October Holidays Around the World

 

October is unofficially known as the start of the “holiday season;” countries all over the world are holding festivities to celebrate a wide variety of holidays. From Mother’s Day in Malawi to Armed Forces Day in Egypt, there are any number of holidays to observe this October.

 

On October 3rd, you can throw up your hands and give a shout for Gaecheonjeol, also known as National Foundation Day. This South Korean holiday celebrates the founding of Gojoseon, the first Korean state, in 2333 BC. It was declared a national holiday in 1909 and the date was finally fixed on October 3rd in 1949. On this day, the Korean people are led by the head of state in a prayer service dedicated to the founding gods and the gods of the harvest. Afterward, they eat a traditional soup called Seolleongtang made from ox bones and cuts of beef.

 

October is Thanksgiving time, if you’re in Canada that is. Not to be outdone by Americans, our neighbors to the North have their own version of this holiday celebrated in October. The first Thanksgiving in Canada was observed in 1879 as a chance to give thanks over the many blessings bestowed on the Canadian people. The festivities and foods include parades, football games, and lots of turkey and pumpkin pie.

 

One of the most popular holidays in October is Oktoberfest. On October 12th, 1810, King Ludwig I married Therese of Saxe-Hildburghausen and threw a party to celebrate in the fields (Wiesn) outside the gates of Munich. Oddly enough, the main attraction at this celebration was a horse race, not beer. In fact, beer didn’t make an appearance at Oktoberfest until 1892. Today, Oktoberfest has turned into a 16 to 18-day festival with over 6 million attendees who drink close to 7 million liters of beer each year.

 

In Thailand, on October 23rd, the people celebrate King Chulalongkorn Day. You may know him better as King Rama V, the fifth monarch of Siam. Born in 1868, he ruled (officially) from 1873 to his death in 1910. During his reign, he enacted several major reforms in education, military, and the railway. He is also responsible for abolishing slavery in Siam; a feat he accomplished without any bloodshed. The Thai people celebrate this holiday by placing wreaths and gathering around the various statues and monuments dedicated to this forward-thinking monarch.

 

Ever heard of the country of Nauru? It’s a small island in Micronesia that today hosts a population around 10,000. However, the native Nauru people have come close to extinction twice, with total populations falling below 1,500–considered the minimum needed to sustain a sub-population or race. To celebrate their twice miraculous return from the brink of extinction, they celebrate Angam Day on October 26th. In Nauruan, Angam translates into “celebration” or “coming home.”

 

Of course, you can’t mention holidays in October without mentioning Halloween. This holiday traces its roots back to Ireland and the ancient festival of Samhain, celebrated by the Celts to mark the end of the Harvest. The tradition of dressing up in costume to go trick-or-treating started in Ireland, Scotland, and Wales around the 16th century, but it wasn’t adopted widely in the US until the 20th century.

 

In between pulling your sweaters out of storage and ingesting pumpkin spice everything, take some time to celebrate all the amazing holidays around the world this October!

The Major Difference Between Interpretation and Translation

Access2Interpreters has been serving the Columbus area for over 13 years. We have staff trained in interpretive services for over 250 languages and dialects, and translation services for over 90 languages. While many people use the words interpretation and translation interchangeably, there is one major difference between them: interpretation is performed verbally while a translation is written.

When you look beneath this simple difference, you will find that the skills and knowledge for each are vastly different. It’s important to have the right person when you need to transform words and ideas clearly from one language into another.

Translation

Translation is done via the written word and makes use of reference guides and dictionaries to ensure accuracy. Translation is usually a one-way system, with the translator typically translating from a source text into their primary language.

Although a translator does not need to have spoken fluency in a language, they do need to have an in-depth knowledge of the vocabulary, grammar, spelling, colloquialisms, and cultures of both languages. Capturing meaning and hidden depth in a literary or academic paper requires finesse and thoughtfulness. Translating technical documents requires precise knowledge and analytical skills. All translators should be subject matter experts in the type of text they are translating.

 

Interpretation

Interpretation is the act of translating verbally from one language to another. It is performed on the spot and without the use of reference materials or dictionaries. Interpretation requires elevated fluency in both languages. There are two types of interpretive services.

