A lot of businesses make the mistake of relying on AI translations or getting their (bilingual) employees to translate their content (with the help of AI). Do you think your sales manager could translate your marketing material, even using AI? This can lead to costly mistakes.
Lets address this elephant in the room: is cutting translation cost by any means good for your business?
What’s in this article
- The Role of Language in Sales and Marketing
- Are AI Translations good enough?
- Translate your marketing material: the Human Touch
- Could a translation (made by AI and revised) by your bilingual Sales Manager cause problems?
- The Impact of (Poor) Translations on Sales
- And the Benefits of a Human translation are…
- Human Skilled Translators are the Best
The Role of Language in Sales and Marketing
Language is more than just a way of talking to each other. It is a powerful tool that can influence how people feel, what they think, and ultimately, what they decide to buy.
Studies have shown that consumers’ choices are mostly driven by emotions. Translate your marketing material is not that obvious. To transcribe these emotions accurately, you need to understand the target language, culture, and what the audience will find resonant.
Emotions are human. And this is why a human is definitely needed11.
Are AI translations good enough?
Short answer: it depends. If it is to understand what’s written on a signpost, the answer is probably yes. If it is for content that might impact your sales, the answer is no.
Long answer: AI has made big advances in lots of areas, like translating language, BUT it still can’t match human language for understanding emotions and culture. In fact, AI translations often struggle with complex or technical language. For long content, they can become inconsistent and sometimes lose the tone of voice. Most of the time, they lack the personal touch that makes a text written by a real person feel like it was written just for that person.
Translate your marketing material: the human touch
Humans are very good at understanding cultural differences and adapting content so that it is suitable for their audience. But correcting the machine requires more than knowing a language. Actually it requires strong writing skills. and that’s without mentioning the anchoring bias and other problems caused by revising AI-generated translations.
A skilled translator makes sure that the most important messages of the original text are kept the same, while also making sure that it fits with the culture it’s being translated into.
And most important, the translation is far better when the translator works from scratch, partly because of the famous anchoring bias mentioned above.
Could a translation (made by AI and revised) by your bilingual Sales Manager cause problems?
Put simply, can your company save money by using AI-generated translation and then having one of your staff members2 check it over?
Well, the answer’s pretty simple: it depends on your employee’s skills. For example, if your sales manager, who knows a lot about your products, offers to review the AI translations, that might work, but only if they’ve got strong writing and translating skills.
But if they’re haven’t lived in their home country for ages, they might struggle to create content that’s interesting and in line with your brand.
Also, it can still be hard for non-native speakers to pick up on the cultural and linguistic nuances.
Even if they can speak the language really well, translation is more than just knowing the words.
You need to understand how culture and emotions impact purchasing behavior. And you need to be able to rewrite content so it still has the emotional impact it should.
The Impact of (Poor) Translations on Sales
As we saw above, poor translations can lead to a loss of sales and damaged brand reputation.
Now that everyone can get free generative AI, the internet is full of low-quality content. Companies that use AI to translate their content may also see a drop in sales. Consumers are more likely to buy products that make them feel good and special.
So, it’s important for companies to invest in professional translation services if they want to stay competitive.
And the Benefits of a Human translation are…
- Accuracy and Quality: Professional human translators ensure that the translations are accurate and of high quality, maintaining the original meaning and tone of the marketing message.
- Cultural Sensitivity: Experienced human translators understand the culture of the people who will be reading the text. They can adapt it to make it interesting and relevant to them.
- Enhanced Reputation: Investing in human professional translation services shows that you care about quality, attention to detail and respect for the target audience’s language and culture. This will make your company more well-known around the world.
- Increased Sales: If you use the right words to translate your products or services into other languages, you can sell more. The right words will connect with people who might want to buy your products, and make them want to buy them.
Human Skilled Translators are the Best
Let’s face it, relying on AI or tasking a non professional translator with translating materials can be a risky game. The investment in professional translation services (made by humans) ensures that your marketing messages are accurately and effectively communicated. They resonate with your target audience and driving sales.
Remember, words have immense power. And they can be the difference between a sale and a lost opportunity. Don’t underestimate their impact.
Don’t just settle for ‘good enough’.
Invest in skilled humans who understands your target audience. They have to power to deliver a message that connects with your audience.
By the way, I am a human, translator with +13 years of experience. Contact me today to find out how our professional translation services can help you to succeed on the French market.
- Feeling the Buy: The Emotional and Psychological Drivers of Consumer Choices – Culture-Marketing ↩︎
- Just to be clear, I’ve got nothing against sales managers. I just picked this example to make my point. ↩︎
Photos from Krismas and Resume Genius on Unsplash
