With the start of the New Year, we all have our goals, objectives, commitments and resolutions thought through and organized. We are all raring to get started and make some serious progress with our plans.
Some of you may be considering growing your business into new markets or may want to grow and develop existing markets. In my former life as a librarian in the engineering and pharmaceutical worlds, I would refer some of my clients to a collection of informative reports on ‘Doing Business In’ published by the World Bank Group. Here is the link: www.doingbusiness.org.
These reports give an overview of key factors to consider when planning to do business in various countries. They discuss regulations that make it easier (or harder) for companies to engage in business in different markets. They examine the economy, construction permits and access to electricity. These reports also describe trade, taxes, and cultural factors.
From the language side of things (and, in our experience, through translation, subtitling and voice-over services), the communications part of the project is the most critical element to a successful entry into a new market. Understanding your target market, your goals and your objectives will help us know how your message needs to be conveyed, and with what voice and type of urgency it needs to be delivered.
When thinking about your communication, your message and your material, consider asking yourself some questions:
- What do I hope to achieve with this communication?
- Who is the intended audience (individual, group, private, public)?
- What do I hope that the reader will know, feel and do as they consume (read, listen to, experience) the communication?
- What’s at stake? The answer to this question will determine the required level of perfection which, in turn, will determine the needed layers of quality check (proofreading, review by a subject-matter expert, etc.).
- What is my project deadline?
- What is my project budget?
For your next project, talk to your language service provider about the market that you are planning on developing or entering. Then work with them through the questions above to develop the best plan for your communication piece. With that, your end project will have the desired result of successfully reaching your target market.
As we do business in 2017, let’s celebrate great projects, outstanding, effective communication, and success. All the best to you and your teams in 2017!
Links:
Doing Business In: www.doingbusiness.org/