One type of interpretive services is simultaneous interpretation. This occurs when an interpreter repeats each sentence immediately after it is spoken. Not only must the interpreter translate the sentence in their mind, accounting for cultural references and technical language, but they must also speak it out clearly and audibly. On top of that, they need to be listening for the next sentence and interpreting that mentally, all while speaking the previous sentence. If it sounds like a lot of work, that’s because it is.

Consecutive interpretation occurs when the speaker communicates several sentences or paragraphs at once before stopping to let the interpreter translate. A consecutive interpreter must be an excellent note taker as it is difficult for even the best minds to memorize whole paragraphs of lines to repeat to an audience.

Neither translating nor interpreting are about literal word-for-word conversion of one language to another. Both require an understanding of subject matter, a high degree of skill and proficiency in writing, listening, and speaking.

 

If you need translation or interpretive services in Columbus, call us today!

Interpreter Spotlight: Christopher Farhat

Interpretation can be a challenging but rewarding field of work.  Many of our interpreters work with us part-time, on top of their other responsibilities, such as parenting, or classes.  Others, like Christopher, plan on making a full-fledged career out of the interpreting profession.  Although Christopher has only been with us for a few months, he has already established a reputation as one of our hardest-working and most ambitious interpreters.  I had the opportunity to sit down and talk with him about how his time with Access is helping him work toward his future goals.  Check out what he had to say:

Q: How did you learn about Access, and why did you choose to work with us?

A: I already knew about the company through my mother, who already had been working for Access as an interpreter since September 2016.  First and foremost, I thought it would be a great avenue to get into the linguistic field.  I really like languages.  I’ve had a strong interest in languages since I was a kid, but I didn’t know how to get into a profession where I could use them actively.  Straight out of high school, things were rough, and even though I was consistently working (in great positions too!), I would not have been able to keep it up my entire life.  In the midst of this chaos, my mother made the suggestion that I should go to Spain for a year and learn the language thoroughly, and then I could become an interpreter.  So, I went to Spain for seven and a half months, where I lived with family, and really focused on learning the language, as well as field specific terms, just to be an interpreter, and so far, it’s been working out much better than anything else.

Q: Is there a history of working in language services in your family?

A: Almost none of my family actually lives in the United States.  Most of them live in Israel, Spain, or France.  Working in language services is something that’s specific to my immediate family, but it stems from a history of exposure to other languages, and a simple need to communicate.

 Q: Were you raised bilingually?

A: Not at home, but my siblings and I would go back and forth between Spain, France, and Israel every summer as children.  My extended family there may have been able to speak a little English, but mainly spoke Spanish, French, Arabic, and Hebrew.  So, as I just stated about my family, there’s just been a long history of exposure to languages, and spending extended periods of time around them definitely gave me a strong exposure to and attraction towards languages.

Q: What are the biggest challenges you’ve faced in the field, and what strategies do you use to overcome them?

A: For me, the diversity of assignments can be a little challenging.  Not necessarily the diversity in itself, but more so the fast-paced switching of gears mentally when getting out of one assignment and jumping right into a completely different situation immediately after.  You could be finishing up a simple school assessment one second and find yourself rushing to the emergency room to talk about something really serious the next, and you have to have all that vocabulary on-hand, to use at a moment’s notice. 

Additionally, you could go into a situation that may seem completely routine and easy but then turns immediately into something extremely serious, or even great. You could encounter Drugs, abuse, life expectancy issues, or even, on the other end, things such as deliveries, getting to tell people for the first time about their child, or delivering great surgery results.  Those are the things that make the job extremely difficult, yet what make the job more than worth it.

For me, the best strategy to be sure that I’m always ready for anything is constant preparation: Constantly drilling myself and expanding my vocabulary, so that eventually the words that I only have to deal with occasionally now become second nature.  That definitely helps with simultaneous interpretation.  Simultaneous interpretation takes a certain mindset.  There’s no time to process, it almost becomes automatic, like you enter a different level of consciousness, and sometimes I don’t even realize I’m talking, because you have to focus on everything else being said in the room, and you can’t break that focus to search for words.  Really, just training yourself and reviewing new words every day and night goes a long way.

Q: What advice would you give to someone looking to become an interpreter?

