Translation Buyers' Views on Technology Independence

By Ben Sargent,
Senior Analyst,
Common Sense Advisory

In late mid-2008, Common Sense Advisory asked buyers of translation services for their views on technology independence among their software and language vendors. Over half the 30-plus respondents hailed from North America; 35 percent were from Europe; the balance were scattered across that amorphous continent known as "Rest of World."

Our first question asked, "How important is it for your technology vendor to be a different company than the firm that provides translation services?" About 60 percent said technology independence was "somewhat important" or "very important."


Source: Common Sense Advisory, Inc.

Stated more bluntly, we were asking buyers what they felt about using technology tied to a specific language services provider (LSP), such as Lionbridge, Sajan, SDL, or Translations.com. Given the high proportion of "very important" responses coupled with zero buyers stating "very unimportant," the balance of opinion among buyers tilts radically toward concern on this topic, even though 39 percent said it was "not important."

Next, we asked buyers if a guarantee of independence from the vendor would influence their purchasing decision. Over 80 percent indicated that it would.


Source: Common Sense Advisory, Inc.

Expect non-service vendors to take advantage of this buying criterion, in both marketing platitudes and in the more hand-to-hand combat of direct selling. However, not all buyers will take such promises at face value. Last year, two notable independent software companies, Alchemy and Idiom, were swallowed by large LSPs (Translations.com and SDL, respectively). When we asked how recent mergers and acquisitions (M&A) had affected their views regarding vendor independence, 60 percent of buyers told us industry consolidation had raised their skepticism about any vendor's ability to remain independent over time.

Other reactions included 25 percent who said they were pushed to explore internal development options; 35 percent who set off to look for new independent vendors; and 45 percent for whom it triggered an exploration of open source solutions. Only 16 percent say the consolidation did not alter their views on vendor independence.


Source: Common Sense Advisory, Inc.

But apparently many companies did not need M&A activities to trigger their interest in open source. When we asked if it was likely their company would use open-source software for translation automation projects, nearly three out of four said they are "somewhat likely" or "very likely" to do so. This receptiveness could bode well for an open-source Global Sight — if Welocalize succeeds in mobilizing a community and eliciting a sense of ownership beyond itself.


Source: Common Sense Advisory, Inc.

Fewer companies are developing their own solutions for translation automation. Half said they were not, 30 percent said they were, and 20 percent claimed to be thinking about it.

Translation Buyers' Views on Technology Independence

Source: Common Sense Advisory, Inc.

So, our survey comes down to two conflicting datapoints:

* Our research on translation management systems (TMS) shows that most high-scoring systems are offered by language service providers, not by independent software vendors (ISVs). Suppliers such as Lionbridge, Sajan, SDL, and Translations.com are not only LSPs, but leading proponents of TMS in the openly available enterprise or captive "house" categories (house systems are available only through service agreements with those LSPs).

* However, buyers unequivocally tell us they worry about vendor independence and that it affects buying decisions.

This cognitive dissonance explains the difficult selling environment that LSPs find themselves in when pushing their proprietary technology approaches. And why unaffiliated software vendors have clay feet when it comes to the question of independence. Across, Beetext, and Kilgray have no financial ties to LSPs — yet. Maybe these new players will be the ones who finally turn the corner and prove that ISVs can survive in this service-oriented marketplace. But over the last decade, LSPs have harvested pretty much every leading software vendor in the space — more than 10 companies in all. Common Sense Advisory anticipates that acquisition by an LSP is still the most likely "exit strategy" for any globalization software vendor (GSV) operating today.

Published - April 2009

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Corporate Blog of Elite - Professional Translation Services serving ASEAN & East Asia

Working your workflow

By Tobias Rinche,
The Language Technology Centre

It is no secret that optimal processes mean optimal productivity, which in turn means hugely increased competitiveness. Given that we all agree on this, it is surprising to see how many language service providers (LSP’s) out there are not getting the most out of their processes. Let’s look at a few simple things you can do to make sure that your processes are - and crucially - stay the best they can be.

At LTC we have been consulting on the optimization of language related workflows for over fifteen years. We have seen the processes of operations of all sizes – from small start-ups to large language service providers (LSP’s) and corporate language departments – and for many different types of service from translation, localization, and interpreting to subtitling and publishing.

We found that no matter how big or small, how specialized, or multifaceted an operation is, each has its very own approach to managing the complex projects we face in the language industry. Many of these processes grow organically. As a start up company grows and takes on more jobs and employees, others are designed at some point in time to represent perfect use of resources and software tools available to an organization. As these workflows are used, they become second nature to everyone involved. These work flows are ‘the way things are done’ and rarely questioned or reviewed unless there is an acute need to. Why fix what isn’t broken?

It is true. Why think about changing processes that work for you? Many companies only consider their processes or bring in consultants to do so when absolutely necessary. When a large contract is won suddenly, for example, or when processes have become so glaringly inefficient that something simply has to be done.

It is no secret that our industry is changing rapidly. For one it is growing. We all know that the percentage of non- English speaking Internet users is growing, that markets are opening up for a host of industries in non-English speaking countries. We know that the amount of information that needs to be translated and localized and the need for other language services such as interpretation will inevitably grow. Are you ready to claim your piece of this ever growing cake?

The way we work is changing rapidly too. Translation memory technology dramatically changed the way most of us operated in the nineties and development is ongoing. Are you aware what is being developed? Are you ready? But that’s not all. We see ‘per word’ prices plummeting as communication technologies make it possible for companies in low cost countries to set up huge project management operations using the same high quality freelance translators we do. Western LSP’s will only be able to keep up in the price war by significantly improving their efficiency.

So, what next? The good news is that you can be ready for the challenges ahead. Just keeping a close eye on your processes and taking a little time regularly to examine them has many of benefits. You don’t have to change a thing – reminding yourself of what you do, why, and how, will help you not only to see which parts of your process can be optimized and where extra training will improve productivity very quickly, but you will also be able to respond to change, growth, or new challenges more easily. There is a lot of technology out there that can help you, both on the linguistic and business management side. Being aware of your workflow means that you will be able to make very quick decisions on which technology will actually benefit you.

Knowing your processes can have even more advantages. It might help you identify your unique selling proposition – the factors that you can promote as unique for your operation sales and marketing purposes.

Let’s get started then! I suggest you get a pencil and paper ready:

The first step is to draw what we call your ‘company workflow’. It describes the process and players involved in every step that takes you from a quote request to a paid invoice. Just draw a box for each step in your workflow and write the person responsible next to it. The example is just a quotation workflow - you can obviously have more, less or different steps and yours will go all the way to the invoice. In this process ‘project management’ is just one step of many.

The second step is to draw your project workflows in the same way. Some companies that offer only one service in one way may only have one workflow, the more services you offer, the more workflows you will be able to draw. When we talk about offering multiple services, we do not only mean offering translation and interpretation. For example, do you offer an express service? Or do you work with clients that have certain special requirements such as special QA or approval steps? How do you deal with such services? Is your ‘express’ service the same as your normal service with tighter deadlines or do you have a special workflow to maximize efficiency?

After visualising these processes you may already see some room for improvement. Or maybe get that warm glow from the inside as you’ve just proven to yourself that you are currently working in the best way possible. Keep this diagram safe. It will help you whenever you consider introducing new software tools or different processes.

Next you should review which tools you use to optimize these workflows. At LTC we believe that companies should be able to choose a ‘toolbox’ of linguistic and business tools that supports their unique workflow and their customers’ requirements optimally. There are so many developers of tools for the language industry out there – are you sure you’re using the right software for your operation? We suggest that every company should plan regular re-evaluation of tools they use. Many smaller companies, for example, quickly outgrow integrated solutions that cover both the business and linguistic side of their work. Often, innovations come to market that savvy quick adopters can use to gain an important head start. Have you, for example, ever considered the impact of using controlled language tools or machine translation in your authoring, translation or localization process?

