International Copywriting

Communication skills are vital at many different levels to be successful in business. And they are always essential in good sales and marketing.

Although communication may appear to be natural and easy, it is not as simple as it may seem.  There are in fact many different facets to good communication skills.

One of these is cross-cultural communication which is one of the main topics of this blog.

When we think of different forms of communication we often break it down into verbal communication and written communication. It is easy to notice people who excell in verbal communication, because when business is done face-to-face verbal communication skills come into play.  But on the web written communication skills are just as important.

The truth is business professionals need to be skilled in many different forms of communication.

Copywriting For Business Communication

If you were to ask passers by in the street, many people would not know what copywriting is, or what copywriters do. And yet, when you seek to improve your communication skills for business, you quickly hear the word “copywriting”. And if you look up how to improve your web content, you will also quickly run into the word “copywriting”.

Although copywriting is a sales skill at its core, it is a fundamental business communication skill.

Copywriting developed with direct response advertising in the US, it expanded into many different specialties.  Good copywriting skills became even more important with websites, web marketing and online businesses.

You see, copywriting improves your written communication skills for business.  And although good copywriting skills can make you a better communicator in most areas of business, it is in sales and marketing where it makes the biggest difference.

As you can imagine copywriting takes practice.  It takes a little time to be able to recognize good copy from bad copy… and to understand why something is good or bad.  And it is a skill that is best practiced with continuity. Is it worth this time and effort?

Improve Marketing & Sales Results

Copywriters were able to hone their craft in the US because of the size of their direct response market.  American companies could mail out huge campaigns, they could do split tests to compare results using 2 different texts and monitor feedback.  Sales determined the best copywriting.  It was easy to see what worked and what did not work.

Copywriting has always been used to create results-oriented sales and marketing materials.  Online you can also test and compare the results from 2 different pieces of copy to find out:

• What gets a reader to read your web page, your blog or your online report?
• What gets your reader to click through and read another page?
• Is there anything on your website that stops your reader from buying?

Online content marketing has given copywriting a whole new sphere of action.  Everyone online should understand copywriting basics because an online presence is based on content.  Why take the time to write content and publish it online unless you know how it impacts your readers? This is where good copywriting skills come into play, to:

• Improve the click throughs and results you get from your website, blog, landing pages, emails, videos.

Copywriting Success Summit 2009

Could you get away with not studying copywriting basics?  Of course you can. Some people are natural communicators, born marketers and gifted salespeople. They do exist.

Should you try to get away without studying copywriting basics?  Not in today’s economy.

• Good copywriting skills help you to get better results out of low-cost marketing methods.
• Good copywriting skills also make it easier to approach multicultural marketing, because you learn to understand your readers and stay focused on what you need say to them for effective communication.
• Good copywriting skills improve your sales and marketing. Period.

To be successful in sales and marketing today, you cannot afford not to keep up-to-date with current copywriting best practices.

To find out what the world’s leading copywriters have to say today, I recommend you attend the Copywriting Success Summit 2009 below.

I attended last year’s Success Summit, and I have to say that I love this training format.  It was almost like attending a live training event, except I was seated comfortably in my own living room. The presentations were spread out over several weeks, which was easy to schedule, and gave me time to digest the information at my own pace.  I asked questions and had great conversations in the private forum. And the experts were always there and very helpful.

It is an event well worth attending if you are serious about improving your copywriting skills.

How to Improve Your Marketing And Sales: The best writers are actively marketing their businesses using the latest low-cost methods. The big question is this: What do successful writers know and do differently that makes them so successful? How do they generate quality leads and win better clients? Now you can learn their tactics. Discover how to grow your writing business during this economic slump at Copywriting Success Summit 2009 — an online professional development conference for freelance writers.

Presenters include bestselling authors and copywriting experts such as Peter Bowerman (Well-Fed Writer author), Steve Slaunwhite (Start & Run a Copywriting Business author), Michael Stelzner (Writing White Papers author), Marcia Yudkin (Persuading on Paper author), Nick Usborne (Net Words author), Chris Garrett (Problogger author), Casey Hibbard (Stories That Sell author), Chris Marlow (the original copywriter’s coach), Pete Savage and Ed Gandia.

No travel required. This online summit allows you to attend sessions, meet the experts and network with peers, all from the comfort of your home or office. This event is sure to sell out quickly.

Learn how to qualify for a $200 savings (expires September 24) and lock in your key to success. Visit and get an immediate gift valued at $42 entitled “How to Be a Highly Paid Copywriter as a One-Person Business.”

Brush up your international skills…
Read more on International Copywriting:

• Marketing Is An Integral Part Of Copywriting
• What Is Copywriting?