A: Make sure that not only you really understand your languages, but that you also understand other people’s language.  By that I mean, sure, you need to constantly study and know your terms, but it’s more than that.  You need to portray things according to individuals and the setting you’re in.  You become the voice of whoever you’re interpreting for, and really understanding that person goes a long way toward accurately conveying their language.  The challenging part about this is that you have to deduce all of that only having had a moment’s interaction with a person. You have to understand everything from the language to the culture from that small interaction, and it is absolutely essential that you do understand the culture to interpret effectively.

Most of your experience with this comes from the field.  Besides that, constant training is really the most effective method of preparation for becoming an interpreter, and even after you become an interpreter, it’s an ongoing process.  You’re always in a constant state of learning and training, which never really ends.  That is one of the things I love most about being an interpreter.  Language is one of the things where you can constantly get better at and learn things about, even in your native tongue.  It’s how you become a better interpreter.

Q: What are your long-term goals for working in interpretation?

A: Well first, I want to become medically certified.  There are great resources to get one started and completed with certifications.   I, after that, want to get legal certification, in order to diversify my experiences.  These are shorter term goals though. 

Eventually, I want to get involved in UN interpreting, but for now that’s further down the road.  UN Interpreting is a fairly specific niche, but it is top of the line. The hardest, most elite, and on point interpreting is done at the UN.  The interpretation which takes place there could literally start wars if not executed correctly. While the cases there may not always involve extremely delicate topics, the consistency and accuracy necessary remains the same. That’s what I want to push myself to do.

To me, interpretation is an ongoing process of self-improvement, and being able to diversify the work I do now and get more experience across different fields is just a step toward achieving my larger goals later on.

Q: What are some of the most valuable skills you have learned so far during your time with access?

A: Like I said, I studied specifically for this, to become an interpreter.  But even after that, there is a jump from being fluent in a language, to using it for interpretation.  There is a major shift toward being accurate in the time frame given.  That’s something you can only practice and get better at in the field.  I, of course, was already fluent before starting with Access, but after starting, things just changed.  When I lived in Spain, people would talk to me in Spanish or English, and I would always just reply in Spanish by default.  Even then, since starting with Access, my comfort with the language has grown immensely.  

Q: Do you have any other final commentary you would like to share?

A: I just want to say, I’m enthusiastic about interpreting.  Even if I work all day and all night, I would never say “I hate my job”.  I would say that interpreting is easy, but hard.  I get paid to talk to people.  It’s awesome!  I love to talk to people.  As an interpreter, you have to be on top of it all the time.  It’s tough.  There can be no hesitation.  But this is what I love to do.  Although you can’t get very personal with people, I get the opportunity to meet people all the time with different experiences.  Being able to touch different cultures, it’s one of the best things about interpreting.

Christopher isn’t joking about working all day and all night either!  He is one of our most active interpreters, and often volunteers to take emergency assignments overnight and during the weekends.  Working as a freelance contractor gives our interpreters the flexibility to work as much or little as they want.  If you are inspired by Christopher’s story, and are interested in joining our team of interpreters, please head over to our “Interpreter Application” page and submit the form so we can get you in to the office for an interview session!


Mother’s Day Around the World

Mother’s Day Around the World

Muotermother. Mater. Mētēr. Mātṛ. Madre. Mère. Mama. These are just a few of the many ways “mother” is said around the world. Mother’s Day is traditionally a day to celebrate moms, mother-figures, and true female mentors with thoughtful gifts and loving words of gratitude. This year in the United States, Mother’s Day will be celebrated on May 13th, a tradition celebrated every year on the 2nd Sunday of May.

 

The American celebration of Mother’s Day in its modern form stemmed from Anna Jarvis, a female activist who founded “Mother’s Day Word Clubs” to help teach local women how to properly care for children. She later organized “Mothers’ Friendship Day” to encourage reconciliation between former Union and Confederate soldiers. Just a few years later in 1914, President Woodrow Wilson announced Mother’s Day as an official holiday. Today, Americans celebrate their mothers and mother-figures with flowers, chocolate, candy, special gifts and meals shared with family members. Mothers are not just honored throughout the United States, but worldwide, as well. Here’s how Mother’s Day traditions are celebrated in 5 other countries:

 

Fête des Mères

In France, Mother’s Day celebrations mirror those of the United States, where revelers bestow cards and flowers upon their mother-figures and share family dinners. In 1950, a French law established the fourth Sunday in May as “la fête des mères.”