We have discussed your processes and have thought about the tools you use in your bid to be as efficient and thus as competitive as possible. All of our effort has centred on being aware of and optimizing your specific company and project workflows for the services you offer. We believe that there is even more to be gained from being aware of your processes and choosing your tools carefully. Let’s end this article with a few ideas that may be food for thought.

I have browsed many websites and found a bit of a theme among small to medium sized LSP’s. Most of you advertise your services with two messages: the length of time your company or the company’s founder has been in the industry and your most important clients. In a market with many competitors offering similar services you rely on the languages you offer, your experience and your previous clients as the only unique selling proposition to your potential clients. What a waste! Recently I worked with an LSP that had a number of sales people who would be in contact with clients and create quotes that were then always checked by the company owner personally. To him this was the natural way things should be, and many of us can see where he was coming from. After all, a well-calculated quote can make or break a sale and is crucial for the profitability of a company. However, he did not see that his approach was one that set him apart from many other companies. Had he been aware of this, he could have created a marketing campaign centred on his offering ‘a most personal service’, for example. So why not take another look at the diagram you just made of your processes? Can you see anything in there that you should shout about? That sets you apart from the rest? You never know, it might just be the point that convinces your potential client to buy your services rather than choosing the competition.

There is another strong argument for spending a little time to optimize your processes and to shop around for the perfect ‘toolbox’ of software for your services. The more unique your company, the more thought has gone into creating processes and methods to offer your services, the more valuable it becomes. Anyone who has some entrepreneurial spirit, is computer savvy, and has some contacts, can buy an integrated system and offer basic language services. If you can generate added value by creating something special, which should not only maximize efficiency and thus competitiveness, business and profit, it could also increase your company’s overall value.

The Language Technology Centre is based in London and Washington DC. It develops business information systems for the language industry and offers consultancy to corporate language departments and LSP’s on process optimization and software implementation.

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Corporate Blog of Elite - Professional Translation Services serving ASEAN & East Asia

How To Use Outsourcing To Beat Your Competition

By David Riewe,
The Internet Marketer and Publisher,
Ft. Worth, TX, U.S.A.

david[at]riewe.com
http://riewe.com/

Outsourcing is when you hire outside professionals or services to take on part of your business workload. You may want to outsource part of your work because you don’t have the room, you need an expert, you have periodic busy periods, or you need more production to get orders out on time etc. You could outsource accounting, secretarial tasks , factory help, computer training, web design etc. Below are ways to use outsourcing to beat your competition.

By outsourcing part of your workload you can save time and spend more time concentrating on beating your competition.

- you won’t have to take time training new employees

- you won’t have to do time consuming tasks like adding on new equipment

- you won’t have to learn a new software program or other equipment

- you won’t have to interview employee candidates

- you won’t have to fill out all the complicated employee paper work like tax forms, scheduling, retirement plans etc.

By outsourcing part of your workload you can save money and spend more money on marketing or advertising to beat your competition.

- you won’t have to buy extra office and other equipment

- you won’t have to buy extra office or work space

- you won’t have to spend money on employee costs like taxes, medical, vacation time, holidays, workers comp., unemployment costs etc. (these may vary by which country you do business in)

There are many other ways outsourcing can help you beat your competition. Here are a few more:

- the extra help can help you complete and deliver orders faster

- you could expand your market share by becoming the middleman and offering your subcontractors services or products

- you could end up getting orders from your subcontractors

- it will allow your business to take on extra or large orders

Corporate Blog of Elite - Professional Translation Services serving ASEAN & East Asia

Tips for OpenOffice.org Writer

By Dmitri Popov,
a technical translator & a freelance contributor

From: www.translatewrite.com

INSRT STD HYP?

Most users don't give much thought to the cryptic INSRT STD HYP fields in the Status bar. However, sometimes they can come in quite handy. When you click on the INSRT field, it changes its status to OVER. Now, if you start typing in a currently opened document, you will notice that the typed text overwrites the existing text. Use this feature when you want to replace a text segment and don't want to waste time on selecting and deleting it first. The STD field controls the way the selection works, and it has two additional modes: EXT and ADD. This feature can be useful if you use your keyboard to select text segments. Try this: select some text, click on the STD field, and it switches to EXT. Now you can use the arrow keys on your keyboard to extend the current selection. Click on EXT, and it changes to ADD; use the arrow key to move the cursor to another text fragment, press and hold the Shift key down and use the arrow keys to add a new selection. The default mode of the last field is HYP, and it allows you to launch hyperlinks in the document. If you want to edit the link, click on the HYP button, and it changes its mode to SEL. Now you can click and edit the hyperlink without launching it.

Using AutoCorrect to insert frequently used special characters

Using Insert Special character, you can easily insert symbols and other signs. That's fine if you need to insert a symbol every now and then, but what if you have to insert a particular character in almost every sentence? One way to solve this problem is to use the AutoCorrect feature. Let's say you need to insert the character µ; choose Tools > AutoCorrect, click on the Replace tab, and create a new rule that converts the specified string to µ, for example, #m. Once the rule is added, you can simply type #m, and Writer converts it into µ.

ODFReader

Instead of using a stand-alone viewer, you can view Writer documents directly in the Firefox browser. To do this, you have to install a tiny extension called ODFReader. Install it by clicking on the Install link, restart your browser, and you are done.

Inserting data from a data source to Writer document

Let's say you have a list of quotations in a spreadsheet file, and you want to access it from within Writer so you can easily insert a quotation into your Document. First of all, create a new Base database that uses the spreadsheet as its data source: Choose File>New>Database, select the Connect to an existing database option, select Spreadsheet from the drop-down list. Make sure the Yes, register the database for me option is selected and press Finish.

1. Open the Writer document and place the cursor where you want to insert a quotation.
2. Press F4 to open the Data Source window.
3. Choose the table (sheet) that contains quotations.
4. Select the quotation record (row) you want to insert and press the Data to Text button.
5. Select the fields you want to insert and press OK.

Dmitri Popov works as a technical translator from English and Danish to Russian, as well as a freelance contributor to major European and US computer magazines and websites. His articles cover open source software including desktop and web-based applications and tools. Recently, Dmitri released the book Hands on Open Source, which provides a practical introduction to the best open source applications.

Corporate Blog of Elite - Professional Translation Services serving ASEAN & East Asia

How About Taking a Shortcut?

By Édi Oliveira,
Brazil

ego@uol.com.br

For people like us, who spend so much time in front of the computer making the same movements (which often lead to repetitive stress injuries), any timesaver can be useful. Keyboard shortcuts can help immensely, and even allow you to do things that are impossible with the mouse.

For instance, to access any menu, you can use the Alt key plus the underlined letter in the menu bar. When the menu opens, you can choose a new letter to perform the task you want. In Word, for example, simply by pressing Alt+A+I, you can insert a table into the document, or count the words in it with Alt+T+W. Looking at the menus, you can see that most of the actions have a shortcut next to the command. Memorizing the ones that you use most can save both time and arm movements. Furthermore, many times you can get the same result with more than one shortcut, so you can select the one you like best.

Start

Most keyboards have a key marked Windows or Start that few people use - it can be found between the Alt and Ctrl keys, to the left of the space bar, often times displaying the Windows logo. However, combined with others, this key performs a variety of important functions:

Start+D: By pressing Start+D at the same time, you can minimize all open windows. By pressing these two keys again, you can maximize them once again. If you first press Start, you will see that the Start menu opens. If you then press D, a list of the last opened documents will appear. Then simply move the down arrow until you reach the desired document and press Enter to open it. By doing this you do not have to open the corresponding program first or search through various levels of folders. This proves very useful when you are working with more than one type of program, such as a Word file with a PDF document as reference. It is also extremely helpful when you open a document and soon after can no longer find it because you do not know where it was saved (however, this will only work if you do not open too many files afterward).

