of us!

How to Write for a Multilingual Marketplace (Part 1)

by Suzan St Maur

Everyone thought I was nuts to take on the scriptwriting job doing sales-training videos for the European division of a major US car manufacturer.

"You write it in English so ze boys in Detroit can understand und approve it," said the German producer on the phone to me. "Zen I shoot the video and do one edit. Zat's all zey vant to spend."

"Fine," I ventured. "So what's the catch?"

"Zat one edit gets voiceovers in 11 different languages," he continued, sniggering a little. "Ze translations are all different lengths. So your original has to work in chunks mit long gaps in English, so it can flow at 90 miles an hour in Greek.

"It's a bloody nightmare," he said finally. "Still vant to do it?"

I let out a long sigh, stared at my sparse-looking bank statement and said yes.

Here, then, is some advice based on my painful experience.

Allow for different language lengths

Strictly speaking, this is more of a design issue. But as we saw, it can affect the words, too.

If you intend to use the same visual template for more than one language version, ensure that your design allows for differing amounts of text (or spoken speech.)

Bear in mind that English is the just about the shortest of the world's commercial languages. So if your text is a tight fit in English, you'll be way over length in many other languages. You need up to three times as much space for some of them. So keep your English version short and sweet.

If accuracy is essential, use the lowest common denominators

Sadly, figurative speech doesn't translate. However, translators valiantly attempt to do it, often with unfortunately amusing results.

Here's an example from one of my earlier articles, "How To Write Right To Your Customers' Hearts." My original paragraph:

Probably the most important part of getting your writing right is to really know what makes your customers (or any other audience) tick. Customer analysis techniques are great for getting hard facts and data. But if you want to write so you touch their hearts, you need to back up the formal information with something a bit more emotional.

The Spanish translation that appeared on a South American Web site:

Probablemente la parte más importante de escribir bien es saber realmente que es lo que a sus clientes (o cualquier otra audiencia) les llama la atención. Las técnicas de análisis de clientes son buenas para poder obtener hechos e información. Pero si quiere escribir para llegar muy cerca de su corazón, usted necesita respaldar la información formal con algo emocional.

How Google translated it back into English:

Probablemente the part most important to write or is to really know that is what to his clients (or any other hearing) it calls the attention to them. The techniques of analysis of clients are good to be able to obtain facts and information. But if he wants to write to arrive closely together from his heart, you need to endorse the formal information with something emocional.

Phew. Lucky it wasn't instructions for heart surgery. Had I been writing my piece for multiple languages, I would have written it like this, with simple syntax and all figurative speech stripped out:

To write effectively, it is most important that the writer knows the customers (or any other group you're writing for) very well, and understands how they think. It's possible to get useful facts and information from customer analysis techniques. However, if the writer wants to appeal to customers emotionally, emotional writing must be added to the formal information.

Boring, isn't it? But it wouldn't be open to quite so many misunderstandings. Yes, they can be funny. But in a marketing or sales context, they can be costly, too.

Be aware of how other languages work

You notice in the paragraph above that I've removed my beloved "you" in favor of "the writer." This is especially important if you're writing for languages like Spanish or Portuguese, where often they don't talk to "you," but to the third person.

I believe that's why things went wrong with the translation of that article on the South American Web site. The translators haven't been able to figure out that "he" and "you" are the same person.

Try as far as you can to organize your grammar and syntax in the English version so that they're as simple as possible. That makes it easier for translators to get it right.

In part two of this article, we'll look at the following:

• The importance of different language structures
• Multilingual ad copy—a tricky one
• Translating humor—even trickier

Until then, au revoir!

Suzan St Maur (www.suzanstmaur.com) writes extensively on marketing and business communications and is the author of the widely acclaimed Powerwriting.

Extend Market Reach With Multilingual Marketing

The English language now accounts for less than 13% of internet searches within the EU and less than 10% across Asia. Businesses who only market themselves with web sites written in English are clearly missing out.

In order to compete in a global market, and attract new overseas customers, you have to make it possible for people to find your web site in a language they feel comfortable with;

A simple five-language site can put your business in front of an additional 412 million internet users; creating thousands of extra visitors to your site, leading to a potential four fold increase in generated sales.

Multilingual marketing works, simply because people will always use their native language first when searching the internet.

THE ISSUES

The English language is no longer sufficient for companies that want to trade internationally. More and more businesses are recognising that marketing campaigns, written in the language of the target client, are strategic to successful overseas development.

Key facts...

1 in 5 UK exporting companies have lost business due to their lack of language or cultural skills.

80% of UK exporting companies cannot conduct business overseas in even one foreign language.

75% of the world's population speak no English at all.

Over 70% of UK trade is with non-English speaking countries.

Yet...

Internet users are twice as likely to stay on a web site, and four times more likely to buy when addressed in their own language.

Export sales of companies that make an effort to understand each nations' way of life, consumer tastes, culture and language are growing by, on average, £290K per company per year.