 

母亲节

In China, Mother’s Day traditions coincide with filial piety, an ancient Chinese virtue that stresses the importance of respect towards parents and elders. More generally, people in China practice filial piety by being good to and taking care of one’s parents, while also practicing good conduct towards parents and strangers alike to honor their family and ancestors. The holiday is celebrated on the second Sunday of May, when festivities, including gift giving, occur.

 

วันแม่แห่งชาติ

Queen Sirikit, Thailand’s current queen and greatest mother-figure, is honored and celebrated in August, which is the month of her birthday. Many traditional Thai celebrations and festivities occur during this month to honor the Queen and all mothers in Thailand. Fun fact: the Thai go-to gift for mothers is a Jasmine plant.

 

የእናቶች ቀን

While Ethiopia officially celebrates Mother’s Day on the same day as the United States, this country has another even more popular holiday celebrating motherhood, called Antrosht. This multi-day celebration occurs during the fall, when families gather to sing songs and host large feasts.

 

Día de la Madre

Mexican traditions take Mother’s Day very seriously. In 2012, Manuel Gutierrez, president of the National Association of Restaurateurs, declared Mother’s Day the busiest day of the year for Mexican restaurants. While flowers, food and celebrations are a must, the day also typically includes lots of music, singing, and Mariachi bands, who serenade mothers with the song “Las Mañanitas.”

Spring Traditions from Around the World

Spring Traditions from Around the World

Plunging temperatures, gray skies and snow flurries have us dreaming of Spring, and it can’t come soon enough. It’s true, Punxsutawney Phil, Pennsylvania’s beloved groundhog, saw his shadow this year and quickly retreated back into his hole to brace an additional six weeks of winter weather. By tradition, had he not seen his shadow, he would have predicted an early spring. Only in America would we allow a legendary groundhog to predict the weather every second day of February, more commonly known as Groundhog’s Day. Punxsutawney Phil may have predicted a longer winter this year, but that won’t stop us from celebrating Spring traditions as seen around the world.

Thailand – The Songkran Water Festival

The Songkran (Sanskrit word for astrological passage) Water Festival marks the Thai new year (April 13-April 15), where people flock to the streets to participate in water fights. The throwing of water, in fun and friendly ways, is a traditional sign of respect, well-wishing and the washing away of bad luck. The more water, the better!

Scotland – Whuppity Scoorie

In Lanark, Scotland, children run laps around the town’s bell, known as the Kirk, on the first day of March until the clock strikes 6PM, which symbolizes the break of silence during desolate winter days. This tradition is so old that its origin is still unknown. Some believe Whuppity Scoorie came from a festival that was intended to rid of winter or evil spirits, while others believe it celebrates longer days that allow children to play outside longer.

Bosnia – Čimburijada

Crack an egg at the crack of dawn with Bosnia’s spring tradition, Čimburijada. Translated to the festival of scrambled eggs, thousands congregate in Zenica, Bosnia every March to celebrate the arrival of the spring season. An egg symbolizes new life and March symbolizes a new season; therefore, mass amounts of eggs are cooked and served to those who come together to share a meal.

Japan – Hanami

We typically associate the spring season with the blooming of flowers and that’s exactly how the Japanese celebrate spring with Hanami. Hanami is Japanese for flower viewing and is an annual tradition of enjoying the blooming of foliage, especially the Cherry Blossoms, after the winter weather subsides. A spectacular and rare sight, the announcement of Hanami is carefully observed, since the blossoms only last a week or two. Said to have begun in the late 8th century, the event was used to welcome in the new year’s harvest and marked the beginning of the rice planting season.

Poland – Marzanna

The welcoming of spring is celebrated in dramatic fashion in Poland. Dolls, called Marzanna, are made of straw and decorated to symbolize the cold, dreary winter. The dolls are then paraded through the streets as they make their way to a river or other body of water. The dolls, are then tossed into the water and drowned. The drowning of the Marzanna symbolizes the end of winter’s wrath.