Start+P: Displays a list of the programs installed on your PC. If the most frequently used ones (such as your favorite dictionaries) are right at the top of the list, simply press the down arrow until you reach the one you are searching for and press Enter to open it.

Start+Tab or Alt+Tab: Alternates between open files/programs.

Undo/Redo

Another extremely useful command is Ctrl+Z (or Alt+Backspace), which allows you to undo any mistake. If the file has not been closed or saved, you can go back indefinitely undoing each wrong action. If you go past the point you wanted, press Ctrl+Y (Ctrl+R or Alt+Enter, depending on your program) to redo the action.

Now let us suppose I am translating (or even worse, revising) a file and the program freezes. Forced to close the program unexpectedly, how can I find where I left off? If you open Word again and press Shift+F5, the file will return to its last saved change and I can continue revising or translating from this point onwards. This command can also be used when you want to check or copy a portion of text somewhere else in the file and then return to the point where you left off. For instance, if you want to check the first topic of this file and then return here, simply press Ctrl+Home and then Shift+F5).

Formatting Shortcuts

I believe that most people know the commands for simple formatting. I personally use Ctrl+U for underline, Ctrl+B for bold; Ctrl+I for italics, Ctrl+Shift++ for superscript and Ctrl+= for subscript. However, I also have two other little tricks that I frequently use. The first is Shift+F3, which alternates between lower case, First Letter Upper Case and ALL UPPER CASE. This is excellent for those times when you have the Caps Lock key pressed and only realize it afterwards. It also helps when you want to copy a portion of text with different formatting, such as a title in capital letters to the body of the text.

Another trick is to copy the formatting of a word or paragraph, no matter how complicated it is. If you want to format a word, simply place the cursor over the word and press Ctrl+Shift+C. Then go to the word (or portion) on which you want to paste the format and press Ctrl+Shift+V. This is useful when you copy something from a glossary or from the Internet and paste it into a work file whose formatting is different. All you have to do is copy the formatting of any neighboring word and apply it to the text.

Now, if you want to copy the formatting of a paragraph, highlight the whole paragraph and perform the same procedure above: press Ctrl+Shift+C, go to the paragraph(s) you want to format and press Ctrl+Shift+V.

The best thing about this command is that it remains available until you apply a new format or until the file is closed, and it can be used as many times as you want. It is also unbeatable when dealing with numbered lists with text inserted in the middle. Copy the first paragraph of the list and then apply it when needed. The numbering will continue from the point where you stopped.

These are some of the shortcuts that have most helped me, but you may very well have other preferences. Besides, the version of your program might be different than mine (Windows 98 SE), and therefore the shortcuts may differ as well. For a complete list of Word shortcuts, press Alt+F8 and once the Macro window opens, scroll down the Macros in: list and select Word Commands. Scroll down to choose ListCommands in the window above and click the Run button. In the List commands window, choose Current menu and keyboard settings to open a file with all hotkeys. This file can be saved and modified as you please. Explore your program and try to memorize the shortcuts that best suit your needs. Soon you will see that many things can be done faster and with less effort.

Table with the main Windows XP shortcuts.

Édi G. Oliveira has been a translator for over 20 years, most of which have been dedicated to the biomedical field. With a degree from the University of São Paulo and a post-graduate degree from Paris Vincennes University, she has translated dozens of books for major Brazilian publishers and countless medical equipment manuals, among other projects. Yet she would rather have discovered these shortcuts BEFORE developing tendonitis in her right arm.

This article was originally published in Сcaps Newsletter (http://www.ccaps.net)

Corporate Blog of Elite - Professional Translation Services serving ASEAN & East Asia

The Impact of Translation Memory Tools on the Translation Profession

By Ahmed Saleh Elimam,
Graduate Teaching Assistant and freelance translator,
The University of Manchester, UK

asaleh1111[at]yahoo.com

Abstract

For different reasons, Translation Memory (TM) tools have become both indispensable and popular. They have caused a sweeping change in the translation market. Translators are no longer restricted to hardcopy dictionaries and glossaries; they can now use online and electronic resources. In addition to all the benefits TM have brought about for translators, translation agencies and clients, they also have some inherent shortcomings. In this article I will explore both advantages and disadvantages of TM for these parties. I will also explain the change TM brought about in the translator's working methods.

In order to conserve time, money and quality, Computer Assisted Translation (CAT) tools, including Translation Memory (TM), have become very popular with translators, translation agencies, and clients. While TM has its advantages and disadvantages for the translator and the translation bureau, it has advantages and virtually no disadvantages for clients.

First, as far as the translator is concerned, the great advantage of TM is in the area of translation quality. The quality is likely to improve in terms of consistency, both in the same document and across documents. TM saves pairs of terms or strings of texts, and reproduces them when the same SL term or string comes along in any other position in the document being translated. This, therefore, helps the translator to maintain consistency by always using the same equivalent for the same term or string. In other words, the translation becomes more efficient and consistent. In addition, a translator can always use the same TM with future translations, albeit from the same client, and hence achieve consistency in terms of terminology and style across translation jobs.

Second, "Terminology mining is said to account for 75 percent of a translator's time" (Arntz & Picht, 1989:234 in Austermuhl, 2001). TM saves the translator's time by sparing him/her the need to look up the terms and words again if they are repeated in the text, especially in the case of large documents, or in another translation from the same client or in the same field of specialization. The translator will translate repeated terms and strings only once and TM will 'translate' them whenever they come up again in the SL which, therefore, saves time. TM also spares the translator from the need to strain his/her memory to remember how s/he translated a certain term or string before or the need to go back through the document, albeit in long documents, to locate it. On the other hand, if TM is provided with the translation job, s/he will simply choose the equivalent used in the TM without need to 'researching' which equivalent to use especially where synonymous or semi-synonymous equivalents exist, which is quite often the case. For example, the translator may not know whether to use 'Sexually Transmitted Disease' or 'Sexually Transmitted Infection', and this is where the role of TM comes in to decide which equivalent has been used before and to maintain consistency. Consistency means better quality which, in turn, means the client will be happy with the translation and will thus be more likely to consider the translator for future jobs.

Third, by saving the translator's time, TM increases his/her productivity which can lead to an increase in income. Further, more and more clients now are not only aware of but also require that their work be translated by TM software. In other words, the use of TM makes a translator more competitive by being distinguished from the others who do not use TM, and more likely to receive work. Finally, TM is quite portable. A translator can, literally, move easily around with all his/her translation resources on a CD or a 'Memory Stick'.

However, TM has its own disadvantages for a translator. First of all, s/he will have to invest a considerable amount of money to obtain the software and to put some time and effort into learning how to use it. Furthermore, especially at the early stages of use, the translator will always need to refer to the manual or ask experienced colleagues about the technical difficulties s/he may encounter, which means loss of valuable time.

In most programs using TM, a translator will only see a few sentences, strings or one paragraph on the screen at a time during the translation process. Therefore, s/he will only be able to work on that sentence, string or, at best, paragraph level and therefore may be translating out of context. As a result s/he may need to change some of his/her translations afterwards, which again means wasting some more time depending on how many corrections s/he needs to introduce in the translation. There may also be a risk of too much consistency in the translation. TM can adversely affect the translator's search for other, and perhaps better, equivalents and restrict him/her to use the same equivalent throughout the document even if there is a better alternative. In addition, if the translator delivers the TM together with the job, this can make the client less dependent on the same translator for future work, since the client can always give a new translator the TM they have received from previous translations together with the job. In other words, while promising a translator an opportunity of more work, TM still carries with it some inherent risks.

