A business meeting translator can make or break your event. Be it a sales meeting, a training seminar, a board meeting, or an annual general meeting, the ability of your translator can be the key to your success. The professionalism and accuracy of your translator contributes to the overall impression you make on clients, board members, or potential employees. Even the smallest mistake in translation can leave an important person with a negative impression. That tiny error can result in a much larger financial loss so choose a business meeting translator who can fulfill all your needs.
Specific factors to consider when choosing a business meeting translator:
- Does the translator have experience working directly with the languages(s) in which you need service? Use of a “relay” in a third language increases the chance of a translation error. It also creates a longer lag with simultaneous interpretation, making the translation seem more artificial and less conversational.
- Can the translator offer culturally appropriate translation? The language may be the same in two different places, but the culture could be vastly different. Your translator needs to be sensitive to the specific nuances.
- Do you need a translator with a particular specialization such as medical, legal, engineering, or financial?
- Does the translator have a proven track record? Experience translating during business meetings?
For smaller meetings where a maximum of two languages will be spoken, you may wish to use consecutive interpretation. At larger meetings, such as academic forums and international press conferences, you may find that simultaneous translation is required. In the latter case, the translator should be able to provide all the necessary equipment (booth, sound equipment, etc.).
As with all professional services, it’s important that the service be of high quality and promptly delivered. You give your all when you plan a business meeting, and you should choose a translator who will do the same. If you find yourself playing phone tag with the translation service, or if you find errors in the text of the quote, you probably want to keep looking. Beyond that, be sure that the service is complete. Does the translator visit your conference site prior to the event to iron out technical and logistical details? Does the translator take care of set-up and clean-up after the meeting?
Price is obviously an important factor but, if the price is low, it can be an indication that the quality of the service will suffer. Perhaps machine translation will be used for printed matter. Or perhaps the translator will lack flexibility when it comes to last-minute changes or follow-up after the event. Don’t compromise when it really matters. Remember that when you pay for a quality translation service, you are helping to ensure a positive outcome for your meeting.
Contact us today to receive a quote. Find out more about how to choose a business meeting translator by downloading our free How to Choose the Right Translation Services for Your Event eBook today.