Dynamic Export » translation

Export in an online world

Peter Mace — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 03:51:16 +0000

There has been a lot of press regarding the impact of Australians purchasing online, particularly from overseas suppliers, and the erosion of the market for our local retailers.

Many of those retailers are now recognising the change in buying habits is permanent and are getting on the bandwagon.

This acceptance of online sales has positive implications for sectors of the Australian market with a product that suits an international consumer market. The costs of transport to main destinations abroad by parcel can be reasonably standardised; and after also ensuring payment is made up-front, and the entry documents (where required) meet the overseas customs requirements, it can be an exciting and lucrative addition to the domestic consumer market.

Of course 1) getting found by an overseas buyer and 2) capturing their interest so that they want to buy, are two key steps that precede the sale. This involves refining the website so that it receives a high ranking on the main search engines, and for Google, perhaps paying for positioning. Then, having been found, you have a very short time span to capture the attention, interest and desire of a potential buyer once they land on your site.

Structuring a website for domestic and overseas visitors requires some finessing. Some companies set up separate sites in major markets so that they are perceived as a ‘local’ supplier. Another check point is ensuring your IP is protected in your key target markets, and equally that you are not infringing someone else’s IP already registered in that market.

You need to succinctly outline your USP….why would someone in say Tokyo buy from you? Having text in Japanese may be a good start. Then outlining the originality/quality/uniqueness of your product in values a Japanese consumer would appreciate. Finally clear pricing and a simple delivery process will be the things that clinch the deal. Many suppliers include delivery in their pricing, or if not, set out standard costs per region so the buyer knows exactly what they are up for. Are there guarantees for delivery, returns, exchange (for clothing sizes) etc that take the risk away for the buyer?

There are some very successful Australian suppliers currently doing very well selling to the global consumer market. To do it properly though requires focus: monitoring hits, responding to questions and refreshing information so it is always current. Your website does become the shop front for your business, open to the world 24/7.

So for all businesses with a consumer focus, you need to actively consider the potential overseas customer. 2012 might be the time to start, or your competitors could be taking your market!

The Language of Business

UNSW — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 05:56:06 +0000

Recent estimates put the number of native English speakers in the world at about 375 million, while a staggering 1.125 billion people globally speak English either as a second or foreign language. In the English-speaking world, though, a comparable ability with foreign languages is rare.

In Australia, this disparity has been repeatedly highlighted in recent years by the widespread amazement whenever foreign minister and former prime minister Kevin Rudd speaks fluent Mandarin while addressing Chinese officials. However, Australians seem unsurprised by other world leaders who converse coherently in languages not their own. As business becomes increasingly international, a question emerges: Is the English-speaking world in danger of being left behind in the language stakes?

“It’s not that English speakers are worse at acquiring other languages,” says Chihiro Kinoshita Thomson, a professor of Japanese Studies in the School of Languages and Linguistics at the University of New South Wales. “It’s just they don’t have the same need to acquire other languages because so many people across the world speak English as a second or foreign language.” However, Thomson fears the perception that “you can get by with just English” when doing business overseas is very limiting – both now and in the future, and on a variety of levels.

Internet usage is just one reason why. The US has the world’s largest Internet usage, but the second and third highest users are Japan and China. “If an English speaker learned written Japanese or Chinese to an advanced professional level, they would open up a vast number of professional opportunities for themselves. With English only, your access to information is limited,” indicates Thomson. On a more fundamental level, she notes that business develops through relationships, and those who don’t speak the language are excluded from those relationships. “You can penetrate into a culture with English only – but only so far. While English is widely spoken in larger companies overseas, this is less the case with medium and small-sized companies. Importantly, without the language, it can be difficult to develop an understanding of another society. Your understanding is going to be given to you by someone else.”

Thomson notes that between 2006 and 2009, the number of students learning Japanese in primary and secondary school in Australia reduced by 25%. The same period, however, saw an increase in the teaching of Asian languages at tertiary level. “At university, people choose to study a language,” says Thomson. “At school, though, it’s determined by budgets and government policy. Developing professional-level Asian languages takes years, and really should start in primary school,” she argues. NSW high school students are required to undertake only 100 hours of language classes between years 7 to 10. By contrast, when Thomson was studying English in Japan, English was a required subject for all in years 7-12, and at tertiary level it was mandatory for her to study two other foreign languages.

While Asian languages are thriving at university level, in Thomson’s experience this fact conceals a very revealing truth. One-third of her Japanese language students are from overseas, many of them students from Asia learning Japanese as a third or further language. “You could say we’re already teaching the converted.”

Thomson also teaches beginner Japanese classes, which students can take as ’general education’. These are unrelated to a student’s major, and she has 550 students doing the class this year, of which the majority are general education students or those taking the language as an option. “Many quit after one semester, but it’s better than nothing! This level of language skills would be appreciated by business colleagues abroad, but it wouldn’t go very far,” Thomson points out.

