The Translation Company Talk

S01E18: Business Management for LSC Executives

Management is an art and a skill, and not many people in the language industry have received formal schooling in this area. While every human being has some management skills as they manage their life and work, managing a language company is somewhat complicated. Richard Brooks from K-International, talks about what management actually entails in this industry and what type of a mindset you need to successfully manage a dynamic team. Given the true international nature of our industry, managing a business touches on so many different things.

In particular we touch upon the core functions of a language business which includes production, resource management and business development as well as supporting auxiliary functions like administration, accounting, strategy building and so on. This episode is a masterclass in management for language company owners and executives. 

Don't forget to subscribe to the Translation Company Talk on your favorite podcast platform, and contribute to the improvement of this show by leaving your comments and feedback.

S01E17: Business Development for Translation Companies

Business development in the translation industry is often a misunderstood and confusing topic. I had a chance to speak with Elizabeth Gomez on this topic. She talks about value proposition, creating a niche and ways to understand your customers' issues. We discuss how a knowledge-based industry like the language industry can strategize develop the business, who is involved in the definition of business development and what the role of a sales person is in this function.

Among other subjects we discuss the business development cycle in the language industry, developing a flow between marketing and sales, communicating value to clients, identifying your strengths to become a specialist and many other topics in the context of business development for translation companies.

Don't forget to subscribe to the Translation Company Talk on your favorite podcast platform, and contribute to the improvement of this show by leaving your comments and feedback.

S01E16: Focus on Women in Localization

My guest this week is Carrie Fischer. She is the Manager of Globalization Services at Subway, where she manages all aspects of globalization and localization for the restaurant giant. Carrie provides a candid perspective on her early beginnings in the industry, her experience as the industry has evolved and her current role at Subway. Carrie is passionate about volunteer work and causes that are important. She has been one of the early supporters and members Women in Localization and she speaks in great depth about this movement and why we need it in our industry.

She also some advice for language services companies and how they must work with their clients on the buyer side. This is a very interesting episode and highly recommended for LSCs that work with clients directly as well as for people interested in learning more about Women in Localization.

Don't forget to subscribe to the Translation Company Talk on your favorite podcast platform, and contribute to the improvement of this show by leaving your comments and feedback.

S01E15: Leading Multiple Organizations in the Language Industry

Leading and managing a language company is not easy. As a small business owner, the LSC leader wears multiple hats to get things done within the company. In this episode we are talking in general on the different aspects of managing more than one organization in the language space. Lelani Craig talks about the challenges that an entrepreneur in this industry faces and her ways to mitigate problems and stress.

Lelani has been in the language business for over 25 years and she is an accomplished conference interpreter as well as a certified court interpreter.  She founded Commgap in 2000. It is a translation and interpretation company that delivers services in over 200 languages. She also founded and owns Global  One Voice, LLC. which offers medical interpreter training, language assessment, language classes and compliance consulting. 

She is also serving in the leadership council of several associations within the language industry. She often speaks in industry events and offers her experience and advice as a mentor.

Don't forget to subscribe to the Translation Company Talk on your favorite podcast platform, and contribute to the improvement of this show by leaving your comments and feedback.

S01E14: Strategic Sales Advice for Language Companies

Sales and selling remains a very unique art in the language translation industry. In this episode of Translation Company Talk, I talk to Francesco Pagano, President of Interpreters and Translators Inc. He is a true veteran of the translation industry and grown up in the trenches, he learnt by doing from an early age. He calls the language industry oldest that mankind knows.

Francesco has learnt selling translation services in a hands on way. He talks about how to establish a sales team, building a process that is constantly changing and how to build it around your buyer. He is a big believer that if it is not fun you shouldn't do it, and he is applying that philosophy in developing his sales model. Getting to the right people, asking the right questions, identifying pain points, and keeping people motivated to do all these is what his philosophy is centered on. We also touch upon finding the right people to drive translation sales. Francesco believes there are lots of good sales people, but they need direction. He also talks about the case made for hiring sales people from outside the industry as there is a vacuum within the language industry. Predicting the behavior of sales people is also important, Francesco talks about a personality test that he applies for identifying the right sales people. 