For the translation bureau, which manages the translation project for the client, TM also has some pros and cons. On the positive side, as has already been pointed out, more clients now request that their work be translated using TM. This means that having TM will help the bureau secure jobs that could have been lost otherwise. More work means more income. Furthermore, in cases of large translations which are normally divided among several translators, agencies can better proofread and project-manage the work with the use of TM. In the case of a ST being translated to more than one language, a bureau can manage the different target texts (TT's) quite easily and update its own TM accordingly. Other advantages of TM include the fact that agencies will be able to offer competitive prices for translation and can recruit several translators for the same job without fearing loss of consistency when all use the same TM. The only disadvantage of TM for agencies, in my opinion, is that a bureau will have to invest in the purchase of the software and its yearly updates and this outlay is usually high.

From a client's point of view, TM gives them the freedom to use different translators and translation agencies for future translation tasks. Consistency with previous translations is still maintained since clients can always request TM to be handed over with the translation and can later provide it to new translators to use and update. More important is that the client may be able to negotiate a lower fee when they provide TM along with the text to be translated. They may only pay full price for no matches but less (60 to 70%, for example) for fuzzy matches and even less for complete matches (30%, for example). The turnaround time, a major concern for clients, will be quicker because translators work faster and agencies manage the project more effectively. In short, the client has everything to gain and nothing to lose.

From the above one can say that TM may only be used with technical documents where there is a certain amount of repetition. For example, manuals, brochures and balance sheets contain a considerable number of repetitions and also need to be updated quite often. This is where TM comes in to achieve consistency and efficiency. On the other hand, TMs are not likely to be used with literary texts where the context plays a more important role compared to non-literary texts. Literary texts are also characterized by their figurative language which makes them difficult to translate with TM. Finally, literary texts do not seem to have the same amount of repetition as technical texts.

The Impact of TM on the Translator's Working Methods

Pros and cons aside, let us now look at the impact of TM on the translator's working methods. Austermuhl (2001) thinks that "more than any other professionals, translators are feeling the long-term changes brought about by the information age. The snowballing acceleration of available information, [and] the increase in intercultural encounters ... have resulted in drastic and lasting changes in the way translators work." Therefore, the question now for translators is not whether to use electronic tools or not but rather which tools to buy, learn, and use. Electronic dictionaries, glossaries and other resources have an edge over hard copies because they are easy to update and research. In fact some encyclopaedias and scientific journals are no longer published in print but are only delivered digitally (ibid: 102).

With the domination of English over other languages in the world of business, science, and technology, it is not surprising that more translators are now needed than ever before. The volume of translations being carried out each year from English into other languages is huge and worth billions of dollars. In addition, the expansion of the Internet and the computerization of the global economy have changed the way business is being conducted and emphasize the need for more effective and, undoubtedly, faster methods of translation, making full use of the huge amount of data available online. The influence of specialization and diversification, often referred to as the 'information explosion,' is also obvious as the amount of information available is now far greater than ever before and beyond the capacity of the available human brainpower to handle.

With TM the translator switches from the traditional method of looking up words and terms in hard-copy dictionaries, manuals and other written materials and perhaps maintaining hard-copy glossaries, to the world of online resources. A translator can tour national libraries, virtual bookstores, multilingual databases, newspaper and magazine archives, and other sites online, available at his/her fingertips, build up his/her own glossaries and attach them to the TM to enhance its performance. In addition, by developing his/her IT skills, a translator switches from translating only hard-copy documents to the fields of software localization, web page translation, and handling different electronic formats. S/he becomes more competitive because of the range of services s/he offers. As a knowledge-based activity, translation requires new strategies and a "paradigm shift in methodology. This shift must embrace practice, teaching and research" Austermuhl (2001). A translator is no longer someone sitting at a desk with a pen in hand, sheets of paper before him/her and a number of dictionaries within reach. S/he has become a person using a computer, or perhaps carrying a laptop, on which s/he has installed, among other things, several online dictionaries and glossaries. The translator is also someone who uses TM software and has very good IT skills. Translators now receive work electronically in different formats. This is in short the effect of TM on the work of the translator.

In conclusion, TMs have become popular with translators, agencies and clients because they save time and promote better quality and efficiency. Unlike translators and agencies who derive some gains but also some losses from the use of TM, clients only have gains: shorter turnaround, lower cost, and less dependency on the translator/translation bureau. Of all the advantages they have brought about to the translator, TMs have had a great impact on the way translators work now. Translators are now able to make better use of the available resources: electronic dictionaries and glossaries, and spelling checkers. TMs have equipped translators to handle the information explosion in all areas of human endeavor more efficiently than the human brain alone ever could.

References:

• Asensio, R., Translating Official Documents, Manchester and MA, St. Jerome Publishing, 2003.
• Austermuhl F., Electronic Tools For Translators, Manchester and MA, St. Jerome Publishing, 2001.
• Baker, M., In Other Words: A Coursebook on Translation, London and New York, Routledge, 1992.
• Delsile, J., et al (eds.), Translation Terminology, Amsterdam/Philadelphia, John Benjamines Publishing Co., 1999.
• Dickens, J., Hervey, S., and Higgins, I., Thinking Arabic Translation, A Course in Translation Method: Arabic to English, London and New York, Rutledge, 2002.
• Gile, Daniel., Basic Concepts and Models for Interpreter and Translator Training, Amsterdam / Philadelphia, John Benjamins Publishing Company, 1995, p xiv.
• Hatim, B., Teaching and Researching Translation, Applied Linguistics in action Series (ed. Candlin and Hall), UK, Pearson education, 2001.
• Newmark, P., About Translation, UK, Multilingual Matters, 1991.
• Wagner, E., Bech, S. and, Martines, J., Translating For The European Union Institutions, Manchester and MA, St. Jerome Publishing, 2001.
• Whitelock, P. & Kilby, K., Linguistic and Computational Techniques in Machine Translation System Design, (2nd Ed.) London, UCL Press, 1995).

This article was originally published at Translation Journal (http://accurapid.com/journal).

Corporate Blog of Elite - Professional Translation Services serving ASEAN & East Asia

Five Ways Managers Breed Incompetence

By Jessica Stillman
From: The Business Pundit blog.

No manager wants to push his or her employees towards incompetence, but one blog argues that many unwittingly do just that nonetheless. Recently, Business Pundit outlined some of the most common reasons for a creeping increase in incompetence, empowering managers to tear these causes out by the roots. Are you guilty of managing in any of these ways that may breed incompetence on your team?

1. Using numbers as the only device to measure performance.

2. Spreading workers too thin: cost-cutting is an essential component of survival, but it’s also a quick and dirty way to overburden competent employees, thus breeding incompetence… If staff must be cut, companies need to make a bigger effort to help remaining employees stay competent. Is there room in the budget for contractors? How about telecommuting, which would take some of the travel burden off the employee?

3. Expecting too much, too soon: many bright-eyed employees enter new jobs with gusto, then fizzle after months of not seeing the results they’d hoped for. Managers who expect employees to know everything from the outset grow impatient when they have to answer too many questions…. Unless it’s clear from the outset that the person has to hit the ground running, set scalable performance goals.

4. Putting a bigger premium on politics than performance: put a premium on what the employee is doing for the company, not on his social network. Don’t mistake personal affinity for organizational benefit.

5. Rewarding mediocrity: Imagine you’re a gung-ho new hire employee at Franklin Widgets, Inc. You come into the job ready to make an impact–until you notice that everyone spends most of their time staring slack-jawed at Facebook. After you realize you’re safe from managerial scrutiny, you join them. Why should you work hard if nobody else is? The onus is on managers to create a sense of urgency.