Don’t get lost in translation

Tea Dietterich — Tue, 26 Apr 2011 23:52:00 +0000

Former German chancellor Willy Brandt once said: “If I am selling to you, I speak your language. If I’m buying from you, dann müssen Sie schon deutsch sprechen”.

And all of us who are targeting overseas markets, know how important a correct translation of our marketing collateral and company profile is. But then again… haven’t we all seen these before?

Sign at a French hotel: “Please leave your values at the front desk.”
Bangkok dry cleaners: “Please drop your trousers here for best results.”
Hong Kong dentist: “Teeth extracted by the latest Methodists.”
Japanese hotel: “You are invited to take advantage of the chambermaid.”

These may make you giggle, but there is nothing funny about lost credibility with your clients, thousands spent on a failed advertising campaign or your complete corporate humiliation.

However, acquiring and using the services of a translator and/or interpreter can raise many questions. Before you plan or commit to using the services of a translator or an interpreter take a few moments to read this guide. Informed choices yield the best results.

Who’s who

Interpreters speak. Translators write. Checkers check the translated text against the English original. Proofreaders check the text without comparing with the original. If you need your company documentation in a foreign language, you will need a translator. If you need someone onsite with you to facilitate communication with your potential or current trade partner, you will need an interpreter. If your trade partner is organising the interpreter in his/her country, that’s fine but you may want to organise your own interpreter to ensure objectivity during negotiation.

Expectations

Language service is a service you pay for. Historically, people have been reluctant to demand the quality and accountability they would of any other such service because they felt unqualified to judge. But there is no valid reason why the client should not be fully involved in verifying the quality of the service they’ve received when working with a professional.

Accountability

T/I (Translators/Interpreters) professionals are experts at communication. They will be able to communicate clearly to you any technical obstacles to translation, the reasons things do and don’t work, and the rationale for everything they do in your paid employ. All you have to do is ask the questions.

Finding a translator

You need a NAATI-accredited and experienced practitioner (NAATI = National Accreditation Authority for Translators & Interpreters of Australia). The Australian Institute of Translators and Interpreters Inc (AUSIT) is the peak national association of qualified translators and interpreters in Australia. A language service partner such as Multimedia Languages & Marketing has a large panel of accredited senior translators that are AUSIT members. All translations are checked by 2^nd independent translators and proofed by editors. Editors are international journalists (international media) who make sure that the translation sounds natural and captures the minds and hearts of the target market. All press releases are translated by international journalists themselves.

Risks in freight

Adeline Teoh — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 04:46:11 +0000

In the world of goods export, there’s more to risk minimisation than bubble wrap. Here’s how to view your packaging inside and out.

As far as freight mistakes go, Ross Gluer, general manager for the International division at TNT, says he’s seen some disasters stem due to exporters failing to follow simple precautions. One of the most common mistakes concerns boxes stacked crookedly on a pallet. “If they’re not stacked straight, the sides start to collapse, and if they’re too high it breaks its own back,” he says.

Unfortunately, many exporters think the plastic shrinkwrap that covers the pallet will prevent their cargo from suffering this fate, but in fact misaligned boxes will cause the wrap to tear, which leads to the boxes becoming exposed to the elements and at risk of collapse. And if a box does become separated from its peers, you’d better make sure it has been labelled. “If the customer doesn’t have a label on each box in a pallet and they separate, they take those cartons to an unrecognisable, unsendable, unprocessable area and they can just sit there,” explains Gluer.

While the experience of losing a couple of boxes in transit doesn’t sound too bad, Gluer adds that product shrinkage can be catastrophic. “A lot of receivers will only accept goods if they’re all present, they will not accept part delivery. If the other bit can’t be found then the question is, what happens to stuff you still have? Do you send it back, do you hold it? Do customs hold it? Will it incur storage charges? And if a pallet does collapse it’s not only going to be damaged, it’s going to be late,” he says.

It’s the exporter’s inability to deliver the products as promised that has the most significant effect on business, he believes. “People have insurance against damage and you can recover costs one way or another but, as a rule, you can’t recover your reputation.”

Gluer recommends exporters use standard pallets certified for export use, and keep the cargo to a manageable height; a 1.2 x 1.2-metre pallet should only be stacked to 1.2 metres to form a cube. “Keeping a fairly even height to width ratio means it is most likely not to get damaged, and it’s likely to stay dry because the shrinkwrap won’t be pulled around or torn,” Gluer explains.

And invest in decent packaging, don’t have it as an afterthought. “Don’t get skimpy,” says Gluer. “Build it in on day one. Don’t think, ‘I’ve done all my costings, gosh, I need another two to three percent for packaging’. Get it right from day one in the commercial considerations.”

