Regardless of the type of company you are running or working for, it is more likely than ever that you will be doing business with people from other countries. Overcoming the language barrier could be potentially problematic, but if you do this successfully, you are more likely to grow your brand and build your business exponentially. In this blog, we will be looking in more detail at a few of the ways that you can do this.
Hire an Interpreter
Probably the most obvious and traditional way that you can communicate with clients from other countries is to hire an interpreter. If you have someone in your team who is multilingual, this is the ideal solution. Otherwise, you can hire someone who works for an agency or as a freelancer, but costs are likely to be fairly high by going down this particular path. If you find someone who you can trust and you think has done a good job, it is a good idea to go back to them as your clients will get used to a familiar face.
Use Technology
Technology has opened up a number of doors when it comes to communicating with people who don’t speak your language. The most famous example is Google Translate, which is continually improving, though it is still hampered by certain limitations. Another alternative is to try a service like Boostlingo which offers a unified platform for interpretation services. As technology continues to advance, it is likely that these type of services will continue to develop.
Try Visual Communication Methods
If you are struggling with verbal communication, you could try out some visual methods instead. So, if you are giving a presentation, you could try using pictures, graphs and video content to convey your messages. Any written forms of communication should be professionally translated so you can get your point across as clearly as possible.
Learn the Basics
Even if you don’t become fluent in the new language, it is still a good idea to learn the basics including greetings and general business speak. Showing that you have put some effort in can help to demonstrate to your clients that you care about them and their business. If you intend on working in a new country in the long-term, it is worth enhancing your language skills over time as this will help you to understand more about its culture and way of doing business.
Avoid Overly Complicated Language
If you are going to be talking with people who don’t speak English fluently, you should avoid confusion as much as possible by not using idioms, jargon and slang. Also, you should slow down your speech depending on the level of English spoken. Ultimately, using simplified language will help you to get your points across more clearly and succinctly.
As the world becomes ever more interconnected, overcoming language barriers is something that you will have to do more often, and these are just a few ways in which you can do this.
