Every expense matters when you’re planning an export project. Production, logistics, marketing, sales—and then, somewhere at the end of the line, comes translation. As a line item that people would rather not pay for. Or at least keep it as low as possible.
But that’s not the issue here. The problem is the way many people see the role and significance of translation.
In most cases, translation comes as a final, closing step in the process. The product is finished, the strategy is in place, the materials are ready, and now comes the time to simply “adapt” all of this into another language. The task is set and the goal is clear: it has to be ready and intelligible, and it shouldn’t be too expensive.
This approach seems to work until you realize that the expected numbers simply aren’t coming in in the new market. And you wait in vain for sales to pick up.
Communication in a foreign language does not work simply because it is formally correct.
It’s not good simply because it doesn’t contain grammatical mistakes.
Nor because its meaning is “more or less the same” as the original.
What matters is whether it has the same effect as the original. Whether it is understood in the same way. And whether it is just as convincing.
If this is not achieved, there usually aren’t any spectacular signs. You may not find any clear mistakes that can simply be corrected. It’s just that what should be happening simply does not happen. Someone who is interested does not take the next step. The offer is not convincing. The communication does not build trust.
When this happens, it is easy to find reasons in other areas. The market is a difficult one. The price is not right. The competition is fierce. Although these may all be valid factors, the quality and the accuracy of communication often go unnoticed in the background.
By contrast, the cost of translation remains very noticeable indeed. It is a specific number, a line in the budget. However, its impact is not as tangible. It is not a separate item and cannot be easily measured, so it is easily undervalued.
In fact, a poor quality translation seldom means a text that is flawed in the traditional sense.
It rather tends to carry a message that is not aligned with the target market. It fails to take linguistic, cultural, or professional/sector-specific characteristics into account. It does not emphasize the same points. It does not connect where it should.
The result isn’t that “the translation is not good,” but rather that the communication as a whole loses its effectiveness. And the entire decision – entering the international market – may be jeopardized.
In this system, translation is not a separate task. It is not a technical step that has to be taken at the end of the process. It is rather part of how a company comes across in another market. It is a part of how that company communicates, how it is perceived, and, in the end, how decisions are made concerning it.
And so the question is not how much translation costs. The question is what we expect from it.
If all you want is for it to “be ready”, then it is nothing more than a manageable cost.
But if you want it to support your business goals, then translation takes on a new role entirely.
And that is the point where it becomes clear that the actual risk is not in the cost of translation, but in whether the communication is able to play the role it should in a new market.
We at Hunnect see that this depends on more than just a single decision. More than a single translation and a single project. It depends on how translation is integrated into the entire operational structure. When is it introduced into the process? What requirements apply? Is it backed by a system?
If you’re planning to expand your business into international markets, don’t leave your reputation to chance! Look for partners who consider your success to be just as important as it is to you.
Because translation is one of the most important factors that defines the success of exports. Contact us, and let’s work together to figure out your needs!