We also cover many other opportunities and challenges, including aligning sales and marketing, performing sales online, best ways to prospect, developing a niche and how to build on your current strengths and many other interesting topics. Francesco is a true master of selling in the language space and you do not want to miss this episode.

Don't forget to subscribe to the Translation Company Talk on your favorite podcast platform, and contribute to the improvement of this show by leaving your comments and feedback.

 

S01E13: Language Service Company Evolution

Kocarek is an Essen, Germany, based translation and localization firm that has gone through several iterations of innovation and evolution. In this episode of the Translation Company Talk, we hear first hand experience from Werner Lierz, CEO and Kerstin Küpper, Head of Translation Management, as well as Alexandra Navruzova-Lang, Head of Project Management at Kocarek.

We discuss how Kocarek has started, what the evolution process has been like for them and what it means at ground level for the core business functions to innovate. This is indeed a very hot and timely topic and highly suggested for any business executive in the LSC space.

Don't forget to subscribe to the Translation Company Talk on your favorite podcast platform, and contribute to the improvement of this show by leaving your comments and feedback.

S01E12: The GALA Perspective with Allison Ferch

In this episode of the Translation Company Talk, I had a deep dive into issues surrounding the current challenges and our industry. Allison Ferch, the Executive Director of GALA, shares her insights and valuable information about our industry that they have obtained through industry research. She also covers GALA's 5 year roadmap and how they plan to respond to industry needs.

The Globalization and Localization Association (GALA) is a not-for-profit trade association connecting and supporting professionals and organizations in the global language industry. GALA's mission is to help our members succeed and to drive our industry's development by building professional communities, sharing knowledge, and advancing best practices in the globalization sector. 

GALA is also hosting their annual international conference titled GALA Connected 2020, a virtual event that runs from 22 to 25 September. Given that this is their first virtual event, attendance is expected to be very high and the content is very relevant to current trends and industry challenges. Allison discusses in detail what the conference aims to address and what attendees can expect to walk away with.

Guest Bio:
Over the past 10 years Allison has served GALA in several roles and provided leadership for many of the association's programs and activities. As Executive Director, she leads operations at GALA and is responsible for the growth of the association, its financial stability, and for the expansion and delivery of member value. Allison has an undergraduate degree in Biological Anthropology and a Master's degree in Library and Information Science. A lifelong athlete and a lifelong learner, she enjoys podcasts, reading, and all kinds of sports and athletic endeavors.  

Don't forget to subscribe to the Translation Company Talk on your favorite podcast platform, and contribute to the improvement of this show by leaving your comments and feedback.

S01E11: Language Industry Review with Rick Antezana

In episode 11 of the Translation Company Talk podcast show, I had the opportunity to speak with Rick Antezana, the President of the Association of Language Companies (ALC). We cover the current state of the translation industry, in particular in the US, in the context of recent developments. Rick talks about regulatory changes affecting our the language service companies, COVID impact on interpreting, accomplishments of the ALC, advocacy on behalf of the language industry, the upcoming conference, and many other interesting topics.

Rick has been part of the language services industry for more than 25 years. He is currently a partner at Dynamic Language—a Seattle-based Language Service Company, established in 1985 and a charter member of ALC. He has helped guide the company since 2004, leading to appearances in the Inc. 5000 list for six consecutive years. Dynamic is a family-owned business in its second generation of leadership and is one of the largest agencies in the Western United States.

As an ALC contributor since the beginning, Rick led the effort to organize two ALC conferences by serving as chair for the 6th and 7th conferences in San Francisco and Austin, respectively, and has most recently served as president of the Association of Language Companies since 2018. Overall, Rick has been part of the association leadership on and off for more than 10 years. He is a graduate of the University of Washington. 

Don't forget to subscribe to the Translation Company Talk on your favorite podcast platform, and contribute to the improvement of this show by leaving your comments and feedback.

S01E10: Sales and Business Development for LSCs

Jessica Rathke is a seasoned sales and business development guru in the localization industry. In this episode, I had the opportunity to talk to her in detail about what sales entails, how it has evolved and what works and does in the language services industry. She elaborates in great detail the techniques, challenges and opportunities in selling language translation and related services. For anyone in the translation industry involved in sales and business development, this is a master class not to be missed.

