It’s been an interesting couple of weeks since we last blogged.
We’ve had some new photos for our website so look out for an update soon to the team section. A few years older and a bit wiser I hope.
We’ve be updating our skills too with a range of business and language courses to improve the way our office runs. We all love learning new things and meeting new people.
In a couple of weeks I’ve been asked to talk to a breakfast networking meeting on why we should bother looking at translation when dealing with potential customers abroad, so I’m busy preparing for this.
It’s an interesting dilemma. Some UK companies I have been speaking to recently are desperate for new clients but can’t see that by making a small amount of effort to approach to an overseas prospect, they could improve their chances of reaping the rewards of a potential long term relationship.
Even for countries like Holland and Sweden, where English is widely spoken, there is a reluctance to cross the water and make contact. Is it confidence or something else?
Some of the things I will be suggesting companies take a look at include having a small website area for overseas prospects, which clearly sets out what you can do for them – just what you initially feel comfortable with.
You could perhaps visit a trade fair to get a feel for how things are looking in the market you are interested in.
There are great services offered by local Chambers for market research and help with finding contacts – support is out there and often low cost or free.
There is no need to ignore the rest of the world – the opportunities are varied and numerous – there’s a great deal of help available and by working with a trusted language partner, the headaches of communication can be minimised.
Differences can make a positive contribution to a working relationship – they don’t have to be a stumbling block.