How language is removing business barriers during pandemic
2020 was not only the year of a pandemic but also the year of the shift to remote work. That was the year when business leaders and workers realized the importance of language skills.
Everyone understood a simple truth: if you speak foreign languages, you can work for the best companies and collaborate with the best experts from all over the world.
Do you want to know how language is removing business barriers in 2021? Keep on reading!
Trends for internalization and globalization
Trends for internalization and globalization have been shaping the business world for a few decades. In 2020, small and big companies realized that they need to have diverse, multilingual teams to stay competitive in the global market. Now they invite employees who speak two or more to their team in order to get a competitive advantage and reach more overseas clients.
Let’s consider an example to understand the influence of this trend on business barriers. Imagine that there are four companies:
- Company A based in San Francisco – employees speak English and Spanish.
- Company B based in France – employees speak French and Spanish
- Company C based in Argentina – employees speak Spanish and Germany.
- Company D based in Germany – employees speak German, French, and English.
Since employees of these companies speak more than one language, they can do business with one another – there are no barriers to communication.
Now imagine that each of these companies speaks only one single language. Will they face a language barrier? Definitely, they will. They will not be able to communicate with each other without the help of translators.
Accessibility of translation services
The good news is that the quality and accessibility of online translation services are improving year by year. And that opens new business opportunities for small and big companies that want to enter foreign markets. Today, even a small eCommerce company can afford to hire a professional translator to localize a website or translate shipping documents.
Since more and more businesses realize the necessity of language skills, the demand for translation jobs increases. Consequently, it drives changes in the labor market – more language learners and linguists choose translation as their career path.
If you want to hire a professional translator, make sure to read reviews online and define the best translation companies to work for. There are many translators out there, but not all of them are highly qualified. Once you read reviews, you will understand what translators are worth your trust.
Clarity in communication
For many years, small businesses tried to use Google Translator and similar online tools to communicate with foreign clients and business partners. Naturally, such communication was ineffective – there were numerous mistakes in the translation, and messages lacked clarity.
The pandemic made people understand the true importance of clarity in online communication. When you communicate with the person who speaks your language, there is always a chance that the person will misinterpret your text message because of a lack of contextual clues.
And when you communicate with a foreigner using an online translation tool, the chances of virtual miscommunication increase dramatically. What is the cost of miscommunication? The unclosed deal, negative review, unsatisfied client, and other unused opportunities.
Language skill is a key to removing these barriers. If you are fluent in a foreign language and can express your ideas clearly, the chances of miscommunication will be closed to zero.
Wrapping up
Language skills have always been important. The pandemic has just helped people and businesses understand that.
If you have been thinking about learning a foreign language or inviting a multilingual expert for your team, we highly suggest you bring your plan to action in the nearest future.
BIO: Merissa Moore is a freelance writer, traveler, and tech enthusiast. She speaks three foreign languages and creates multilingual content for global brands. Merrisa promotes the ideas of multiculturalism and cultural diversity
Founder Dinis Guarda
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