While the English language is certainly a common denominator in the business world, assuming everyone speaks it is definitely ill-advised.  So how does a marketing team ensure its product materials are accurate in another language?  One executive poses this question in our recently-launched Marketing Org & Ops Forum, asking “What are the best practices in assessing the quality and correctness of translation service jobs?”

Prices for translation jobs vary greatly, depending on what you’re looking for in terms of quality, turnaround time, and accuracy. Automatic translations usually are relatively cheap and have a very low turnaround time, but may not always be the most accurate.  A better option is a company with linguistic specialists, ideally indigenous to the target culture. Our executives named, in particular, a company that contracts with native language-trained English translators working at the United Nations.  Another firm, based in Michigan, provides translation and interpretation services, as well as offers live telephone interpretations 24 hours a day, seven days a week.  It also provides cultural training and e-learning language instruction.

Some executives advise to always use the same company, as many of them offer software that “remembers” previous translations and as a result, reduces costs of future translations and ensures consistency.  Others say that in order to ensure quality, you should not limit yourself to just one agency.  Although these opinions may be differing, there are some general tips in which everyone can agree on:

1. Shoot for translations from companies who are familiar with idiomatic, common usage of the language, not just ones who are able to provide an “academic translation.”
2. Look for a vendor with experience in the specific industry or product line in order to ensure proper technical vocabulary
3. When translating into English, always choose British English—terms and spellings tend to be more widely used/recognized
4. Don’t overlook units of measurement when translating (ex. converting feet to meters)
5. Before signing the dotted line, ask for a sample translation
6. Be aware of how to send a copy of what you are translating to the agency (most translation companies can strip written content straight from a PDF or website, which can save you lots of time and inconvenience).

Read through the member commentary on the Org & Ops forum here.  If you’re interested in global marketing and/or more suggestions for effective translations, check out our study on Consumer Perceptions of Multilingual Packaging.

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