Part and parcel

Another risk in packaging involves legal compliance and suitable marketing, which is especially important for people who sell to consumers in the international market. Exporters should firstly ensure that the physical packaging meets the requirements of the destination country; for example, food packaging needs to meet food grade standards of the market, which may be different from Australia’s.

Additionally, labels need to meet market requirements, says Ian Harrison, CEO of the Australian Made, Australian Grown (AMAG) Campaign: “You just need to be aware of the labelling claim requirements in the country where the product is being sold.”

Having the packaging and labelling right before entering a market is a key part of becoming export-ready, he advises. “All these things—packaging, compliance matters, costings, distribution arrangements, logistical arrangements—really do need to be considered and done properly before a business simply starts to spend money or export product.”

Exporters thus need to be aware of any difference in terminology between Australian indicators and other markets. Harrison gives the example of the USA, where ‘Product of’ and ‘Made in’ do not correspond to their Australian counterparts: “‘Made in America’ is a very high level of compliance similar to that of ‘Product of Australia’, whereas ‘Product of America’ is a lower category much the same as when we use ‘Made in Australia’, where there can be something like 50 percent of imported product,” he says. “The most important thing for an exporter to have in mind is that when they’re selling product in another country it’s the laws in that other country that apply.”

The chamber of commerce network handles the paperwork for country of origin certification for the customs system, which will ensure that the correct tariffs apply. “Those documents are important, particularly where we have free-trade agreements with other countries,” adds Harrison.

However, country of origin labelling can have a marketing aspect to it as well, which is where AMAG comes in. As a certification trademark registered with IP Australia, ‘Australian Made’ or ‘Australian Grown’ must be used according to a set of rules under the Australian Competition & Consumer Commission, which administers the Trade Practices Act. But exporters shouldn’t simply apply for the logo and slap it on, it needs to form part of a marketing strategy, says Harrison.

“An important question that all exporters need to ask themselves in the market they’re trying to sell to is, is there an advantage in the product being recognised as Australian? If there is, they should be aggressive about packaging their goods in a way that consumers can recognise or associate the product with being Australian,” Harrison advises. “If it doesn’t help the sale, then it’s in the exporter’s interest to downplay the fact. The use of AMAG can also be a marketing tool.”

The physical, legal and marketing risks in packaging can seem small, but all have the potential to ruin your exports if you fail to plan properly or heed the requirements, so make sure you check the boxes before you export.

Five translation tips for exporters

Linda LaCombe — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 01:54:40 +0000

Translating into the languages of your customers shows you are serious about doing business with them, and content that reflects the culture of the local market is key to increasing your export success.

Additionally, many countries now require documentation to be translated, such as with European product packaging.

Free machine translation can be useful to get the gist of a text, but using machine-translated text for your product documentation can have embarrassing and disastrous consequences, ranging from damage to your company image to expensive litigation.

Discussing the purpose of your translation and its intended audience with your translators can ensure a safer and more effective product.

How to get the best from a translation service:

Have a meeting or discussion with a translation service and have your technical or marketing team participate. Talk about your objectives and your export markets. Bring with you material and information about software programs used, technical documentation, websites, etc.
Ask the service to recommend different solutions to handle your translation projects based on your specific requirements and budget.
Simplify your writing style and avoid local idioms or colloquialisms: you will make the task of translation easier, and reduce misunderstandings.
Help the translator and editor familiarise themselves with your product and company, provide them with any support material, references, glossaries, etc.
Provide an accessible contact person for questions in case the translators or editors need quick answers.

—Linda LaCombe is the regional business manager at Australian Export Translation Service

Translating Chinese whispers

Tea Dietterich — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 07:41:36 +0000

Many Australian exporters have started doing business with the Chinese. Chinese language collateral plays an important role, but there are some special considerations that must be kept in mind.

Here are some answers to frequently asked questions:

Do I need separate versions of my document in both Mandarin and Cantonese?
Mandarin and Cantonese are the names of two different spoken dialects of Chinese. Both Mandarin and Cantonese speakers however, can generally read written Chinese. The more important question to ask is whether the document is destined for the People’s Republic of China (PRC) or outside the PRC.

Can I send the same Chinese document to Taiwan, the PRC and Hong Kong?
Generally speaking, there are two forms of written Chinese: Traditional Chinese and Simplified Chinese. If you have documents to be used in both Taiwan and the PRC, you will normally require two separate versions. You need separate business cards for Taiwan and the PRC: the Taiwanese cannot read Simplified Chinese. When in doubt, the safe option is to choose Traditional Chinese.

What is Simplified Chinese?
Simplified Chinese, also known as Modern Chinese, was developed from the traditional form in the PRC in the late 1950s to increase the level of literacy. The complex traditional form was limiting, and was understood and used by only half the population. Around 7,000 Simplified characters replaced some 13,500 Traditional characters.

