By Emanuel Weisgras, Esq. – founder and CEO of Weis Words International Translations
The Question That Translation Services Don’t Want Prospective Clients to Ask (But Weis Words Does!)
Here at Weis Words, customers frequently ask us about specialization. They ask, “In what fields does your company specialize?” It’s a hard question to answer, considering our translators have decades of experience in subjects that range from business and accounting to the sciences, from non-profit work to the legal industry. But it certainly has us thinking. Our conclusion: our customers are asking the wrong question, and there are two reasons why:
1. It’s more important to inquire about the TRANSLATOR’S specialization than the company’s.
Every significant translation company employs multiple translators. Each translator works within a specialized set of languages and will commonly concentrate his/her work on a specific field. (Of course, there are general translators as well.) The translator’s job is to competently translate the material, and in order to do it right, that job often requires knowledge of a particular field.
TAKE AWAY #1: When researching translation services for your professional needs, don’t just ask about the company’s specialty; ask about the specific TRANSLATOR who will be working with your documents.
2. “Specialization” is all relative.
Ask detailed questions about your translator’s experience. Minoring in biology does not make a translator a subject matter expert in medicine. As a client, you shouldn’t be afraid to ask about your translator’s literacy in a specific subject. In order to capture the details of your documents, translators must possess linguistic tools and advanced principles of the topic. They must be proficient in the field.
TAKE AWAY #2: Make sure that your translator understands the principles of the field and its terminology. Some companies claim to use “experts” but ultimately farm out work to just any translator.
The question you should ask when researching translation services is, “What is the specialty and level of experience of the specific translator who will be working with my documents?”
That question is a sure-fire way to weed out the experienced and qualified translators from those just getting their feet wet in the field.
Our various translators have vast experience in most notable fields. The high quality of our work, our attention to detail, and our firm grasp of the subject matter in each particular field are the best qualifications that we can offer.
So when you are scouting out translation services, make sure you ask the right questions. Inquire about your translator’s background, not the company’s. And make sure you feel confident that your files are in good hands. Your business depends on it.
