If you are running an international event or trying to land an international deal, you will need interpreters. From helping a manufacturing client land a multi-million-pound deal to making sure that construction associations can share best practice, interpreters make sure that communication across languages and cultures is as smooth as possible.
But while most people are aware that interpreters can turn your English speech into another language, few businesspeople are aware of the other ways that interpreters can make your events even better than they would have been if you just had English speakers. Here, consultant interpreter Dr Jonathan Downie from Integrity Languages gives a quick rundown of the top four ways interpreters can help your event.
1. For every language spoken, you multiply your potential audience
This is the most obvious perk. While English might be spoken in many countries, people are always more likely to buy when they hear the virtues of your product or service extolled in their language. The more languages you cover with interpreters, the wider the audience of people who can be persuaded to buy from your company.
2. Interpreters can make presentations more effective
There is nothing more off-putting than someone droning on and not realising that they lost their audience an hour ago! One benefit of working with interpreters is that, since they will have to go through your notes in advance anyway, you can invite them to come back with any comments about aspects that might need to be reworked. You would be surprised what they spot.
3. Interpreters spot small issues with big impact
One word can make a big difference. I once interpreted in a meeting where agreeing on the definition of “quality” meant the difference between winning and losing a deal. When you work with professional interpreters, you have experts at your fingertips who can spot and resolve communication issues before you even notice they have arisen. And when that happens, your events have much greater ROI.
4. Diverse teams create better solutions
Research is increasingly showing that diverse teams come up with more creative solutions to problems. I have personally been in policy meetings where the recommendations that came from having people from all over Europe around one table far surpassed anything that any group could have done on their own.
So the next time you organise a multi-lingual meeting, see how much more value your interpreters can provide you.
Dr Jonathan Downie is a consultant interpreter, speaker and author. His business Integrity Languages offers conference interpreting and consultancy covering all major European languages. His experience includes interpreting at events run by government agencies, multinational conglomerates and international associations, as well as on live-streamed media. Find out more at integritylanguages.co.uk/interpreting
