Through my experience working for US companies in German and German companies in the US, I’ve found that many companies believe that they can do everything in-house in their native country. When operating in a foreign market there are many things that you need to consider that a non-native most likely will not recognize or understand. This is largely a language issue but can also include other areas of business as well.
This is called Localization: The act of giving a product a local look and feel. Making customers believe it is native to their market.
For example; when sending out marketing material you have a very short amount of time to get the reader’s attention. If it is not concisely written in the target market’s language you don’t have a chance.
Another issue with marketing is that different countries/regions view marketing in different ways. Something that gets a lot of attention and works well in one place may not work well in another or even have legal implications.
First impressions are very important and if the reader doesn’t understand the message because of poor language, they are not going to believe that you can provide them with a superior product. Your brochure ends up in the trash. This is a huge issue because you have lost a potential client before they even know anything about your product.
Furthermore, many companies don’t localize things such as software, websites, or manuals. I’m sure most of us have gone through the frustration of trying to assemble or configure a new product and not be able to understand the instructions. If you had the choice between two essentially equal products, but one of them had a manual or instructions that you could clearly understand because it was written by a native speaker which would you choose to buy?
I’m always surprised to see how many international companies use non-native speakers to translate their materials for foreign markets. Whether it is out of ignorance, arrogance, or for cost reasons, in the long run having your products localized for each market where the company operates is extremely important. Simply doing this can drastically improve your marketing success, sales volume, and retention of clients!