Corporate Blog of Elite - Professional Translation Services serving ASEAN & East Asia

Agencies are from Mars, Translators are from Venus II:

The Revenge of the Venusians

By Claudia Moreira,
Journalist, Translator and Reviewer,
English into Brazilian Portuguese

claudia_moreira@terra.com.br

If there is anyone among us who has never committed any of the sins mentioned by our colleague Fabiano Cid, let they be the one to cast the first stone... In a market with growing demands, tighter deadlines, more complex tasks, and extremely delicate relations, it is not hard to fall into temptation.

It has been my personal experience that, among all of the sins mentioned, the most common is gluttony. It is possible that many translators – and I am guilty as charged since I am part of this group – need psychoanalysis in order to learn how to say "no" to a client. The fear of being thrown into a sort of professional limbo affects all of us. How can we refuse a job without being immediately forgotten? What if you offend a certain client? How should one proceed?

Living on this side of the line is not easy either. And, since I have already worked as a project manager, I feel comfortable talking about both worlds. If in the past there were translator-sinners who nearly drove me crazy, today I walk the tight rope suspended by my clients. Although this was a choice I do not regret and that has made me happy, there are times when all I want to do is rip my identity card into pieces and move into the mountains to sell art for a living... Too bad I have no talent for handicrafts…

The problem is that one single slip and down the drain goes a relationship built on concerted effort and dedication. Often, the controversy is not event caused by the project manager, but by equally maddening circumstances that cause the manager to "forward" the stress. However, as delicate as it is, I do believe that there are some points that could be improved in the client-manager-translator relationship.

It is crucial that we stay aware of the complexity of this relationship. It clearly proves the thesis that "no man is an island." Managers need translators to do the job. Translators need managers to bring home the bread. And everyone needs clients.

There are many problems, but after ten years in this "vital industry" I consider myself privileged to have worked with many competent managers who were capable of solving the most complex problems and who really know how to manage a project effectively. They know what to send to the translator, do not fill inboxes with unnecessary administrative messages and can smell trouble from miles away, snuffing it out before it’s too late. Fortunately, they are the majority. Nevertheless, I have also met individuals who seem to be aliens to this profession. People who do not have a clue about how many words a translator is capable of producing in one day and who know nothing about translation tools. Just like there are translators who believe that any English course will do, there are also those managers who enter the market without the required background.

In order to manage translation projects, the professional does not necessarily need to have worked as a translator before. But it is essential that the manager speaks the same language as the translator. The manager needs to have highly accurate notions about the various nuances of the work, such as the tools involved, deadlines, number of translators required for meeting the deadline, use of reference materials (glossaries, style manuals, translation memories, Internet, etc.). After all, when faced with a problem, the translator will inevitably contact the manager. And when the translator’s questions seem to fall into an echoed valley, problems will arise.

The sin of pride is common among both translators and managers. If the former have a problem accepting criticisms humbly, we also have our "perfect" managers. Nothing can shake their confidence. Not a stressed client, not even personal problems. Just like Robocops, they are machines without feelings, never affected by external factors and they simply do not make mistakes. It is always the butler’s fault...

Robocops tend to become serial killers as time goes by. So many translators have been duly eliminated from their lists that there is no one left to tell the story – or do the job.

The manager might want to rethink the relationship. “Why did I end up alone?” “Could it have been my fault?” “What about a vacation?” Improvement courses and seminars, for instance those that feature debates on industry challenges, are also welcome because they can help the manager see the issue from another perspective. Isolation is not good for any professional – not even for the remote translator, but that is another story – and managers who think they should not get involved in this kind of training because it is a "translator thing" are wrong. Information is everything. And the more information one manages to gather, the less mistakes one will make. And, most importantly, the better professional one will become.

Another interesting species is the Primary Router. The project is a hot potato in their hands that they must get rid of as quickly as possible, hurry, hurry! In their rush, they forward the zip file that they received from the client directly to the translator, who will download 80MB of... absolutely nothing! This type of manager often does not even worry about removing the Chinese, Korean, Japanese, German or French (and the list goes on) reference files from the zip file.

There's also the Unreachable type. You call in the morning and they are in a meeting. You send emails and do not receive an answer. You call in the afternoon and they have already gone for the day... You cannot establish a partnership with such a professional. On the due date, this manager tries to solve all problems at once, tripling the work for a project that could have been completed very easily if a more proactive attitude had been taken.

But not everything is wrong with the agency-translator relationship. There are companies for which professionalism and organization are guiding principles. Most managers read and understand the instructions they receive, adequately sharing them with the translator. It is there that a solid partnership is established, one capable of facing and surviving even the greatest challenges (or projects.) When the translators receive feedback and understand that this is beneficial for them - after all, such actions have the sole purpose of helping the individual grow professionally and deliver an increasingly better job – they feel like they are part of something. And, even working remotely, we like to feel that we are part of a team whose only goal is client satisfaction.

And when this happens, everyone wins.

This article was originally published in Сcaps Newsletter (http://www.ccaps.net)

Corporate Blog of Elite - Professional Translation Services serving ASEAN & East Asia

How To Make The Translation Process Less Labour Intensive

By Fester Leenstra,
Metamorfose Vertalingen,
Catharijnesingel 85,
3511 GP UTRECHT,
THE NETHERLANDS

metamorfose.vertalingen@gmail.com
www.metamorfosevertalingen.nl

Although in fact it ended only two decades ago, the era of handwritten or typewriter translations is one that most of us are not nostalgic about – if they remember it at all. To any modern-day translator, versed in – and addicted to – the cut-and-paste functionality of the latest word processing software, it is almost unimaginable there was ever a time in which translations were produced with a pencil and an eraser, or with a typewriter and correcting fluid. Having said that, there is no denying that the translation process has remained extremely labour intensive.

PCs are obvious and indispensable tools in the modern translation business. The computerisation of our business has enabled us to become far more productive and to produce more polished texts which, thanks to the immense body of ‘googleable’ reference material, are probably also more sector-authentic than our output of, say, fifteen years ago. Even so, not all business owners are aware that in addition to advanced word processing software, a host of other tools have become available to make the translation process more efficient. Here are a few tips.

1. Make sure to get digital versions of as many reference works as possible. Many dictionaries, encyclopaedias and the like are also available on CD. This will save you the trouble of leafing through weighty tomes, and help you find the term you need with a few clicks on your mouse.

2. Get hold of high-quality terminology database software (TRADOS or another reliable brand). Even though it will take some time to build up your customised databases, once they have reached a critical volume they will help you use customer-specific terminology consistently and retrieve it in no time at all.

3. Ask your client about his lay-out requirements. Especially in the case of documents in exotic formats, it would be a pity and a waste of time if you went to the trouble of copying complex lay-out features while your client would in fact, for editing purposes, have preferred a plain lay-out.

4. Try to find out if your client has already produced documents similar to the one you are translating and, if so, ask if you can have a copy. This will prevent you from reinventing the wheel, and will ensure consistency with the client’s existing terminology.

It is interesting to note, finally, that while all sorts of tools have helped us speed up the process, the actual translation process itself has so far not been computerised to any significant degree. Most of the efforts aimed at automating the translation mechanism are focused on reproduction rather than creation. Translation is, and will probably remain for a long time to come, a purely cognitive skill that is performed inside the translator’s brain and that no amount of software can replace.

About the author

Fester Leenstra is co-owner of Metamorfose Vertalingen, a translation agency in Utrecht (The Netherlands). After having worked for several translation firms in paid employment, he took the plunge in 2004 and incorporated his own company.

For further details about Metamorfose Vertalingen, visit:

http://www.metamorfosevertalingen.nl

http://www.beedigd-vertaalbureau.nl

http://www.vertaalbureau-engels.nl

http://www.vertaalsite.eu

http://www.oost-europavertalingen.nl

http://www.scandinavie-vertalingen.nl

http://www.medisch-vertaalbureau.nl

http://www.technisch-vertaalbureau.nl

http://www.juridisch-vertaalbureau.nl

Corporate Blog of Elite - Professional Translation Services serving ASEAN & East Asia

Developing a Localization Kit

By Jessica Rathke,
Manager, Sales Strategy & Development,
McElroy Translation,
Austin, Texas 78701 USA

quotes[at]mcelroytranslation.com
http://www.mcelroytranslation.com/

What is a localization kit?

