By Effective communication is key to any business. Engaging customers and clients in your native tongue is one thing, but doing it in another language can seem like a monumental task.
Companies often don’t think about expanding to a foreign audience because of language and cultural barriers. This post will discuss how language barriers can affect international business and ways you can overcome them.
How Does Language Affect International Business?
Opening up your company to international business can yield overwhelming benefits. But language barriers present many challenges. A simple miscommunication could result in lost time, lost money, or damaged relationships.
Cultural differences can come into play too. What might be considered acceptable or normal in your culture could be wildly different in others, and vice versa.
Common Reasons Companies Don’t Go International
There are several compelling reasons you should be selling internationally, yet most businesses still hesitate at the idea of doing international business. Maybe some of these resonate with you:
- Perceived Difficulty - Communicating effectively is already challenging enough. Doing so in another language creates a different challenge altogether.
- Fear of Miscommunication - You might not get your message across, or it could be misinterpreted, resulting in lost time and revenue.
- Cost of Translation - The upfront costs might be too much. That, or the returns might not be worth the cost of entering the new market.
- Logistical Challenges - Language aside, international expansion's legal and logistical challenges might be too great for some companies.
None of these concerns should stop you from trying to expand your business. In fact, you can easily trounce them with proper tools and management. So if it makes sense for your operation, globalization is a natural next step in your company’s growth.
How Can Language Barriers Be Overcome in International Business?
With the right tools and preparation, your business can easily overcome the risks and setbacks language barriers bring. Here are some methods you can explore.
Partner with Businesses in Your Industry
Forming a strong, mutually beneficial relationship can yield all sorts of positive results. Both companies can make money and gain notoriety in their field.
Other established businesses in your industry may already be present in the regions you want to expand to. They can help you navigate the ins and outs of the area, distribute your products, and establish your credibility in that country.
Use Visual Language
There’s an old saying in filmmaking: “Show, don’t tell.” Visual communication is a universal way to get your message across. You could have trouble expressing the thoughts in your mind, but showing pictures or using a graph to display information can do the job better than words can.
If you have a product, use photos and videos to show it off. Product demonstrations and images of happy customers can do a lot more than just words alone.
Use Translation Software
Translation software has come a long way since its very humble beginnings. Nowadays, you can get accurate, compelling translations of complex, jargon-filled text with just a few clicks, and at a low cost. Many top-performing companies have fully integrated translation software into their overall business strategy.
AI-powered translation software has two key benefits:
- Translation software is an affordable, effective option. From on-demand translation via the Group's intranet portal to multilingual business-specific applications
- Software can also save a significant amount of time, letting you send out multilingual content in real time.
SYSTRAN Translate PRO makes overcoming language barriers simple, straightforward, and cost-effective, thanks to our multiple service plans.
Overcome Language Barriers with SYSTRAN
We’ve been pioneering machine translation technology for well over 50 years, so we understand how language barriers affect international business.
SYSTRAN offers various solutions for your needs to help you overcome these barriers and save you time, energy, and money. Learn more about what SYSTRAN can do for you.