Adapting Your Content When Marketing to Different Cultures

Adapting Your Content When Marketing to Different Cultures

Not only do you have to contend with translation from one language to another, you also have to bear your audience’s cultural norms in mind. For instance, what works when talking to an audience in the UK may not work when talking to an audience in other English speaking countries. Likewise, what works for a metropolitan French audience might not work for a Canadian French speaker.

This is a challenge for businesses and content creators alike, but you shouldn’t be deterred. 56.2% of consumers say the ability to obtain information in their own language is more important than price. Clearly, translated content can be hugely beneficial, but your business must know how to adapt to the needs of different audiences from different cultures.

Don’t rely on machine translation

A report titled Can’t Read, Won’t Buy: Why Language Matters, found that consumers were significantly more likely to buy a product if they had pre-purchase information available in their own language. The good news is that is well worth the hassle. By translating content you will reach a wider audience, and in turn, develop stronger relationships with these new audiences.

Talking to people in their language, and on their level, shows that your business cares, allowing you to build a rapport with your target audience. But translating your content from one language to another can be fraught with potential pitfalls and pratfalls for big and small businesses alike. Big businesses can fall short due to hubris or poor research. Small businesses, put off by the cost of professional translation and proofreading services, go for the cheaper option of having a machine translation, which is often a disastrous move.

That’s because online translation tools are not yet developed enough to understand the subtlety and intricacies of language. Your business is talking, and ultimately selling or working with, people. Conversation is a complex and, above all, human process. Writing for The Huffington Post, Nataly Kelly argues that “Perhaps when machines are the ones doing the buying, they’ll be less picky about language. For now, humans are still the ones opening their wallets, and humans are a strange bunch, with very real and emotional reactions to language.”

Why editing and proofreading content is so important

The main objective of having an editor and a proofreader is to improve the translation so that it reads as if it was written in the target language. There is often confusion over the different role an editor and a proofreader play when translating content. This is tackled by Proz.com in a blog on the subject.

They state that whilst an editor prioritises terminology, proofreaders will perform final checks that the content is accurate, suitable and makes sense. Sometimes businesses can call editing proofreading and vice versa, however when it comes to translated content, distinguishing the two is important.

Global Voices, who offer translation and proofreading services, state that proofreaders offer an important “second professional opinion and cultural consultation” before giving the translator the final approval. Proofreading isn’t just about checking for grammatical errors, it also helps ensure that the text reads in a way that the target audience can relate to, andthat you will avoid any accidental cultural insensitivity.

Why localisation is vital when marketing to foreign audiences

Often when translating or working in another language, businesses assume that they simply need to translate the text from English into the language in question. However, this is a risky assumption to make.

For instance, the audience in two different Spanish-speaking countries can be very different. There is no greater example of marketing gone awry than Braniff Airlines 1987 “Fly in Leather.” campaign. The slogan, designed to show of the airlines new leather seats, worked well with a Spanish translation, ‘Vuela en Cuero, in most of Latin America. However, in Mexico vuela en cuero was generally understood to mean “Fly naked.”

Not only does the localisation of content mean that you avoid any embarrassing situations, it can also have positive effects for your brand. Doing this will help you be competitive in the local economy you are wishing to expand into, and build brand loyalty. That’s why localisation is so important for businesses; not only will you be able to talk to more consumers than previously possible, there’s also a greater chance that they will listen to your message.

Reposted from Home Business Magazine. Read the original post here.


How to Say Happy Valentine’s Day in Various Languages

How to Say Happy Valentine's Day in Various Languages

Each year on February 14th, lovers of all types including friends, family members, spouses, and significant others exchange greeting cards, candied hearts, and flower bouquets to express their love and affection for one another. While Valentine’s Day is not a public or official holiday in any country, it is celebrated around the world. There are many legends detailing the story of Saint Valentine and they all have one thing in common: they all speak to his sympathetic, heroic and romantic characteristics.

Roman legends believe Saint Valentine to have been a priest in the Catholic Church, who was martyred for his sanctioning of secret marriages during the third century. Emperor Claudius II had outlawed marriage for young men because he believed single men made better soldiers than those with wives and children. Saint Valentine believed differently and continued to perform marriages for young loved ones in secret resulting in dire penalties.