Use these skills in your international strategies on the…
Get International Clients International Sales Road Map:

Step 5 – Connect With Your International Markets Connect… • With culture customized content • With trust and empathy • With strong cross-cultural communication

Copyright Cindy King 2006-2010 - International Business Blog

Learn How To Improve Your Marketing And Sales

Internationalize Your English

Yesterday I mentioned the current trend towards International English in white papers. Susan Oakes asked whether International English was American or British language. And I thought this merited a longer reply here.

First, let’s have a look at this video:

• Allyson Stewart-Allen On Working The Differences Between British & Americans: Business Etiquette

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British & American English Have More Differences Than Just Spelling

As you can see from this video, when you live and work in both of these countries, you usually notice the cultural differences between British English and American English. These cultural differences go beyond different spelling.  In many cases you need explanations, or interpretations and even a British-American dictionary to explain both:

• Country specific vocabulary
• Different meanings for the same word

In addition, there are a series of cultural differences in how British people use their language and how the Americans use theirs.  Even if both languages are called English there is a learning curve to go through to become fluent in the communication used on both sides of the Atlantic.

For native English speakers this learning curve is not usually a big deal.  There are few areas where mistakes in interpretations can have serious consequences.

But for non-native English speakers who learn English one way, these cultural specificities add on another layer of difficulty and are not easy to translate into other languages.  In some cases, these extra difficulties can have serious consequences.  For example, when complicated machinery or health issues are involved any possible misinterpretation can have serious consequences.

The problem is that these misinterpretations increase with the use of culture specific English:

• Whether it is American English for people who studied British English,
• Or British English for people who studied American English as a foreign language.

Why Are Businesses Moving Towards International English?

Website globalization does seem to be a big factor behind the trend.  Here are three reasons why:

Global Website Templates. Businesses are having their website translated into more and more languages.  The number of languages available on websites is steadily increasing.  This brings the need for website templates to make multiple translations easy.  And multiple translations mean that you need to start off with text that is easy to translate into multiple languages.  If you do not “clean up” your English before sending it for multiple translations you will have:

• Translations which say different things in the different languages
• Increased translation costs

To avoid this the original text in English is made very easy to understand for non-native English speakers.  The grammar is amended to get rid of any possible misinterpretation during translation. Some people use the term “Global English”.  This process usually also improves the original text in clarity and consistency.

Wider Audiences. Globalization also brings English speakers with different cultural backgrounds, and different ways of speaking English.  Companies also feel the obligation to improve their English for these wider audiences. This is what is happening with white papers. And even if British English is the official version for the EEC, many large companies are choosing American spelling and an internationalized English. This is simply because that is the best way to communicate with their global markets.

Politically Correct. One translator who works for a large Swiss multinational company, told me that the company directives to implement International English was initiated to avoid favoring one way of speaking over another within an international environment.  This  might be a sign in global awareness for being polite to all English speakers.

Should You Use British Or American Spelling?

The spelling really does not matter as internationalization your English is about improving the understanding of your content across a wide number of different cultures.

You can choose either British or American spelling. Most businesses choose to use the spelling that is easiest for their biggest, or most important, client base. But any decision process that makes sense works well.

I think that the choice of spelling used to have more of a political reason before.  Companies in Europe or in former British colonies used to always opt for British English.  But now with website globalization and widespread American English software it is often easier to consider American English.

International English is more about taking out the cultural quirks that make it difficult for other cultures to understand. I always think of it as aseptically treating the content. When you navigate between cultures non-stop and actively seek to connect with people (some people don’t try), your language changes naturally over time. You learn what to avoid and what to say and how to say things to make it easier for a wide audience to understand.

Where Can You Find International English Guidelines?

This is a problem.  I have not found a good set of guidelines.  And I believe this is because we are in the middle of this movement and there are different players.  There are:

• British English evangelists and American English evangelists.
• People who only see the need for Global English with translations in mind and others who only want to communicate with as many people as possible.

You can find guidelines written by a few people in these different groups, written from their particular viewpoint.  All of these groups of people would benefit from taking a more global understanding of the issues at hand.

This is why I like to look at the non-native English professionals who do not have any guidelines to follow.  They need to be understood in today’s world, so they simply jump in, and learn what works and what does not work.

The main reason why people adopt International English is to improve communication across a wider international audience. There are no definitive rules and guidelines for International English currently available.  This is an area where you need to apply a good dose of common sense and flexibility.  An international background does help too. You can find a link to the guidelines I use below.  Keep in mind that you will need to adapt these guidelines to your business.

• Are your marketing materials for one specific culture, or an international audience?
• How do you decide whether you need British or American spelling to reach an international audience?
• When would you think of using International English for your website and marketing materials?