Jessica Rathke has 25 years of localization sales, sales management and marketing experience for leading language service providers.  She is currently the Managing Director at Localisation Sales & Marketing, a London- and Austin, Texas-based sales and cross-cultural consultancy.  Having worked with LSPs and sales professionals in over 45 countries, her services are designed to help LSPs increasse revenue and profitability.

Jessica holds an MBA and Bachelors of Arts degrees in Foreign Affairs and German from Miami University in Ohio, USA. She also did post-graduate studies in German at the University of Salzburg.  Jessica has served as Chapter Manager for Women in Localization UK and is currently Assistant Manager of the Texas Chapter.

Don't forget to subscribe to the Translation Company Talk on your favorite podcast platform, and contribute to the improvement of this show by leaving your comments and feedback.

S01E09: Translation Industry Market Analysis

Welcome to episode 9 of our first season at the Translation Company Talk. In this episode we discuss the current market conditions and health of the translation and language industry. Our guest, Andrew Smart - Co-Founder and Commercial Director at Slator, dissects the current economic and sociopolitical threats and opportunities for our industry.

Among other things, we cover issues related to uncertainty, discipline, technology, automation and general challenges that the typical language company executive or owner faces. We also cover mergers and acquisitions in our industry, a subject that Andrew is very familiar with and has a lot of passion to talk about. Don't miss the great insights and advice coming from one of the most important people in our industry.

The Translation Company Talk is for you and we hope the information we present is valuable to you. Provide your feedback and comments to improve the show. Don't forget to subscribe to our podcast show on your favorite platform.

S01E08: Winning with Customer Service in the Translation Industry

Customer service is expected in every industry and business transaction, however, it remains far from being ideal in the translation industry. Paul Doherty from Strategy Management Consultants, Ltd. believes that customer service is the cornerstone for all B2B and B2C relationships across all verticals and industries.

In this episode of the Translation Company Talk we discuss how simple strategic customer service changes can present  opportunities for business that were not discovered before. Knowing your customer, their problems and their worries will help you present a more relatable and friendly service.

Providing language translation and localization for knowledge and service based industries like eLearning, healthcare and government will require exception customer service and support that easily accessible. Paul Doherty argues that not many companies in this industry focus enough on customer, yet it is a problem that can have severe repercussions if not addressed quickly.

Make sure to leave your comments and feedback, and subscribe to the Translation Company Talk podcast on your favorite platform.

S01E07: Leadership Lessons for Language Services Companies

In episode 7 of the Translation Company Talk, I spoke with Veronique Ozkaya. She is the CEO of Argos Multilingual, and a seasoned leader and manager who has worked across multiple business functions in the translation and localization industry during her career. During this candid conversation, she offers leadership advice that is applicable to the day to day life of an LSC owner.

Our discussion touched upon sales, management, human resources, strategy development and mergers and acquisitions. Veronique also discusses what makes a company different and how to maintain a unique image in the ever competitive language market. 

Veronique is an industry leader with great passion for growth and she speaks in detail on how to grow your business. 

Take a listen and subscribe to the Translation Company Podcast on your favorite platform:

Apple iTunes and Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3kPwDiC
Google Podcasts:   https://bit.ly/31VsOzL
Spotify: https://spoti.fi/31Yy0Ty

#translation #business #localization #enterprise #language #languageservices #translationcompany #growth

S01E06: Digital Marketing for the Modern Language Translation Company

In this episode of The Translation Company Talk we discuss marketing for language services companies (LSCs) in the digital age where businesses harness online channels for business translation, video transcription and translation, and overarching contract translation. We cover a number of topics including personal branding, influencer marketing, marketing your translation business and establishing a marketing strategy that achieves your company goals.

I had the pleasure of interviewing Kathrin Bussmann, head of Verbaccino Inc., a strategic marketing consultancy that helps digital-first B2B companies build their global brand. She is also the host of the Worldly Marketer podcast. 