A localization kit is comprised of the files to be localized and accompanying documentation that enables McElroy to initially prepare a complete proposal, quote, and schedule for your project and ultimately enables us to perform the actual localization once the project has been awarded. The accompanying documentation augments the file set to be localized and provides us with details regarding your requirements and expectations.

What should be included?

• A complete set of files to be localized that has been validated against a bill of materials and is organized in the same file structure in which you would like your localized files to be returned
• A list of all proprietary tools that will assist or validate the localization
• A complete set of relevant reference materials
• A directory structure that maintains version control, facilitates the build process, and enables us to replicate the structure for delivering localized versions
• All project files placed in a single archive file such as a Zip file
• All source files for help and documentation
• A compiled version of help such as WinHelp
• The final output format of documentation such as PDF
• Any previously translated material and/or translation memories
• Any language glossaries for all target languages
• Linguistic style guides for all target languages
• All localizable graphics in their source format (Illustrator, Visio, etc.)

Localization kit instructions

With your localization kit you should provide explicit instructions on how the kit is organized, explaining the function of each file in the kit and how localized files are to be returned to you (i.e., directory structure, format, etc.). Other instructions should include:

• Procedures for localizing each file type
• Any proprietary tools and platforms on which they should be run
• Any runtime requirements
• Whether you require delivery of the translation memory and in what format
• List of the applications used to generate all graphics (with platform and version number)
• Who is responsible for generating screen captures
• List of source applications and tools used to create the help and documentation (with platform and version number)
• A description of the HTML-generation process, if applicable
• Any font requirements
• In the case of web-based files, the platforms, browsers, and browser versions on which they should be tested
• A style guide identifying all non-localizable text such as proprietary product names or company titles

How to make localization kits more useful

Thought should be given to the design of the localization kit to facilitate the localization process through a specific structure and format. This will streamline the transfer and delivery of files and information between you and McElroy, while maintaining a consistent format and providing version control.

One simple way to accomplish this is to automate the localization kit generation process by developing a “build kit” utility that automatically generates a bill of materials including the names and version numbers of all the files needed for your project.

You will also want to create a directory structure that organizes files in the localization kit in a way that helps the localizer to: build the product (if software), easily share files, maintain version control, perform QA checks (for example, on links), and efficiently replicate directory structure for localized versions.

If the project is an update of a previous localization effort, including the prior version’s source language files in addition to the target language files will help maintain long-term consistency.

To many clients with a track record of successful localization and staff dedicated to this part of the business, this article is a basic review. To clients on the other end of the spectrum who may be new to localization, assembling a localization kit may seem like a burdensome amount of pre-project work. We cannot emphasize enough how the right kit pays off in process efficiency and quality output. In fact, most clients fall somewhere in the middle of the spectrum, and our experienced account managers and project managers can assist with kit guidelines and project planning.

Corporate Blog of Elite - Professional Translation Services serving ASEAN & East Asia

Open source translation management system

By ClientSide News Magazine

www.clientsidenews.comInterview with Gary Prioste
VP of Technology Solutions, Welocalize

Q: Please explain to our readers what the GlobalSight Open Source Initiative is?

A: It is an Initiative that aims to drive the development of GlobalSight Ambassador, an industry-leading Translation Management System (TMS), through open collaboration. GlobalSight is a non-captive, vendor-independent community where participants are free to discuss, discover and build upon a TMS that can be shared by all.

GlobalSight was the name of the company that first developed the Ambassador product in 1997. For the next eight years, GlobalSight grew Ambassador from a software tool to develop and maintain multilingual websites, to the industry’s first TMS that could automate the translation process and leverage previously translated material. In 2005 Transware acquired GlobalSight and continued to develop the product. In May of this year, Welocalize acquired Transware and subsequently inherited Ambassador.

GlobalSight is the name of the open source initiative, and Ambassador is the name of the TMS product.

Q: Why have you decided to take Ambassador open source?

A: Both GlobalSight and Transware invested heavily in this product. However, neither of them was able to generate widespread use. Other companies with competing products have had similar results. The market today is dominated by commercial TMS products. By converting Ambassador to open source, we free users from the potential captivity at the hands of service providers and ISV’s. In addition, our industry is in a consolidation phase, and users want protection from mergers and acquisitions that present a risk to their ongoing operations. The SDL/Idiom merger led to disappointment and frustration from LSPs and clients alike.

Managed under a to-be-determined open source license, GloblSight Ambassador will provide users with choice, flexibility and opportunity. We understand that there are a lot of smart people out there with great ideas for the next generation of TMS’. By leveraging the contributions of the community, we can go above and beyond the capabilities of the status quo. With the growing demand for translated content, we can no longer operate in independent silos. It is imperative to collaborate in order to innovate.

Like many open source software vendors, Welocalize intends to generate revenue through services and support.

Q: Is GlobalSight Ambassador the right tool to take open source?

A: Ambassador is not just any translation process automation tool. Over $50M has been invested in the last ten years. There are 1.5 million lines of source code. Ambassador is a complex product with web-services API, extensive filters, work-flow driven process automation, management reporting and integration with leading content management systems (CMS) such as Documentum and Interwoven. It has the potential to become the next generation TMS for enterprise-level clients. But the question isn’t about whether Ambassador is the right tool now. It’s about engaging a community to help manage and develop a tool that is right for them and can adapt to their evolving needs in the future.

Q: What steps are you taking to engage users?

A: This month we formed a steering committee made up of recognized thought leaders in the industry to spearhead the direction and development of this initiative. They include representatives from Autodesk, Business Objects (an SAP company), Cisco, EMC, NetApp, Novell, Sun and TIBCO. We held our inaugural meeting to spur discussion on the strategic direction and technology roadmap of the product. We are also digging deeper and organizing sub-committees to focus on more tactical issues in managing this program. This includes answering questions about open source licensing, governance, product development and community building.

So far we have been in information gathering mode. We want to hear from all players in the industry. On the program website (www.globalsight.com), we have asked interested parties to sign up and let us know why they are interested in the program and what they want to see moving forward. I’m happy to say that we now have over 100 subscribers to date. Based on this community input, we are working on building a more interactive, online community that allows members to quickly find what they want the most: source repository, demos, development instructions, FAQs, discussion forums and more.

Q: So when will the product be ready to release to the public?

A: We have begun the first phase of open source development, which is to re-architect the underlying technology, replacing third-party software components with their open source equivalents. These functions include workflow, database, object relationship mapping, middleware, directory mapping and scheduling. The target completion date is December 15th. At that time, we will have the source repository available for download, along with accompanying product specifications, deployment standards and a quick-start guide to get users up and running.

Q: Tell us a little about the technical architecture of Ambassador.

A: It’s a Java application, and will have a MySQL database. It will run in both a Linux and Windows environment. Further technical details will follow soon.

Q: Will the open source product be a SaaS, or an enterprise application?

A: Both. We plan on hosting an open source SaaS solution that the community can contribute to, and allowing users to download an enterprise version that they can run behind their firewall.

In both cases, the community can extend and enhance the product through the web-services API, or by modifying the core application.

Q: How will this open source project differentiate itself from others that have failed?

A: The idea of knowledge sharing and crowd sourcing is not new. We have seen several of these initiatives in our industry, from TAUS and TDA in translation automation, to TinyTM, OmegaT and TMOSS in translation memory. These projects and initiatives have gained traction only through collaboration and reciprocity. What about other open source projects that haven’t succeeded? Perhaps it was due to a lack of initial investment, poor planning, bad timing, or lack of enthusiasm―most likely a combination of the above.