When the PRC was recognised by the United Nations in 1971, Simplified Chinese became the official written language used in China. Singapore also made it their official written language.

What is Traditional Chinese?

Traditional Chinese, also Complex (or Full Form) Chinese, is the traditional and more complex form of the written language. All Chinese communities outside Mainland China, except Singapore, use it. Traditional users consider it to be a more sophisticated form of Chinese, which is why the Taiwanese refuse to use the Simplified form; another is, as claimants to being the true rulers of China, they could not validate a system sanctioned by Mainland China.

— Tea Dietterich is president of the Australian Institute for Translators & Interpreters (AUSIT) Queensland, director of translation agency Multimedia Languages & Marketing, and an advanced NAATI translator and interpreter.

Global businesses have email translation help

Adeline Teoh — Thu, 21 May 2009 23:33:50 +0000

Google has launched a translation service for its email service Gmail, which could assist global businesses in their electronic communication.

Readers will be able to select ‘translate message to’ when receiving emails that arrive in a foreign language, after enabling the translation feature in their settings.

“If your entire company uses Gmail, email communications between people in your company can take place in the language that’s most comfortable for them,” blogged Google Translate product manager Jeff Chin. “Each person can write messages in their native language, and the recipients can translate the messages into their respective native languages.”

While the translation is not perfect, readers should be able to get “a quick gist of a message” wrote Chin.

More complex emails will probably have to wait for better translation technology.

How to choose a translator

Tea Dietterich — Tue, 05 May 2009 05:12:28 +0000

Anyone targeting overseas markets knows the importance of correct translation of their marketing collateral and company profile. However, using the services of a translator or interpreter can be tricky.

There is nothing worse than using a translator for your overseas campaign and getting your message mixed up. We have all seen examples like these before:

Sign at a French hotel: “Please leave your values at the front desk”
Sign at a Bangkok dry cleaners: “Please drop your trousers here for best results”
Sign at a Japanese hotel: “You are invited to take advantage of the chambermaid”

These may make you giggle, but there is nothing funny about lost credibility with your clients, thousands spent on a failed advertising campaign, or complete corporate humiliation. However, acquiring and using the services of a translator and/or interpreter can raise many questions. Before you plan or commit to using the services of a translator or an interpreter, take a few moments to read this guide. Informed choices yield the best results.

Interpreter or translator?
Interpreters speak, translators write. Checkers check the translated text against the English original, and proofreaders check the text without comparing with the original. If you need your company documentation in a foreign language, you will need a translator.

If you need someone on site with you to facilitate communication with your potential or current trade partner, you will need an interpreter. If your trade partner is organising the interpreter in their country, you may want to organise your own interpreter to ensure objectivity during negotiation.

Language service is a service you pay for. Historically, exporters have been reluctant to demand the quality and accountability of any other such service due to feeling unqualified to judge. But there is no valid reason why you should not be fully involved in verifying the quality of the service you’ve received when working with a professional.

Translation and interpretation professionals are experts at communication. They should communicate any technical obstacles to translation, the reasons things do and do not work, and the rationale for everything they do in your paid employ. All you have to do is ask the questions.

Finding a translator
You need someone accredited by the National Accreditation Authority for Translators & Interpreters of Australia (NAATI) because all translations are checked by second independent translators and proofed by editors. The editors are international journalists who make sure that the translation sounds natural and captures the hearts and minds of the target market. The international journalists translate all press releases.

Translation and interpretation practitioners are not mind readers. They need a lot of prior knowledge before they can do the job. It’s your task to provide this information. Beware the practitioner who doesn’t ask questions!

How much will it cost? Obtain quotes on written work wherever possible. In Australia, translation work is charged per 100 words. Shop around and measure the professionalism of the responses you receive. If some quotes come in at half the rate of others, you should question their experience and what is included in their service.

How long will it take? Let the translator or translation agency of written material tell you how long things should take. Make sure you let them know if something is urgent. If you want the job in 24 hours, this will entail an extra cost. However, if you want 10 pages of telecommunications tender documents completed overnight, you’ve probably left it too late. Talk to someone as soon as you know translation or interpreting will be required.

Train your translators. Don’t pay a series of people to reinvent the wheel. Every time you work with someone, you have invested in their knowledge of your problem. Sometimes you can maximise your return on investment by using the same people. Your translation agency will allocate a translation team to you and always use the same people to ensure consistency.

Check the dialect your target market speaks. South American Spanish or Madrid Spanish? North African or Gulf Arabic? Do you want English for non-English mother tongue readers? Be specific. Speak your reader’s language. Put yourself in their shoes, and focus on how your products and services can serve their needs and you will succeed.