(We’ve been busy lately, smoothing out a new client’s marketing content. After it’s translated from Chinese to English, it goes right to us. The following is a guest blog from Jessica Kane.)
Are you struggling to think of a good reason to hire a professional English-speaking copy editor for your global company’s translated text? Don’t. Here are five reasons why hiring this type of professional matters:
Global Business Practices Require a Competitive Edge
The days of strictly conducting business in your local region are gone, especially if you’re selling products or services online. Today, thanks to technology, it’s possible for you to conduct business in all corners of the globe.
However, that also means that you’ve got to give your prospects and clients more marketing with a competitive edge than ever before. This also means that turning in work that’s confusing or incoherent isn’t going to cut it. Just because the reader of your document speaks English doesn’t mean that they will be able to intuit your meanings or intentions.
It’s your job to make sure that the message of your correspondences are crystal-clear. If you leave it up to your clients to interpret your correspondence, then you’ll come across as sloppy at the very least, and your message will be misinterpreted at the very worst.
Hiring a Professional Copy Editor Ensures Message Accuracy
Speaking of misinterpretations, it would be a nightmare for your clients or business partners to make a decision that hurts your business relations simply because they weren’t clear on the meaning of your communications. Or, worse, you might run the risk of offending prospects in foreign markets if they misinterpret the meaning of collateral such as marketing materials.
Your mind is busy. It’s very easy for you to skip over the important details such as going over your text communications with a fine-toothed comb. This is why you’ll need to hire a dedicated specialist, such as a professional copy editor. Their job is to catch the things that you can’t, and they are trained to catch the things that your busy mind and eyes will skip over.
A Translating Copy Editor Will Help You to Navigate Native Colloquialisms
Sometimes, your business communications will require the use of formal speech patterns. But, sometimes, you’ll need to communicate with a prospect that feels more comfortable using informal speech patterns. They’ll often use native colloquialisms that you won’t understand. Conversely, you might communicate by using colloquialisms that they might not understand. Worse, you might use a figure of speech that’s harmless in your culture, but the phrase might be insulting in your prospect’s culture. Yikes. Avoid this type of embarrassment. Hire a professional copy editor who can communicate with more casual phrases in your prospect or customer’s native language.
Awkward Phrasing and Wording Kills Your Credibility
Let’s face it: You can’t take it for granted that international prospects will want to do business with you. They’re taking a large leap of faith in trusting someone outside of their country, and possibly, on the other side of the world. This means that you’ll need to go the extra mile in creating credibility and trust. Submitting a document or marketing collateral with awkward phrasing or wording is distracting to the reader; these are things that hurt your credibility as a product or service provider.
A Copy Editor Will Provide Just the Right Polish
What if you believe that your document is ready to be sent out, but you have a nagging feeling that something just isn’t right. Wouldn’t you love to have an extra set of eyes look over your correspondence, just to give you peace of mind? You have that and more when you hire the services of a copy editor. They are your trusted partner who ensures that you’re able to save your professional reputation while generating revenue for your business.
Kane is a professional blogger who writes for Bureau Translations, a leading provider of translation services for businesses, with offices in Sao Paulo, Brazil, and Miami, Fla.