Other legends claim that Saint Valentine was imprisoned for helping Christians escape the harsh Roman rule. Prior to his death, he sent one last love letter while in prison signed “From your Valentine,” an expression still widely used today.

While the extent of truth behind these legends may vary, so do the ways in which we greet each other. Impress your Valentine this year by learning how to say “Happy Valentine’s Day” in different languages.

  • Arabic – (if speaking to a male) Eid hob sa’eed, habibi; (if speaking to a female) Eid hob sa’eed,habibti, عيد حب سعيد
  • Dutch – Fijne Valentijnsdag
  • French – Joyeuse Saint Valentin
  • German – Alles Liebe zum Valentinstag
  • Indonesian – Selamat Hari Kasih Sayang
  • Italian – Buon San Valentino
  • Japanese – Shiawasena Barentaindee,
    ハッピーバレンタインデー
  • Portuguese – Feliz Dia dos Namorados
  • Mandarin – Qingren jie kuaile,
    情人节快乐
  • Spanish – Feliz día de San Valentín
  • Swedish – Glad Alla hjärtans dag
  • Thai – Sook San Wan Valentine,
    สุขสันต์วันวาเลนไทน์

How do you say it in your language?

A2I Presents Cultural Training to Franklin County Board of Developmental Disabilities

 

A2I Presents Cultural Training to Franklin County Board of Developmental Disabilities

Access 2 Interpreters held a Cultural Training session with Franklin County Board of Developmental Disabilities (FCBDD) in Westerville on January 31, 2018. The presentation was conducted by Access’s Chief Operating Officer Chris Stein and Interpreter Trainer Dr. Ali Al Safi.

The first segment examined the interpreter’s role during the interpretation session. This section reinforced the protocols interpreters follow in the field. This part of the presentation also clarified the interpreter’s boundaries before, during, and after the interpretation session.

The second segment focused on the cultural traditions of several Limited English Proficiency populations that live in Columbus. Stein and Al Safi discussed how family, religion, and education affect social etiquette and communication between people. This part of the presentation provided insight and advice for bridging the gaps between social and cultural barriers.

“Access 2 Interpreters has a great reputation in the Central Ohio area for providing quality interpretation services. However, many clients are unaware of our other great services such as facilitating Provider Training Seminars like we conducted yesterday. FCBDD got tremendous insight into the legal basis, duties, and expectations of the interpreters we send out into the field. Furthermore, we were able to tailor the seminar specifically to identify and help with the nuances of the in-home appointments that the caseworkers at FCBDD encounter,” said Stein.

“Columbus is a diverse city with approximately 70 different spoken languages, and interpreters help families and clients effectively communicate with one another. However, most clients struggle with how to approach the cultural differences between their staff and the families they serve. We believe that the information we provided was helpful to FCBDD. We received a lot of positive feedback regarding the material we covered during the seminar,” added Al Safi.

Access 2 Interpreters can provide similar training seminars to its clients upon request. Each event is specifically tailored to the particular needs of the hosting organization.

A2I Spotlight: Interpreter Sylma E.

A2I Spotlight: Interpreter Sylma E.

We have a very strong interpreter workforce here at Access—we can fill interpretation requests for over 70 languages in the Columbus area.

This feature piece is really about Sylma E., a Spanish interpreter who has been with Access for about 8 years. I had an opportunity to ask Sylma about her work in the interpretation services field. Here’s what she had to say.

Q: Why did you choose to work with Access?

A: I had a career in banking for many years. When my father passed away suddenly, I brought my elderly mother to live with my husband and me. For a couple of years, I tried to balance a full-time job and my mother’s needs, which was really hard. I decided to quit my job and become a Spanish interpreter with Access. I did my research, and Access was my top choice! I met Yana, and the rest is history! I love the flexibility I have as an interpreter. I have also made lasting, professional friendships with several of my business clients. All-in-all, this is the perfect job for me!

Q: What do you like about working as an interpreter?

A: I love the fact that I can set my own schedule.  I also get to work with long-time business clients and meet new ones. I take pride in representing my company and establishing lasting business contacts.