In particular, we explore brand positioning and how most LSCs do not align their mission with client's needs, which is the reason for disappointing results. We also address a number of topics related to finding your translation services niche and creating a focus to establish your business while providing niche, targeted translation services. Whether you provide business translation, software localization, video translation or any related services, you will find this conversation very useful.

Please provide your comments and feedback, and make sure to subscribe to the Translation Company Talk podcast on your favorite platform.

S01E05: Industry Advocacy: An Update on Employee Classification

In today’s episode of Translation Company Talk we are joined by Dr. Bill Rivers, former Chief of Joint National Committee in Languages. Together we explore the critical shift in labor laws, an topic important for translation companies that harness the scalable and burstable power of freelancers.

In recent years, within a variety of levels of government, the US has been experiencing significant labor law shifts, specifically in regards to the classification of independent contractors as employees. The State of California has recently adopted the Assembly Bill (AB) 5 and AB 2257 which classifies independent contractors, such as freelance translators, writers and other independent knowledge professionals, as employees. 

Today on Translation Company Talk I embark upon deep discussions with Dr. Bill Rivers, PhD, who has been the voice of the translation and interpreting industry in Washington for years. As the former chief of Joint National Committee in Languages (JNCL), Dr. Rivers has extensive and first hand knowledge of policy shifts leading to today’s change in labor laws. 

Significant resistance is mounting to combat these changes from both language service company groups, such as the Association of Language Companies, and from independent contractors. The rate of adoption of these bills remains cause for alarm. The language industry is collateral damage in many ways, and it is unfair to lump all types of independent contractors within one category. 

For today’s episode of Translation Company Talk I exclusively focus on the important and seismic topic surrounding massive shifts in labor laws, and calls LSCs into taking action at local, state and federal level. 

I invite you to listen to my interview with Dr.  Rivers, garner a deeper understanding as to the implications of these changes for your own translation company and take necessary action to avoid being caught by surprise. 

Subscribe to the Translation Company Talk on your favorite platform.

S01E04: Data Security in the Translation and Localization Industry

Data security is not a popular topic in the language translation industry, however, with the mounting number of cyber security breaches it is ever more important to address the challenges and vulnerabilities in this industry.

From business translations to contract translation having a perspective of security is absolutely critical. That is why in this episode of The Translation Company Talk, I am delighted to chat with Andre Hemker and Maik Mehlhose to discuss the current issues and concerns that face the industry.

Whether email based file transfer, third party server file transfer, unencrypted storage of source or translated file, running customer sensitive and proprietary content through third part machine translation engines or even storing such data in translation memories, we discuss and address these challenges in detail in this two-hour-long episode.

Cyber security is a real threat and it will take one major breach to impact the whole language translation industry. This topic is relevant to any stake holder in this space, including end-client security teams, project managers, translation company owners, their staff, as well as, translators and freelancers.

I invite you to listen and learn about best practices and how you and your team can fortify your defense against data breach threats. Download this episode on your favorite device and subscribe to the Translation Company Talk podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or your favourite platform.

S01E03: Strategy, Industry Trends, and M&A in the Translation Industry

On this episode of The Translation Company Talk, I had a candid conversation with Steve Chu, president of Treehouse Strategy Consulting. We cover topics that include getting outside consulting support to developing a business strategy, finding your place in the crowded business translation, document translation and overarching translation marketplace and understanding the core issues related to mergers and acquisitions.

You can reach out to Steve via LinkedIn or email.

S01E02: Technology Adoption Challenges at Translation Companies

Hey, I had an opportunity to speak with Istvan Legyel, CEO of BeLazy, an innovator and alumni in the language translation industry. As the former CEO and COO of the MemoQ translation software maker, Kilgray, Istvan shares his experience and thoughts on the industry. We talked about his personal interests that lead him to his journey in the language industry, but also we discuss the concept of innovation in translation and the crowded translation tools marketplace and innovation or lack thereof.

S01E01: Implications of Remote Work for LSCs

In our introductory episode of The Translation Company talk, we discuss the implications of remote work language translation companies and their staff. COVID-19 has affected every industry, and while the translation industry is experienced with remote work due to the nature of this industry, there are challenges that must be addressed. We also review three cloud based tools in concert with this episode’s theme. Don’t forget to subscribe in your favorite podcast platform.