How to get the most from your translation service provider?
Increasingly SMEs are looking to produce multilingual websites and marketing materials in order to increase their overseas sales revenue. Following the recent recession, the weakness of the Pound has created an ideal opportunity to expand into international markets. The 2010 Federation of Small Businesses survey found that 80% of the 500 SMEs that took part were trading internationally, 62% believed that the UK was well-placed to take advantage of trading internationally in the current climate, and 84% stated that international trade is important for the long-term survival of their business.
Expanding your business overseas may well be the next step for your company but how do you go about reaching the new agents, distributors and consumers?
Well once you’ve established the languages of your target audiences, the translation of your marketing material, and more importantly, your website (most prospective clients’ first port of call), should be at the top of your agenda.
Be concise
Before you get in touch with any agencies, it is best to take the time to establish what it is that you actually require, how you want to achieve this, and within what timeframe. With regards to the first point, there are the obvious issues to consider, such as which languages you require your text to be translated into and if that language is spoken in more than one country, which variant do you require? For example, do you require French or Canadian French; Portuguese or Brazilian Portuguese; Spanish or Mexican Spanish?
Also, your contact at your chosen translation agency will need to know the subject matter and the purpose of the translation. Should your service or product be very specialised, they will need to find a translator with experience in that area. It may be wise to create a list of preferred or proprietary terminology specific to your product or service. Furthermore, if the translation is for publication on a website, it may be worth asking if they have a translator for that language with copywriting experience.
It is advisable to know the approximate word count. Stating the number of pages will not be very helpful from the agency’s perspective as it is impossible to estimate how many words may appear on each page. Translation agency charges are normally based on rates per 1,000 words. However, before an agency will be able to provide you with a definite quote, they will need to see the original text or document. It should be noted that layout, the localisation of graphics (the editing of images or the text that appears within them for the target culture), and the complexity of the subject matter will all be taken into account.
Be aware
Secondly, you should consider the logistics of the project. Is the text you want to be translated already in existence? Do you know how to extract the text for translation from your website or would you prefer the files making up the website itself be translated? How large are the files? Will you be able to email them or will you need to give FTP (file transfer protocol) access, so that the agency can download the whole site? All of these issues will need to be addressed at some point before the translation process can begin, but from the outset you need to make the following clear: the format you will provide the text in, and the format in which you need it back. Even if you are simply requesting a quote, for both convenience and speed it is best to provide the text in an editable format such as Microsoft Word and if it is a website translation, provide the URL of your current site for reference. Un-editable file types such as PDFs, while convenient for emailing etc., can be problematic at this stage of a project, as they will need to be converted to editable formats in order to establish word counts and to analyse and translate the text.
If you require a large-scale translation project or a multilingual project, be conscious of the fact that a team of translators will be working on the project, rather than one individual. If you are dubious about using a translation agency, projects such are these are not the time to try to cut corners – using an agency will ensure you only have to answer the same query once, you will only have to deal with a limited number, if not a single contact, and you won’t have to take into consideration the logistics of the project such as time zone differences or different working practices.
Be realistic
Thirdly, with regards to your deadline, be specific but realistic. If it took you three days to write an industry-specific presentation, don’t expect a translation to take one. Timescales can vary significantly, especially for more specialised texts. When you request a quote, ask for an approximate turnaround time, but bear in mind that you will need to be available to answer any queries should they arise. It is normally realistic to assume that 1,500-2,500 words can be translated in a day. However, you will need to take into consideration the time needed for proofreading the translation, resolving any final queries and for the collation of the project should you have requested more than one language.
If you are able to break the translation project down into stages, by staggering the delivery of the project over three separate deadlines for example, this can be beneficial both for you and for the translation agency. The latter will not be dealing with the simultaneous delivery of all sections, and you will be able to check and approve the project as it progresses.
Be available
Translation agencies are not mind readers; nor are translators. If you want to get what is in your eyes ‘the best possible translation’ you need to be available. No doubt there will be queries: about terminology, company policy or stylistic issues. Don’t be put off, queries demonstrate that the translator is doing a thorough job and that the agency is eager to produce a translation in keeping with your business vision.
Check your emails regularly. If you are going to be away or out of the office, it is sensible and courteous to advise your project manager. If the project is urgent, it may be best to provide your mobile, or even home contact details, as translators can work around the clock so the quicker the agency is able to contact you with a query, the quicker the translation can progress.
However, there is a sensible number of questions and then there is a senseless number of questions. If you are being pestered night and day regarding the translation of trivial parts of the text, it might be best to ask the project manager why; is the terminology too complicated? In which case you could provide a glossary of terms or recommend a website dealing with industry-specific vocabulary. Is the quality of the source text a problem? In which case, you may need to explain ambiguous sections of the original. If the queries are arising from a lack of confidence, this may denote a lack of experience. It might be wise to suggest the agency send you a sample of the translation they have produced so far so you can check that the work is in keeping with your expectations.
Be nice
It may sound obvious, but it works wonders. Translation agencies are intermediaries; they are likely to be dealing with several other clients as well as numerous translators. Being polite but firm will ensure that the project manager sees the project in a positive light, ultimately improving your relationship resulting in a translation which meets, if not exceeds, your expectations.