Whatever the case may be, I don’t believe these projects were aligned with the true needs of the industry, at the enterprise level. And they certainly did not anticipate a change in those needs. Without support, advocacy and collaboration from users with a vested interest in developing and adopting a product that can achieve their business goals, the product cannot thrive in an open source community. We are listening carefully to what clients are saying. We want the initiative and product to succeed. And we believe the entire industry will benefit if it does.

Corporate Blog of Elite - Professional Translation Services serving ASEAN & East Asia

Top 10 Secrets Of Outrageously Successful Business Owners

By Denise Corcoran,
CEO, The Empowered Business™

denise[at]empoweredbusiness.com
http://www.EmpoweredBusiness.com

Are you struggling to make a profit? Are you challenged in reaching your next success level? Would just like to reach your desired business goals faster?

Then “THE TOP 10 SECRETS OF OUTRAGEOUSLY SUCCESSFUL ENTERPRISES” is a *must* for you. These business secrets are the *BEST OF THE BEST.* These secrets were not gotten from a book or seminar. Rather they represent the wisdom I gained from coaching & consulting hundreds of businesses over the last 21 years ... from the soloist entrepreneur to multi-billion dollar companies.

I GUARANTEE if you apply any one of these top 10 secrets with conviction and commitment, you will experience quantum leaps in your business.

MINDSET SECRETS

1. *EXPECT* TO WIN... *EXPECT* TO SUCCEED

While we all experience highs and lows in our business, outrageously successful enterprises EXPECT to succeed over the long run. For such enterprises,

Success is the ONLY option.

To what extent do you EXPECT to succeed in your business? What less empowering expectations currently undermine your success? Make a *decision* today to succeed. “Cut the cord” on all other possible outcomes.

2. LIVE AND BREATHE YOUR MISSION STATEMENT

While most businesses have crafted a mission statement, it is not enough just to have one. Outrageously successful enterprises live and breathe their mission statement ... in every goal, every strategy and every project of their business. It is the life force and the reason for everything they do.

Do you have a compelling mission statement for your business? Do you communicate it - both in words and actions - to every client, every prospect, every employee? If you asked any one of these stakeholders what is your mission, would they know what to say?

Post and read your mission statement daily. Include it in all your collateral materials. Live and breathe your mission statement in every goal, decision and action. This one principle will make your business a compelling magnet for greater and greater levels of success.

3. ALWAYS ASK THE MILLION $$ QUESTION:

***** “Where is the opportunity in this situation?” *******

Within *every business challenge,* there is an extraordinary opportunity for a HUGE breakthrough. Even with the most difficult challenges, outrageously successful enterprises never see challenges. They ONLY see opportunities. They constantly ask: “Where is the opportunity in this situation?”

Where is your focus right now in your business - on the challenge or the opporunity? Make it a habit with every challenge to ask: “Where is the opportunity in this situation?” that one question will blow open the doors to new solutions, new strategies and new possibilities to take your business to the next level.

4. BECOME THE ULTIMATE BUSINESS “ROMANTICIST”

Outrageously successful enterprises are constantly “IN LOVE.” Yes, that’s right. They LOVE their customers. They LOVE their employees and vendors. They LOVE their visions. They LOVE everything about their business.

This priniciple is not something you get from a book. It comes from the very heart and soul of why you are in business. When you are “in love,” it shines forth in every client interaction, every exchange with a prospect, every dealing with a peer or vendor. Remember the old cliche, “People don’t care what you know; they want to know that you care.”

Are you “IN LOVE” wiith your clients and prospects? Are you “IN LOVE” with the benefits you offer? Are you “IN LOVE” with every aspect of your business? If not, why not? What do you need to change about your attitude, beliefs or actions to become the “Ultimate Business Romanticist.”

STRATEGY SECRETS

5. LOOK AT MARKETING AS A *CONTINUUM*, NOT AN EVENT.

Contrary to conventional business thinking, marketing does not end with a sale. Outrageously successful enterprises know that marketing is a perpetual process. And, contrary to most business practices, these enterprises focus more than 50% of their marketing efforts "after the sale" - such as "post sale" follow-up, repeat business incentives, backend selling, referral marketing, etc. They know that the greatest revenues are generated "after the sale."

How do you see and practice marketing in your business - as an event or a continuum? What "post sales" and prospect follow-up activities can you incorporate as the focus of your marketing efforts? This one shift in your marketing focus alone can increase your revenues 100%, 200%, even 500% ... more than any marketing action you take in your business.

6. CONSTANTLY “MARKET UP”

Within every target market, there is a high end and a low end market and everything in between. Million $ enterprises constantly stretch their marketing sights and target prospects that most businesses would think impossible to acquire as clients. They constantly “market up” to high end prospects ... a strategy that catalyzes their business to a much bigger game.

What specific prospects ... or kinds of prospects ... would you love to have as clients or customers but think it is impossible? Think out side the box and think BIG. It could be celebrities, politicians, admired companies or CEOs, leaders in your community, rolemodels, etc.

Pick one high end prospect to start. Build a marketing campaign to reach that person or company. This strategy requires persisitence, yet is well worth it. From my own first hand experience, ”marketing up” can skyrocket your reveneues and business exposure instantly and multiply your profits for years to come .

7. MAKE “ADDING MORE VALUE” YOUR #1 CRUSADE.

Outrageously successful enterprises are in the business of creating value. They have a strong conviction to contribute to more and more richness to their cleints’ lives and businesses.

In everything they say and do, they let clients know “you matter. Your well-being and success is important to us.” They focus on “what do I have to give?” ... NOT “what do I have to do to get a sale?”

Where is your focus right now --- on adding value, or making the sale? Make a list of at least 10 ways yo can increase the value of your products and services. Implement the easiest one idea ... starting now. Make “adding value” a routine business priorty. When you do, your products and services will sell themselves.

PERFORMANCE SECRETS

8. OPTIMIZE, OPTIMIZE, OPTIMIZE

Outrageously successful enterprises are masters at achieving the greatest return at the lowest possible risk. They constantly look for ways to reduce the amount of time, money and energy to achieve their ultimate goals.

They take what works and see if they can make it better, faster, cheaper. They know the “what if” implications of every new strategy, goal, product or service. They are pros at maximizing performance tradeoffs.

Do your know the profitabilty of each product or service you offered? Do you know what clients are the most expensive, demanding or time-consuming to serve? If you doubled your client base, do you know the implications on costs, revenues and the operations of your business?

To optimize your business results, think highest and best use of your time, energy and money. ALWAYS THINK HIGHEST AND BEST!!

9. MULTIPLY PROFITS THROUGH THE POWER OF LEVERAGE.

Most businesses build their enterprises in a haphazard way. Outrageously successful businesses grow their businesses from a place of leverge. They look for new ways to convert their current assets, strengths and opportunities into new revenue streams. They constantly take inventory and seek ways to profit from untapped capabilities and underutilized resources. They integrate marketing activities into a single business strategy to maximize results.

How can you leverage

*** your current assets (eg., your client base, employees),
*** your current strengths (eg., your knowledge base, processes),
*** your current resources (eg., your business network, capital), to quickly grow your business?

How can you revamp your marketing activities so that your products and services sell each other? Leverage is one of the most under-utilized principles for multiplying profits in business.

10. DEVELOP A BIAS TOWARD ACTION

Outrageously successful enteprises understand that, in today’s economy, windows of oportunity are often measured in months ... not years and decades. They know they cannot wait for the perfect strategy, the perfect solution to capitalize on these opportunities. They must act quickly if they want to thrive in these highly changing times.

What new projects, strategies or opportunities are you stalling in order to achieve perfection? What new practices, support structures or habits will accelerate your bias toward action?