Q: What kinds of assignments do you take? 

A: I get assignments for medical, legal, public service, schools and such.  

Q: What advice would you give to someone looking to become an interpreter? 

A: I would advise someone looking to become an interpreter to study vocabulary on a regular basis.  We are given many different appointment types, and we must be prepared to know the pertinent vocabulary as best as we can.

Q: Would you recommend our services to potential interpreters or businesses? Why?

A: I would totally recommend Access 2 Interpreters to potential businesses. Yana and the team have become a force to be reckoned with in the interpretation/translation field. The orientation program is on point and extensive. As an interpreter, I feel like I am part of the family. My skills are valued. I am treated with respect. Being able to choose my own schedule is key. The exposure to all kinds of industries is immeasurable.

If you are interested in our services, check our “Contact” page. If you would like to learn more about becoming an interpreter, go to our “Careers” page for more information.

Building Successful Relationships with Clients and Vendors

Building Successful Relationships with Clients and Vendors

In the 22 years I have been in business, I’m most proud of the fact that I have some clients whom I have serviced since the company’s inception. Through recessions, demands for cheaper translation, economic pressure, and the machine translation movement—all threatening to either force me to change my detailed process or go out of business—I’ve managed to keep it all intact. I attribute a large part of this success to the relationships I form with my clients and vendors.

I started as a freelance translator, then expanded to a boutique-style company. I have always strived to follow the golden rule of treating others as I would like to be treated. I write this from the perspective of both the employer of my independent contractors and as a vendor to my corporate clients. I also maintain the viewpoint of a translator, which allows me to run the business within a scope of excellence grounded in reality.

Below are some of my fundamental practices that create and ensure successful business relationships. Without these basics, I believe doing business can be arduous and downright unpleasant. And since our profession takes the majority of our days and lives, and we’re often on our own at our computers, it’s worth investing our time and effort to ensure that the time we spend cultivating relationships with our clients is the best it can be.

THREE KEY POINTS IN RELATIONSHIP ETIQUETTE

  1. Regardless of what’s happening in my personal life, I always maintain a professional attitude with my vendors and clients. Hearing about someone’s personal problems in a working environment doesn’t apply, unless it’s vital information that may affect the work in any way.
  2. I always keep basic manners in place. This includes responding quickly, paying attention to detail, using professional salutations and closings in all correspondence (regardless of how the client or other vendors/colleagues do it). Doing so shows respect and adherence to professional values.
  3. I maintain a professional attitude that does not vary, regardless of any circumstance—too busy, not enough work, sick, etc.

As a vendor, my goal is to be a team member, and that requires good com­mu­nication, respect, and attention to detail.

FIVE RED FLAGS WHEN SEEKING POTENTIAL NEW VENDORS

As an employer, it’s not my place to tell independent contractors who work with me how to run their businesses or do their work. My intention by sharing this is to offer some insight into ways in which the business experience and the outcome of their efforts can be improved.

  1. Typographical errors in résumés or correspondence: This does not reflect on attention to detail or professionalism in an industry where this is imperative.
  2. Delays in getting back to me with more information or when filling out legal documents to be set up as a vendor: It tells me they’re too busy for me and not interested in new work.
  3. A brusque or unprofessional manner: I like to talk to potential vendors to find out as much information as possible. I also invite them to ask me any questions. Skype calls are even better to get a sense of a person with whom you’ll be dealing before committing to bringing them into the team.
  4. Delays in sending invoices: Slow admin is not a good sign of a vendor taking care of the business aspect of the relationship. It reflects disorganization or lack of value for their own work.
  5. Invoices that are unclear or incomplete: This adds work on our end, which violates the rule of adding traffic to a busy client’s plate. (In this case, it’s my plate as their client.)

