With apologies to Richard Carlson, we’re here today to make the case that you should, in fact, sweat the small stuff – if you’re a translator (or if you’re buying translation), that is.
Some years ago, we were tasked with a large project for a multi-day in-house conference that one of our customers was holding. We translated all the stuff that was important for ensuring non-German-speaking attendees would understand the content of the talks and exhibits – slides, posters and so on. The company specialised in engineering, so the terminology was pretty heavily technical – however, we had done plenty of work for them in the past and were familiar with their terminology and style preferences. Additionally, each speaker had their own style and approach to their presentations, so the process meant ensuring accuracy and being consistent while also preserving each speaker’s voice.
We set to work translating and revising the project, and delivered in time for the conference. Some time later, a picture of the customer’s event popped up on their website: a huge banner on the outside of their building, emblazoned with the words “Welcome At <Our Event>!”. It was the one thing they hadn’t asked us to translate – and the first thing the event attendees saw.
The lesson? Even if you think something’s a minor detail, it’s worth getting the input of a language professional – like a translator – when you’re buying translation services, whether that means asking for a full translation or a quick proofread. It’s especially important to remember that for the text you’re making front and centre of what you’re presenting to your customers, colleagues or business partners. The “big” stuff in this project consisted of in-depth technical content, but it was the non-technical and seemingly “small” stuff that provided the first impression – and we all know how much first impressions count.