It takes time…

Your information is valuable, you have invested a considerable amount of time and resources to created something unique that will help your business thrive. The next step, and it is quite obvious, is to reach for new markets… and yes, other languages and cultures. It takes time to find the right professional translation agency for you, but once you find it, that new relationship needs to evolve into a strategic partnership… for the long run.

That being said, here are a few points to consider:

1) Professional Translation Services and Translators (the real ones) do not use Google Translate. Yes, there are some folks out there who believe that translators and interpreters own
“certain machines” that allow them to do the job. It is true that there are certain devices and software available, but these tools merely allow the translator to make the job a bit easier, it is totally up to the translator to define the quality of the document. For interpreters… well, it is live… so… pure skills, paper and pen… and Wi-Fi connection for the dictionaries.

2) The translator is your business partner… not your enemy. When you decide which document will be translated, try to send it as simple as possible. Plain text, no margins, no photos, no JPEGS on the back pretending to be a watermark, etc. Think of it as a fancy banquet, the table is served with delicious food and the array is just magnificent; then you remember that you must remodel, paint and clean the hall because the cream of the crop is coming home for dinner… well, that is exactly what happens when those embellished documents are sent to a translator, something will always go wrong… and the experience will turn into a nightmare.

3) You are not buying a pizza and most certainly, you are not buying something cheap… whoever says translations are easy, fast and cheap; is a liar. There is a rule in business: Time, Cost or Quality… you pick two, the translation agency picks the one left.

• Time + Cost= a project done quickly and cheaply, but the Quality may suffer.
• Quality + Time= an outstanding project delivered quickly, but it will Cost more.
• 
Cost + Quality= great work at a reasonable cost, but leave plenty of Time to complete it.

4) Be as precise as possible. If the source language is not precise, the translation will be loose; and there is nothing that the translator can do about it. Each industry uses different vocabularies, if you believe you are in need of a specialized translator, then the agency will be happy to advise you and recommend one.

Talk to the agency, talk to the translator, at the end of the day we just want to work smart and create healthy and long relationships with our business partners.

-A