YOU NEED TO SEE A RETURN ON YOUR INVESTMENT

Adding value in a competitive environment

Consumers spend, businesses invest. If your business is looking to implement a multilingual marketing programme, then you will naturally be seeking a tangible return to justify the investment.

Offering products and services in multiple languages can have a tremendous impact on the long term growth and development of a business. The results achieved are tangible, and can be measured in terms of increased sales revenues, enhanced customer loyalty, additional revenue streams and more.

Some examples of attained value are:

Increased Market Presence: English language web sites can only reach out to 16.6% of EU consumers. Localising web site copy into German, French, Spanish and Italian makes a site visible to 74.1% of the European population. This simple step can generate a five fold increase in customer acquisitions, leading to an overall improvement in brand awareness and market share.
Improved Asset Utilization: Multilingual marketing campaigns can easily be piggy-backed onto a company's existing website. Current packaging and promotional material can also be adapted for multiple languages, therefore broadening the product appeal and enhancing customer loyalty.
Reasons to embrace multilingual marketing:

• Improved Operational Efficiency
• Global Business Integration
• Enhanced Consumer Loyalty
• Increased Market Share
• Improved Customer Retention Levels
• Increased Competitive Advantage
• Minimal Risk
• Increased Sales Per Customer
• Additional Revenue Streams
• Increased Profit
• Leveraging Existing Assets

THE MARKETING FUNNEL

How multilingual marketing works in practice

The principle of the marketing funnel is based on the premise that cold prospects enter at the very top, and are guided down the funnel towards the point of sale. An initial enquiry turns into a warm prospect, which turns into a qualified lead, which turns into in a sale. Along the way, all the non-serious prospects are filtered out until you are left with a smaller number of actual sales coming out at the bottom.

The number of sales made, in relation to the number of initial enquiries, is known as the conversion ratio. For example, if you have one sale for every twenty enquiries, then your conversion ratio is 5%. In order to plan an effective marketing campaign, a business should know how their funnel operates at all the different levels, and what the overall conversion ratio is at the end.

Under the marketing funnel principle, there are only two ways a business can develop and grow; either by increasing the number of prospects entering the funnel at point-of-interest, or by improving the conversion ratio through improved sales strategies.

The internet is now regarded as the most commonly used entry point for any sales funnel. When someone finds your site online, you have the chance to influence their decision and lead them towards a sale. However, if your website is only written in English, then the only people who can find you are those who search the net in English, and that severely restricts the impact that your business can have.

Fact: 99% of people search the internet in their native language.

Multilingual marketing using a European web site can generate a five fold increase in the number of customers entering your sales funnel, resulting in a significant increase in new customer acquisitions and an overall improvement in brand awareness across the EU.

For many years, this type of international marketing campaign was the preserve of the large multinationals, but technology advances, and web site leasing options, are now allowing businesses of all sizes to expand into lucrative European markets in a professional, cost effective manner.

In today's business environment, multilingual marketing can give you the competitive advantage you need to generate long term business growth.

Interpreting Without Tears

There are several different types of interpreting. Simultaneous interpreting is the one which most people are familiar with if they have seen interpreters in use at large conferences such as those held by the United Nations.

One person speaks and many listen through headphones. Simultaneous interpreters sit in a sound-proof booth and interpret in real-time.

Simultaneous interpreting is highly skilled work requiring many years of experience and subject matter expertise. To be successful, events requiring simultaneous interpreters need careful planning and specialist equipment.

If I had to give a single tip for success it would be the importance of using experienced simultaneous interpreters. As simultaneous interpreting is a real-time skill, there are no second chances once the moment is lost. If you do not have the budget to engage simultaneous interpreters, I'd urge you to consider whether a Consecutive Interpreter (see later) would suffice rather than attempt to cut corners and have your event ruined.

Hiring Simultaneous Interpreters, things to be aware of:

Of the three different categories of interpreting (the other two being Consecutive Interpreting and Facilitating Interpreting), Simultaneous Interpreting is by far the most demanding.

A minimum of 2 interpreters are required for continuous service of more than a couple of hours. This comes as a shock to most people.

Why do we need 2 people? Surely the interpreting company is just trying to sell us extra interpreters? The truth is, simultaneous interpreting demands so much concentration that any individual can only hope to be effective for periods of 20 minutes or so. After that time they will need to hand off to a fellow interpreter and rest. Whilst resting they will continue to follow the proceedings and prepare for their next slot.

For an event lasting more than a couple of hours, 2 interpreters are required to allow adequate rest periods. Many interpreters will refuse assignments unless they have a deputy, ideally, someone they have worked with before.

Specialist equipment is required. Simultaneous interpreters require a sound proof booth within view of the speaker. A clear audio feed from the speaker to the interpreters' headphones is required.

Each interpreter must be equipped with a microphone to relay the interpreted audio to the audience via headphones. I strongly recommend you hire in professionals to set up your venue. Attempting to cut costs by doing it yourself and getting it wrong can lead to disaster, unintelligible audio, a dissatisfied audience and embarrassed interpreters.

Background information.