About the Author:

Denise Corcoran - CEO, The Empowered Business (tm) - is a Business and Leadership Coach, Strategic Consultant, Master NLP Practitioner. http://www.EmpoweredBusiness.com Learn the legendary secrets of top business achievers. Our ezine is YOUR exclusive source. To subscribe: http://www.goldbar.net/go.php?id=7996&c=1738&ac=isnare

Read more articles by: Denise Corcoran

Article Source: www.iSnare.com

Corporate Blog of Elite - Professional Translation Services serving ASEAN & East Asia

Financial Freedom? Here’s The Only Real Question

By Walt F.J. Goodridge
New York, NY, U.S.A.
http://www.passionprofit.com/

PREAMBLE: The only way to take control of your life, raise your standard of living and move beyond merely surviving is to create your own unique product or service that you offer to increasing numbers of people in exchange for the things of value that you desire. This simple formula applies to countries as well as people. A self-sufficient economy has its own products or services of value to export to the world. Similarly, a self-sufficient individual has something of value to exchange in the global marketplace. That thing of value is based on your natural talent, skill, or interest - in other words, your passion.

NOTE: The following article was originally written for the citizens of the island nation of Saipan. It therefore includes references of a nature unique to that nation's economic situation.

When you think of what can help you elevate yourself from your current economic situation, it's important not to lose sight of a few important ideas and truths about money, value, and economics.

I. MONEY IS A MEANS OF EXCHANGE

No one ever gives you money except in exchange for something of value.

II. EXCHANGE IS THE REAL ISSUE

Don't let anyone mislead you. The only reason we focus on money is simply because the world has agreed that money is the basis of exchange that we're going to use. I have eggs. You have a cow. If you want what I have, and I want what you have, then we can exchange my eggs for your cow. But you may not want eggs. You may want something that I do not have. And I may not want a cow. I may want something you do not have, like a car. So we all agree that eggs are worth a certain amount of money, and that a car is worth a certain amount of money. I can now sell my eggs for money, and get the money to buy a car. But all I really did was trade eggs for a car, using money as the means of exchange. So it's not the money that's driving the economic engine, it's the exchange.

Now, then, there are four ways that one can engage in the process of exchange:

1. You can accept money but give nothing in return (rip-off)
   
   
2. You can accept money and give a partial or corrupted version of what was expected. (short-changing)
   
   
3. You can accept money and give exactly what was ordered. (fair exchange)
   
   
4. You can accept money and give more than was expected. (exchange in abundance)
   

By the way, Exchange Method four, (accepting money and giving more than expected) is the only way to ensure one's long-term survival and prosperity. But more on that in a future column.

III. PRODUCTS ARE THE BASIS OF EXCHANGE

"When a whole society demands a high
standard of living and yet doesn’t concentrate
on the personal production of exchangeable
products, it is finished."—The Dynamics of Money

So how does one engage in exchange with the world? Simple. You need a product. A PRODUCT can be defined as “a high quality service or article in the hands of the consumer in exchange for a valuable. It is something that can be exchanged with other activities in return for support.”

IV. THE QUESTION IS…

So the single, most important question to be asked of those who steer the course of nations, its citizens, investors, business owners, and potential Saipanpreneurs is: WHAT ARE WE PRODUCING?

When someone suggests a solution to the economic situation, ask him, "Great idea, but what are we producing?"

When someone suggests an idea for how to get loans and federal assistance, ask her, "Great, but what are we producing?"

When someone suggests an idea for a business you can start, ask yourself, "What am I producing?"

If there is no production, there is no money—no real, long term money.

A FLAWED PLAN

I always tell my clients that any plan that relies too much on another person's whim, good will or largess for its success is inherently a flawed plan. It may provide a short-term stop-gap measure, but there is no dependable future or control built in.

Selling someone the hope or possibility of doubling their money based on the internal programming of a slot machine is not exchanging something of value. It's essentially giving nothing in return. It's a rip-off.

Sure, you can call it entertainment if you wish, but at the end of the day, you've not improved your lot in life, because you're not exchanging anything of real value that can grow, improve your reputation, bolster your self-esteem or raise your standard of living. Furthermore, since it is not based on anything over which you have any creative input or control, you cannot use it dependably to improve the welfare of the masses.

It's not an industry into which any average person of entrepreneurial aspirations but meager means can venture. It’s a limited industry with power concentrated in the hands of the few.

Having people running around throwing their money into slot machines doesn't automatically improve the lot of the general population. Sure, there may be some collateral spending in stores, new jobs in the hospitality/service sectors, but by far the biggest winners are the casino owners. From my own limited travel experience, I've been to Atlantic City, in New Jersey, and witnessed stark poverty just beyond the fences of prosperous casinos. There’s no guaranteed “trickle down.”

The danger in basing economic growth on simply providing a place for people to throw their money into slot machines is that the world doesn't need another place to do that - least of all a place way out in the Pacific Ocean. Any place with better entertainment, a more convenient location or nicer hotels, will win the competition for tourist dollars.

And, it would be sad to think that the only thing this beautiful land and its people have to offer is a place for people to gamble money in search of an easy payoff. It's a slap in the face of the traditional creativity, natural beauty, the spirit of self-sufficiency that have existed here for centuries.

A NEW DIALOGUE

If you continue to perpetuate the idea that we can be saved only by someone else's money, then those presently without money are rendered powerless in the discussion. If, on the other hand, you change the dialogue to discussions of finding our "value" in the marketplace, then everyone can participate.

Without such a new dialogue, and the real, long-term solutions that come with it, we'll perpetuate lowered expectations, and witness the downward spiral of self-esteem and hope that comes with the exclusive dependency on others for salvation. When a people subjugate themselves and their inherent value to the value of a dollar, there are things you cannot see that will be visible only in their absence. For a nation’s humanity, once lost can never be replaced.

IV. SUMMARY

Money is a means of exchange.
Exchange is the challenge to be solved.
Products and Services form the basis of Exchange
No production=No Money
The only real question, therefore, is: What Are YOU Producing?

About the Author:
Walt F.J. Goodridge is known as the Passion Prophet. He is author of 15 books including Turn Your Passion Into Profit, and helps people discover, develop and profit from the pursuit of their passions. Take his Passionpreneuer test at www.passionprofit.com

Source: www.isnare.com
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7 Tips to Boost Your PC Productivity

Use Windows at the office? Want to work faster? Abhijeet Mukherjee, writing on Dumb Little Man, has collected seven simple tricks that will help you optimize both your computer’s speed and your time at the keyboard.

If you’re under the rule of an iron-fisted system administrator you might not be able to implement some of these tweaks, but others you can put into practice right away.

Some of the highlights:

1. Streamline your startup. You can prevent unnecessary programs and services from starting up automatically — and slowing down your boot time — by using msconfig to remove the sluggish culprits.
   
   
2. Learn keyboard shortcuts. Of course, you already know the basics like Ctrl+C to cut and Ctrl+V to paste, but there are dozens more Windows keyboard shortcuts that can make your life easier.
   
   
3. Use application launchers. A good application launcher can start programs from your keyboard, preventing excessive mousing. Or, you can create keyboard shortcuts for important folders.
   
   
4. Declutter that desktop. Put those errant files where they’re supposed to go, delete the ones you don’t use, empty the trash, and remove icons you don’t use.
   
   
5. Put important folders in your taskbar. It’s a great time-saver. You can also create an entirely new taskbar for your key folders.
   
   
6. Try AutoHotKey. AutoHotKey is a free tool geared toward more advanced users that can help you avoid repetitive tasks — like typing the same sentence again and again.
   
   
7. Use automation and timing tools. Apps like WakeUpOnStandBy, which is free, can automate the tasks of putting the computer to sleep, going into hibernate mode or shutting it down.

Mukherjee includes many extra suggestions throughout his post, so give it a read as well to get more ideas.