There are people who seem to be having a hard time when it comes to their translation and interpretation projects, often leading to mistakes that can cost the company a lot of money and so much headache for troubleshooting and aftercare. Here are the most common costly mistakes that you should avoid so that you will get the best when it comes to your translation and interpretation projects.
Translation and interpretation needs time, both for research and preparation. Translators need to know more about the subject and have time to gather resources. Interpreters need to be briefed about the nature of the meeting, conference, or presentation, and even given an advance copy of the speech or material that you need them to interpret for your foreign audience.
Not giving them enough time will result in a translation project that is full of errors that you will need double the time and effort to fix, and your interpreter may be bumbling and tripping over words during your presentation. These can result to disastrous effects with regards to your reputation, and you can lose the confidence of your foreign peers in the process.
The translation and interpretation industry is your solid example of “you get what you pay for.” Even if you have the right amount of budget set aside, you may still be tempted to go after translators and interpreters who are new and charge less with the hopes of using the saved money for other things for the business.
However, translators and interpreters who charge low are often ones who don’t have the necessary trainings and certifications that will help them provide the service that you deserve. They may cut corners when it comes to research as there’s no point in putting in extra effort for a job that does not pay much, and it’s only a logical move in today’s economy. Give the full budget that’s been set aside for your translation and interpreting project so that your translator and interpreter will be motivated and encouraged to provide the best service that he can give for your company.
It’s easy to assume that since a person is trained for translation, he can easily do interpretation and vice versa. It’s also easy to get comfortable to just hire an interpreter and translator for a project and think that, since he’s a professional, he can easily adapt to your industry. Problem is, translators work with written words, and interpreters deal with spoken words. Both have different types of training and are not exactly comfortable switching to another job description. Also, special trainings and certifications are taken by translators and interpreters who wish to specialize in a deeper form translation and interpretation such as medical, legal, IP, and financial specializations to name a few. Ask for your translator’s or interpreter’s credentials before finalizing the deal in order to know if you are working with the right type of person for your specific project.
It is always to your best interest when you set expectations and tell your professional translator or interpreter about what you want done with your project. A lot of clients just present the project to the translator or interpreter, and just let him do all the work afterwards.
You should tell them about your goal with your project, who’s going to be the target audience, where, and for what purpose your project should be. You should also lay down some ground rules if necessary with regards to conduct, time of appearance, attire, as well as other details that you think and feel that are necessary for your professional to know.
Translation agencies are your prime resource for trained and certified translators and interpreters. They have an amazing network of professionals that will be highly beneficial for your translation and interpretation project. Each professional under the agency are carefully screened and chosen for their competency, professionalism, skills, and knowledge in the industry.
More often than not, translation agencies offer competitive rates and still give you excellent services for your project. With a great selection of confident and competent professional translators and interpreters, you will have the guarantee of having your project finished to the best of your satisfaction.
Empowering yourself to think smart when it comes to your translation and interpretation project will be make it easier for you to see to the conclusion of your translation and interpreting project with less frustration, hassle, and expenses. Avoid these common mistakes and you will always have a delivery of service that stays true to your success and reputation in your business.
