Effective communication is perhaps one of the most important tools not only in business but throughout life in general.
Struggling to get your point across, be it from a lack of articulation, an underutilized vocabulary, or a language barrier, is often an uncomfortable position to be in.
If you felt like the time is right to take your own company to a new level by testing the global waters, or if you simply needed to improve upon your international SEO efforts anytime soon, here are some useful tips that might help you break down the language barriers and practice your communication skills.
Table of Contents
Implementing a Translation Management System
By adopting a translation management system with the help of a wonderful language service provider, you can start to look after all of your translation needs in one centralized location.
This might be a great bit of software for anyone needing to take on multiple projects at any given time, or if you need the help of some experts to work out the nuances of what you actually mean to say in another language.
Understand the Culture
Language bears the marks of history, culture, collective memory, and identity. Opting to do some research into the cultural history of the market you are working with can help you to gain a deeper understanding of your audience.
This can also pertain to your ability to understand what the difference in company culture might be and the attitude towards work in general. This is worth bearing in mind if you aim to fully move your business abroad, as large differences in cultural values can be extremely jarring.
Local Experts
If you can manage to partner up with a local expert who shares some of your target audience’s experiences, you can start to gain a deeper level of insight into the language and voice you should use to approach them from a business point of view.
Mentors are immensely important throughout life, so going out of your way to find someone who can guide you through the nuances of international business can be a huge bonus.
Start Learning Languages!
Learning a new language is a superb way to expand one’s mind, appreciate the etymology of words and enhance one’s perspective on life.
Apps like Babbel, Duolingo, and Pimsleur can support you on your journey through linguistics, and they can be highly effective provided you commit to practicing.
Avoid the Jargon
Jargon is generally not fun or exciting at the best of times, so you can likely imagine the confusion it might cause to someone already struggling to understand your language in its most basic form.
Avoiding jargon and other types of idiolectal slang that might find its way into your everyday speech and writing can be important in business, particularly if you want to avoid failing to get your point across, or even worse, offending someone when you did not mean to.
It is also worth remembering you can use visual aids to make your point should you need it, and paralinguistics can also be a helpful tool.
