What are some tips for working effectively with language service providers?

Before you start working with any language service provider (LSP) it is important to know several key things including clear insight on who your audience is. Saying you need interpreter services from English into Spanish is very different from highlighting that the audience is predominantly made of people born in Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic. In addition to the event's baseline logistics, including time, technology, and structure, it is very important to offer as much context as you can about the event. For example, if the event centers on specific niche topics and technical terms like energy efficiency, this sort of context will be important for your LSP in their preparation.

Start by fostering a collaborative approach whenever possible, recognizing that each client may have different preferences. Actively engage in feedback loops—seek clarification to fully understand client needs and, whenever possible, communicate directly with the LSP team assigned to you; however, this is sometimes not feasible.

Simply try to find a win-win solution. For start, the LSP has a budget to cover, and the freelancer has their rates. If they match, perfect; or else, do negotiate to find a win-win solution without trying to impose your conditions under any circumstances. Responsiveness and communication are two other aspects of outmost importance.

One piece of advice that has worked for me is defining my boundaries before embarking on any project. With knowledge of the purpose, audience, and format a more streamlined work process is created which in turn leads to a successful collaboration. Another important factor is open communication. This involves giving appropriate details of the languages involved, the subject matter and the appropriate tone as this enables the LSP to offer tailored services to suit your requirements. This also ensures quality and assist in meeting deadlines. Finally, clarity in project scope, open communication, a provider specialized in the industry are my three sure ways of having a fruitful collaboration with LSPs.

It's also beneficial to involve an LSP early on. At LEXIGO, we advocate for early engagement as it leads to more nuanced, effective solutions.Translation, while essential, isn't always the best solution. There might be times where crafting original in-language content aligns better with the project objectives and resonates more authentically with the target audience. Treating translation as an integral part of the project from the outset, rather than an afterthought, can yield better-prepared source content and a smoother process. LSPs bring to the table a wealth of experience in preparing content for translation or localization, ensuring that the messaging remains compelling and culturally relevant across different languages and regions.

Choosing specialized Language Service Providers (LSPs) over generic ones has consistently yielded better results for me. Specialized LSPs offer a deep understanding of niche industries, ensuring translations and content resonate with targeted audiences. Instead of a one-size-fits-all approach, they bring tailored expertise, catching industry-specific nuances and jargon. This has enhanced the accuracy and quality of content and significantly improved audience engagement and trust.

It is essential to choose an LSP that can be contacted throughout the project and are happy to discuss your requirements prior to starting work. Whilst many LSPs now offer a service where you simply upload your document and select your chosen languages and then the translated document is returned without any additional contact, at Globe Translations we believe that discussing requirements with a client along with the tone, aim of translation, target audience, all help to ensure that the translated document is exactly what the client requested. Also ask yourself if the LSP sees you as a valued customer or just another number on a balance sheet? Does the LSP value their suppliers? This is also a good indication of whether you can trust them

Check the LSP's website. -How do they select linguists? Do they require any references? How many years of proven experience must a translator have? -Do they advertise as providers of "fast and cost-efficient translations"? In this case your project will probably be handled by a cheapest translator who first hits the ACCEPT button in their profile.

When considering a Language Service Provider (LSP), it's crucial to assess their testing requirements for interpreters and translators. Are they using an external service or conducting internal testing? How frequently do they provide training for their staff? Additionally, inquire about the frequency of interpreter retraining, as well as the years of industry experience their team possesses. Understanding the organizations they've previously collaborated with can also provide valuable insights into their expertise and reliability.

When choosing a language training product, focus on personalisation—does it adapt to individual learners’ needs and roles? Look for a solution that boosts the skill that your employees need. If it’s speaking, then speaking confidence needs to be a clear outcome of the product. A grammar course won’t fit the bill. The right product should also offer scalable options for teams of any size and of course match your budget.

Clear communication with your LSP should include the following basic items: 1) Scope of project 2) Timeline 3) Format, type setting, graphics 4) Definitions of any acronyms 5) Point of contact for time sensitive inquiries

Communication is key! LSP need to also be aware of providing all relevant details for jobs. When translators understand client needs and have information regarding the format, style guide and purpose of the translation then the work becomes more rewarding and clients benefit from more on-point and effective translations.

Effective communication is paramount for the success of events and projects, particularly since Language Service Providers (LSPs) risk losing social capital when independent contractors cancel or deviate from project aims. Establishing a point of contact (POC) and a coordinator for interpreters ensures smooth coordination. It's worth noting that most LSPs focus solely on providing interpreters when needed, rather than handling operational aspects.

To achieve a high-quality translation, the client needs to be part of the process. Please provide context and give as many reference materials as possible, appreciate questions from the translator and take time to respond to them.

