Partner Article

Mike Cratchley tells Bdaily why translation specialists WordMaster Language Services has based itself here in the North East

Despite the national press spreading yet more gloom, this time about the growing prosperity gap between the South and North, one fact is indisputable – the North East continues to be a shining beacon to the rest of the UK when it comes to international trade.

Nevertheless, despite our comparative success, there is still significant room for improvement. We may be showing the way in exporting, but when it comes to international communication, we still have some distance to go if we are to compete effectively with those countries that do it best, such as Germany.

So many times I’ve heard business people in the region say “We don’t need to worry because English is the language of business”. Of course, many of your potential customers CAN speak English, but as Willi Brandt, an outstanding German Chancellor, once said “If I’m selling to you, I speak your language. If I’m buying, dann muessen Sie Deutsch sprechen.”

His wise words express an inherent preference on the part of most overseas customers to communicate in their own mother tongue when they’re in buying mode. We also need to recognise that, in many instances, when we are trying to sell in a particular country, we may be up against local competitors who speak the same language as the customer. If we make it harder for customers to do business with us by not at least attempting to communicate with them in their own language, our chances of success are greatly diminished.

Recognising that there is a growing need in the North East for a locally-based organisation that can provide high quality translations of commercial, promotional, legal, medical and technical documents was the key driver behind our decision to base WordMaster on Teesside.

Over the last decade, we have built up a global network of qualified translators, most of whom work in their mother tongue country. This gives us access to the expertise needed to provide certified translations from English into over 200 languages and dialects and vice versa.
Website content is another area where we can add real value, using our translators to provide both a language and cultural input to the development of international websites. We can also proof read previously translated documents to ensure that they are truly fit for purpose.
With Europe now having to look beyond its borders to generate economic growth from places like Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa and Indonesia, international competition is certain to intensify. Being better at communicating with potential customers in these countries is one way of making sure that we get our share of whatever business is out there.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by MICHAEL CRATCHLEY .