A Quick Primer for Going Global

When doing business internationally it is incredibly imperative to localize your operations and marketing. It is not enough to assume that both your employees and clients will be tolerant of materials that are not communicated in their local language. Localized operational and marketing materials result in increased adoption rates, a homogenous corporate culture, better customer service skills, and increased sales.

Localization is a broad term and its meaning is dependent upon how it is utilized.

Localizing your marketing
Obviously, any marketing campaign needs to focus on its target market. If you are marketing to a particular country, its businesses, and people then you need to be sure that you have ‘localized’ all of your marketing collateral intended for that target market. This includes websites, brochures, and all other sales related material. Please note that this not only includes translating, but also includes ensuring that your marketing message, graphics and images are also culturally appropriate. Forester research has done studies which suggest that you are three times more effective when marketing to a person in their native tongue. It is also imperative that your proposals and contracts reflect the locally accepted format.

Localizing your sales and marketing materials will increase sales and revenue and can be accomplished at a fraction of the cost of generating those materials in their native language.

Localizing operational material and staff
My personal experience has been that it is also important to utilize a local staff that intuitively know the target market culture and can handle local protocol efficiently and fluidly. These key staff become bridges between your company and your target market. As such, it is important that the target market staff be trained and acclimated to the corporate culture. This will generally require an expatriated employee(s) who can help facilitate this knowledge transfer. This knowledge transfer will help to create a homogenous corporate culture between all locations and ensure that key corporate values and customer service expectations are understood.

In many instances, an international presence occurs based upon the need of an existing client(s) currently working with the home office. In this instance it is beneficial to have consistent personnel to manage the relationships between all client offices at a higher level relying on local staff in each location to handle the day to day operations.

HR and professional development
All HR related documents that are utilized for staff in the home country need to be localized for international staff. This includes not only translating, but also modifying to incorporate local legal and regulatory compliance, while also ensuring cultural acceptance. This will, obviously, vary by country. Examples of key target market areas to be aware of are health and safety requirements, regulated work hours and pay rates as well as mandatory legal holidays. Professional development plans for local staff should also reflect local culture and language. Localizing professional development plans will ensure increased adoption rates as staff begin to assimilate corporate culture.

Operational protocol
All operational documents that affect the target market will also need to be localized. This is to be determined by accurately reflecting whatever protocol is normally utilized in the home country for the target market product or service to be utilized and modifying for local legal and regulatory compliance as well as cultural assimilation.

If you have any questions or would like more information on taking your company global please do not hesitate to contact me directly. Doug Green doug.green@translation-source.com.”