Having adequate and timely background information ahead of a simultaneous interpreting assignment is vital. As the interpreting is being carried out in real-time, there is no scope for going back and correcting mistakes. If at all possible I suggest you:

1. Provide drafts of speeches and explain any specialist vocabulary.

2. Schedule some time with the interpreter ahead of the day to brief them on any company politics they should be aware of.

3. Provide a breakdown of how the day will be structured so that the interpreters can begin to plan their work. It is very likely that one of them has specialist knowledge which would be best used during a particular part of a presentation.

Whilst I may have made it sound frightening, organizing a successful event is really a matter of forward planning, your interpreting company should be more than happy to help you.

Consecutive Interpreting.

Consecutive interpreting is best thought of as "Listen before talk" interpreting. One person speaks and then pauses; one or many people listen whilst the consecutive interpreter repeats what has been said in the target language.

Unlike Simultaneous Interpreting, Consecutive Interpreting does not happen in real time. Consecutive Interpreting is the most popular type of interpreting as it does not require any specialist equipment or complex planning. It is also considerably cheaper than Simultaneous Interpreting.

Less demanding than Simultaneous Interpreting, the speaker delivers a few sentences and then pauses whilst your interpreter repeats what has just been said in the target language. The interpreter may interpret for the whole group or, as is becoming increasingly common, sit next to an individual and whisper what has just been said.

The main differences between Consecutive Interpreting and Simultaneous Interpreting are that specialist equipment is not required and the interpreting is not real-time.

Money saving tip: Consider conducting your meeting via teleconference or video conference as opposed to face to face. Consecutive Interpreting lends itself very well to these formats and can result in dramatic savings in cost and executive downtime as fewer interpreters are required, no specialist equipment is needed and travel time is zero.

Examples of where consecutive interpreters are used.

1. After dinner speech by head of foreign affiliate addressing English target audience. The interpreter will listen to the speech and repeat what has just been said in English.

2. Visit by foreign delegation to a factory in the UK. English Manager explains how machines work to a small group of foreign executives. The interpreter accompanies the group and interprets what has just been said.

3. Presentation by UK marketing department to international sales team.

Hiring a Consecutive Interpreter, things to be aware of:

A good way to approach this is to think of an interpreter as someone who has just joined your company to start a new job. There will undoubtedly be acronyms, technical terms and politics which will be unfamiliar to them. Briefing him or her on such issues before the assignment will lead to a far more satisfactory day for all involved.

Background information.

As with simultaneous interpreting, always try to provide some background information about the company and its products well ahead of the assignment. Provide drafts of speeches and explain any specialist vocabulary.

Phone interpreting.

Phone interpreting is simply Consecutive Interpreting over the phone instead of face to face. It is the ideal solution when geographically dispersed people need to talk but do not share a common language.

How does phone interpreting work?

Your interpreting company will issue you with a telephone number and personal identification number (PIN). At the prearranged time, all participants dial into this number and enter the PIN code to enter the teleconference. Once dialled in, all participants are able to hear each other. Your interpreter will also be on call and will interpret as directed by whoever you have nominated as the chairperson of the call.

Facilitating Interpreting.

Facilitating Interpreting covers a range of activities. Typically many people talk and many people listen alternately. Facilitating Interpreting is the term used to describe work which is less structured than Consecutive Interpreting or Simultaneous Interpreting assignments.
Sometimes you just need someone bilingual on hand who can help out with ad-hoc requirements during an event. Facilitating Interpreters are often hired to attend international corporate hospitality events and team building sessions. They are a great help in making your clients and staff feel comfortable and can help avoid misunderstandings and consequent embarrassment.

Facilitating Interpreters are often used when some group members have a smattering of both (or all) the languages involved and require someone bilingual to clarify points of confusion by saying it 'in other words'. Other times, the various group members can only speak their native language, in which case we can help by switching between Consecutive Interpreting to the group and providing one-to-one help to group members who are struggling.

Facilitator interpreters, examples of use:

1. Marketing department running a 'focus group' exercise as part of a new product initiative.

2. Information systems department involved in a global software development project running a workshop to decide on roles and responsibilities.

3. A colleague from a foreign affiliate needs help understanding what is being discussed in meetings or over dinner.

Hiring a facilitator interpreter, things to be aware of.

1. If you need someone to facilitate at meetings where the subject matter is very specialized, please provide as much background as possible to help your interpreting company select the most appropriate individual to help you.

2. It is difficult for a single interpreter to facilitate in very large meetings/workshops. If you intend to have more than (approximately) 8 people present, consider splitting the group and running two meetings either simultaneously (you will need to hire another facilitator) or consecutively.

3. If you know in advance, or even suspect, that you will want the facilitator to accompany your team to dinner in the evening, please mention this at the time of booking so he/she can make personal and travel arrangements.

About the Author:

Peter Bennett is founder and CEO of London translations Limited, one of London's fastest growing business translation and interpreting agencies.Download his free report, Interpreting without tears, from:http://www.london-translations.co.uk