10 SUCCESS POINTS ON WHICH I BUILT MY BUSINESS

  1. Have professional and personal backups so that if an emergency of any kind arises, the client’s needs and delivery are always met.
  2. Make sure that all administrative points are being handled (e.g., billing, invoicing, payments, answering phones, and responding to e-mail quickly).
  3. Have a full understanding of what the client’s needs are and how they change over time. This usually involves asking questions and having a conversation. I also keep notes on specific client requests and preferences, and these are added to the guidelines for that client.
  4. Always meet or beat deadlines. It’s up to me to ensure the schedule is doable, including a cushion for unexpected events.
  5. Do not create or pass on any confusion regarding the project to clients or vendors. Intercept any that occur and handle them quickly.
  6. Do not change your original estimate once it has been agreed upon. Once we have submitted an estimate (based on the final files), we never change the cost unless elements not initially considered get added at a later time. Let the client know in advance that this possibility exists. However, if I go over budget, that’s my problem, not my client’s.
  7. Take the burden of translation off the client’s busy plate. Before and during the translation process, compile clear questions before sending them and offer a solution wherever possible.
  8. Always look out for your client. While the client is technically responsible for approving the final document, watch their back and ensure what gets delivered is thoroughly approved internally before submitting a review.
  9. Maintain speed of service and communication. This is vital. Keep the client and vendors updated as needed. This ensures coordination and shows respect for all concerned.
  10. Ensure that payment processes and schedules are solid and stable, both as a vendor and a client.

FOUR KEY QUALITIES TO RELATIONSHIP BUILDING

    1. Transparency and Responsibility: Being transparent and taking responsibility for mistakes (after fully understanding the client’s concerns) is vital. Offer a solution that improves the process if the issue stemmed from the client’s side. Or assure the client that this issue has been looked at and that measures have been taken on your end to ensure it doesn’t happen again. The idea is to confront, address, and adjust processes in a speedy fashion to avoid the same issue reoccurring in the future.I always take full responsibility for any error or mistake. “The client is never wrong” maxim applies, and if the relationship becomes abusive (when it becomes apparent that we’re going to lose working with this client no matter what we do), I have the power to end the relationship.I select my clients as carefully as I select my vendors. I deal only with polite, professional, reasonable, and competent people who appreciate the value of what we deliver. I avoid problems with both clients and vendors by selecting them correctly. Although the majority of my clients in the past 22 years in business have come to me by referral, I still select with whom I choose to work. That referral works well in both directions. Additionally, I encourage vendors to share the names of colleagues they have worked well with so they can be considered to join the team.
    2. Quality and Team Effort: As an employer, I only deal with consummate and experienced professionals who can work as part of a team with the intent to create something of the highest quality for the client. Self-centered individuals don’t fit our paradigm. In addition to qualifications and competence, the ability to value and enjoy the team effort is necessary for this profession. It’s the team that accomplishes the magic. Team effort is what ultimately creates a better product for our clients. That team includes the client, our staff, and any vendor involved. I don’t accept or pass on deadlines to my vendors unless they’re actually doable while maintaining our strict quality assurance process. Having been a translator myself, I understand the process very well.
    3. Loyalty: A relationship with a client should be based on loyalty. We have their trust that we will take care of their translation needs. But this long-term investment should never be taken for granted by either party. I don’t abuse my capital (as in goodwill, trust, a strong relationship)—not with clients nor with vendors. Each job is an opportunity to demonstrate our abilities and skills and empower our clients with the best translation of their documentation. A job should be done with enthusiasm and gratitude for the opportunity.
    4. Personal Touch: In an industry where we rarely get to meet our clients or vendors face-to-face, building a relationship in other ways is vital. Among the things I do to lend a personal touch include:
      • Making time to Skype with vendors about important project issues.
      • Visiting clients once or twice a year.
      • Personalizing or creating gifts I know will benefit or be enjoyed by my clients and vendors.
      • Publishing monthly articles (also translated into Spanish) about business, culture, and finance on our website that may be of interest in their everyday lives.
      • Baking homemade goods for the holiday season and hand-delivering them where possible.

      In short, I find my own way of connecting that’s authentic and personable. All these points, I believe, are what make my relationships with clients unique and lasting. It also makes for a fulfilling life!

Mary Jo Smith-Obolensky is the founder and chief executive officer of Dynamic Doingness, Inc., a multimedia translations boutique that specializes in financial, marketing, technical, legal, and human resources documentation. Before opening her own company, she worked in media and various other industries. Born and raised in Colombia in a bilingual environment, she got her university degree in England. Contact: maryjo@dynamicdoingness.com.

Read the original article from The ATA Chronicle here.