Communication is key to any successful collaboration, yet it's amazing how often it's overlooked. Want top-notch quality, delivered yesterday, with a shoestring budget? Sure, who doesn’t? But let’s be real—setting clear expectations with your LSP, from budget to timelines, is crucial. Be upfront about whether this is a one-time gig or the beginning of a long-term partnership. Honesty pays off, even if the truth isn’t as glamorous as the 'we need it all, and we need it now' fantasy. You might be surprised by the value a little transparency can unlock.

When making corrections, especially in marketing domains, try to avoid changing creative sentences to word-for-word translations that copy the original sentence structure and words. Try to see if the target text sounds natural and will work for your audience.

Language service providers (LSPs) appreciate client feedback. But remember, they should be experts also. A good LSP will advise you on linguistic best practices, but they also will want to understand how these services or translations will support your greater business objectives (what you need these services for). Feedback tied to your end-goals helps you get more added value out of your LSP.

Feedback is essential, and your Language Service Provider (LSP) should offer the ability to rate each job or request through their online platform. This feedback loop is invaluable for future requests, enabling them to pair you with the best interpreter or translator for your specific needs. Additionally, LSPs should accommodate vocabulary lists or preferred verbiage to ensure accurate and tailored language services.

Business, in its truest form, is communication—a dynamic exchange of ideas, feedback, listening, and reacting. It's the only way to excel and improve. Without this back-and-forth, it becomes mere extraction and exploitation, where you squeeze the most out of a resource and then move on. There has to be a win-win; both parties need to gain value. This is why I believe true business is communication. Real success comes from building relationships where everyone benefits, not just taking what you can and moving to the next.

When I hired voice actors to record audiobook versions of my graded readers series for Spanish learners, I trusted on their knowledge and practical experience. I had specific guidelines to publish the audiobooks on Audible and other platforms, but other than that, they knew much more about audio recording and producing than I did. The voice actors and the editing studio had a lot of experience doing and delivering the work. I did my best to let them do what they do best without getting in the way, while ensuring that the project moved forward, and we kept to our timelines. And it turned out well!

When it comes to translation and localization, it all depends on what you're buying—a word or an idea, a sentence or a message, a bunch of text or a boost in your sales. Both are perfectly valid, but it's crucial to understand the difference. The process can be as complex or as simple as you make it. You can invest in the complexity of value—where expertise, strategy, and nuance drive results—or you can opt for the commodity of a few translated words. Each choice has different costs, values, timelines, and levels of expertise. Know what you're buying, and make sure it aligns with your goals. You buy the brick or you buy the house. Some will sell you even the home.

It's a good thing to remember that you turned for help to professionals. The LSP has linguists who professionally work with language and may know it better than your in-house employees who don't have linguistic education and years of experience.

As someone who has run a few language services companies, we rarely get compliments from clients. So we don't expect them. (But when we do get a 'job well done' thank you message, we gleefully share them around the rest of the staff.) Aside from paying on time, the best way I can recommend that you show your appreciation is simply to refer that company to others. Be honest, of course. But referrals mean potential new business, and LSPs definitely appreciate that. We truly want our clients to be happy because of working with us.

Planning the process and steps to follow in advance and do it together with the translators. Discuss and be open to new suggestions. Let the expertise of the translators be a part of the project specifications and you will be able to optimize time and resources, improving results at the same time. Look for ways of reinforcing collaboration and involve your partners from the very beginning, accepting that the best ideas are always the output of an interchange with qualified and motivated partners.

Delegating a person responsible for translation processes. Usually, an internal translations coordinator is responsible for:?? - managing reference materials (e.g. updating them)?? - preparing files for translation - quality control (e.g. random check) - verifying if a given project’s requirements were met (e.g. deadline, consistency) - relaying crucial information to other employees, - consulting feasible deadlines and translation budgets - evaluating collaboration with particular subcontractors, and looking for the best solutions analysing the company’s needs in terms of translation services Benefits? Enhanced processes!

Allocating clear roles and responsibilities ensures a streamlined process, leading to satisfactory project outcomes for both parties. A significant pitfall in LSP collaborations is the lack of structured guidance. Over-managing can stifle the LSP, while excessive delegation might make them feel overly autonomous, sidelining established guidelines. Balancing direction with trust is key.

Don't be afraid if your LSP is using technology. HOW they're using it, WHEN, and WHAT they're using it for, is what's important. Utilising technology in translation processes is a smart move. It's about getting the job done efficiently and accurately. Advanced tech allows LSPs to deliver faster, yet precise translations. There might be a tad concern around machine translation, but when used in the right scenario, it's quite the asset. In other scenarios, Machine Translation shouldn't be used at all. LSPs like LEXIGO blend cutting-edge tech with human expertise, ensuring translations resonate well culturally, besides being linguistically accurate. It’s all about engaging tech in the right measure to meet your project's needs seamlessly.