5 Things Global Companies Should Know About Language Translation Service Providers

Collage: Baltic Media Translations Services

When your company hires a translation service, your goal is to get an accurate translation of a document, interview, website copy, or other content in a timely manner and for an affordable price. But what are you really getting for your money?

Here are five things your global company may not have known about language translation service providers:

Many Translation Services Have Very Few Full-Time Translators

Did you know that many translation service providers use a stable of freelance translators who perform translation services for them on a per job basis? That means that your translation assignment may actually be performed by somebody on the other side of the world.

This is actually quite common, especially for translations of obscure languages. For example, if you need a document translated from English into German or French – or vice versa – this is something that can be done quite easily as these are popular language spoken by billions of people.

But if you need a website translated from English into Swahili or an obscure rural dialect of Mongolian, there are going to be far fewer translators who have the skills and experience needed to provide an accurate translation.

You Probably Can Do Some Translation Assignments In-House

One mistake many global companies make is ignoring the talents of their existing employees. In today’s business environment, workers come from a variety of ethnic and regional backgrounds. So there probably already are many people in your payroll rolls who speak other languages.

When you have a translation job that requires the talents of somebody who can speak one of the most common world languages, there may be somebody already on your staff who can do it for you at no additional cost. This can save you big money on translation services and at the same time make your employees feel better about the contributions they are making to the success of your business.

It’s always a good idea to ask applicants if they speak a foreign language when they apply to work at your company. This information can then be stored in a database that can be accessed whenever you need translation services in the specific language they fluently speak.

Their Goal is to Charge You as Much as Possible

Translation services companies are a for-profit business. As such, like any business their goal is to maximize profits. There are two ways to do this: Reduce costs and increase revenues. This is Business School 101: The higher the revenues and the lower the costs, the bigger the profits will be.

So the price you are quoted by a translation service for an individual job or for ongoing services is always going to be the most they think you will reasonably be willing to pay. But that doesn’t mean that you have to pay that price.

Negotiating a contract with a translation service is very common, even expected. If you accept the first price that they offer, watch out. They probably are going to know they have a live one on the line and continue to overcharge you for their services for as long as they can.

It’s in your company’s best interest to pay the lowest possible price while getting the most possible services you can for your money. So don’t be afraid to make a counter-offer that is far lower than the original quoted price.

There are Thousands of Translation Services

From a negotiation perspective, you have the advantage of being able to take your business to one of the other thousands of translation services there are around the world and online. So when a translation service offers you a relatively high price quote for your project, you can confidently come back with a counter-offer that is much lower.

That gives you an economic advantage in negotiating a deal with a translation service – whether it’s for a single job or for ongoing work. You can always walk away from the table because you already know that there are thousands of other companies that will do the same job for you at a substantially lower price. You can then use this advantage as a negotiating tool to get the lowest price possible.

Get the Services You Need

Not all translation service providers are created equal. Some are better than others. Many outsource their translation services while others handle translation in the most popular languages in-house.

Your goal is to get the translation services you need at the lowest possible price. So you need to find a translation service provider that specializes in the type of services you need most: Whether it’s translating short documents or long, translating live speech or written, or whatever your requirements are.

Source: Business 2 Community