Choosing a Business Translation Service: What to Look For

Whether you’re a small business or a multi-national conglomerate, communicating with your most valuable customers will give you a boost in many ways. As a small company, translating your content can open up specific niche markets in other parts of the world. There are numerous reasons for translating your business documents, including market expansion, preventing costly communication breakdowns or delays, and possibly the most important: to show customers you care.

When entering a global market, choosing the right business translation service is one of the most important decisions you’ll make for your company. A skilled business translator can help you successfully connect with potential customers; a poor translator, on the other hand, can lead your organization to embarrassing gaffes at best – and alienate your target market at worst.

In order to ensure your language translation company fits the bill, the following are four essential qualities to look for in a business translator:

1. Reputation

Reputation is important when hiring any business contractor, but even more so for a business translation service. After all, you’ll be placing your company’s overseas reputation in your translator’s hands. Contact each language translation company’s past clients to ask about the firm’s translation quality as well as its ability to meet deadlines and budgetary constraints.

Look for a business translation service that is involved with professional organizations, particularly the American Translators Association, and ask how long the firm has been a member. You should also question whether you will be working with a business translator who is not only certified but has taken the language evaluation test in the language you need. (The test is not offered in Finnish, for example.)

2. Price

You get what you pay for – this maxim is as true in the translation industry as anywhere else. You might find a language translation company that offers cut-rate services, but the translators may not have the skills or cultural background required to deliver an accurate translation.

Translation costs can vary depending on the complexity of the subject, the destination language (the language you wish to translate into), and the experience and location of the translator. The important factor to look at is how the company charges. With a per-word rate, you know in advance how much the business translation service will cost. With a per-page or hourly rate, however, it’s more difficult to compare prices, as your end costs may change unexpectedly.

4. Agency Experience

Each business translation service develops its own process for screening applicants. Ask about the firm’s hiring process, and make sure it meets your own standards. A good agency will do all of the important legwork for you.

You should also find out whether you will be paired with the same translator and editor for future projects. Translating, like many professions, is part art and finesse. The more understanding the translator has of your business, the higher quality you will see in the translation.

3. Translator Experience

If possible, ask for an anonymized resume of the business translator you will be working with. To find the highest quality translation services, look for the following:

Is the candidate a native speaker of your destination language? This is highly important, as your business translator must be able to pick up on and convey the nuances of what you’re trying to say in order to prevent embarrassing mistakes that could cost you sales or cause you to lose offended customers for good.

How many languages does the candidate claim to translate in? More isn’t necessarily better. Most people are fully lingual in only two or three languages, and it is extremely rare to find translators who are fluent in more than that.

How long has the candidate lived in each country? This is the most telling indicator as to whether the business translator can fully understand both English and your destination language. If they say they can translate in more than two languages, this knowledge can help you determine the strongest ones.

Is the candidate an excellent writer? One of the most overlooked skills when searching for a business translator is basic writing ability and reading comprehension. Request a writing sample to determine whether the candidate demonstrates correct use of commas, punctuation and spelling.

How long has the candidate been working professionally? Does he or she have a niche industry? Not only do translators gain business savvy through experience, but if they have acquired knowledge in a specific industry, they will understand the jargon and common usage of words that could be disastrous if misunderstood.