More on Internationalizing Your English:

• A Multicultural Writer Gets More International Readers?
• Adjust Your Own English Communication To Meet Other Language Levels
• Americans Need International English Too
• Culture-Free Communication
• Customize Your Content For Different Cultures
• English For International Appeal
• Focus On Your Cultural Communication
• Global English To Avoid Miscommunication
• Internationalize Your Own Communication
• Is International English In Your Future?
• Translation Friendly International English
• What Flavor Is Your English?
• What Is International English?
• Where To Learn How To Write International Or Global English

What you need to know about International English:

• International English Guidelines
  

More in these Get International Clients Business Guides

• International English
• Culture Customized Content

Copyright Cindy King 2006-2010 - International Business Blog

International English For Better Communication With Global Audiences

Internationalize Your English

European companies were the first to question the English they use for international audiences.

When Choice Is Forced On You

I have previously written about a large Swiss company formed through a merger of 3 different companies, using both American and British English and how they were looking for elusive instructions on how to write International English.

Many Europeans feel they need to follow British spelling when writing in English.  The problem is that the differences in the English used in different countries go far beyond spelling.

The Challenges For International Professionals

International professionals have to adapt to a wide variety of different ways to speak English. Non-native English speakers have even more challenges.  And British English can be particularly difficult for a non-native English speaker.  One of the difficulties is the way the English use the word “should” when there is no conditional involved.

Yes, I know, to be exact I should say “English English”.  There is also Scottish English, Welsh English, Irish English.  Let’s just say it is about the spelling for simplicity.

Some International Brits Use American Spelling

The choice of which English to use is not only about facilitating communication with non-native English speakers. It is also about:

• Markets
• Where you sell your products and services
• Who needs to read your sales and marketing materials

Did you know that some international British companies choose to use American spelling in their sales and marketing materials?

When you think about it, it makes sense!

The business decision is an easy one when you want to reach American clients and sell products if your clients would be confused with British English.

Is American Spelling Best For All International Audiences?

You might think that the obvious choice is to adapt American English for international markets.

This is often the best choice in the markets I work in where web marketing and American software is predominant.  In some cases where you have a broad international audience American spelling can be an easy option.

The trouble for American companies is that they are in a very independent culture.  They always think they are right.  It is easy to assume that an American spelling means that their content is easy for non-native English speakers to understand.

What happens when American spelling implies a much stronger direct approach and you want to nurture relationships in a culture where this strong direct approach is inappropiate?  What if British spelling is taught locally?

There are times when a British spelling might be a better choice.

Adopting International English

There may be no official or easy to follow guidelines for International English…

…and as I am writing this I can easily imagine an over confident American, who has spent a few years here and there, sit down to write them up and proclaim he has a universal standard…

…but it is not about the spelling.  Whether you use British spelling or American spelling is not very important.

What is important is:

• Clarity and consistency in how you write
• Keeping it simple for everyone to understand
• The words you use
• How well you explain yourself
• The culture you convey

In addition to these good writing practices, there are also elements of good cross-cultural communication best practices that also apply to written communication.

There are two different ways to spell certain words in English: British English and American English.  But when you look at the English language from a global perspective, there are endless ways of using the English language.

International English is not a new language. It is what happens when different cultures come together and communicate in English, in a way that is easiest to understand for everyone.

This is why, even if the American spelling may seem to dominate certain international markets, American companies should consider the need to use International English for better communication with their international audiences.

• Do you know of any companies using International English?
• Do you know of any companies that could benefit from using International English to reach wider international audiences?
• When do you think companies should use International English?

More on Internationalizing Your English:

• A Multicultural Writer Gets More International Readers?
• Adjust Your Own English Communication To Meet Other Language Levels
• Culture-Free Communication
• Customize Your Content For Different Cultures
• English For International Appeal
• Focus On Your Cultural Communication
• Global English To Avoid Miscommunication
• International English For Better Communication With Global Audiences
• Internationalize Your Own Communication
• Is International English In Your Future?
• Translation Friendly International English
• What Flavor Is Your English?
• What Is International English?
• Where To Learn How To Write International Or Global English

What you need to know about International English:

• International English Guidelines
  

More in these Get International Clients Business Guides

• International English
• Culture Customized Content

Copyright Cindy King 2006-2010 - International Business Blog

Americans Need International English Too

Internationalize Your English

Last week I had a very interesting conversation with an American translator in Switzerland. He called to ask me for guidelines on who to write “International English“. One of his major clients had asked their team of translators to now write in “International English”. Apparently 3 different Swiss companies had merged:

• 2 traditionally used British English for all English translations
• 1 traditionally used American English for all English translations

This American translator said that most of the other translators were British and no one had specific guidelines on how to write “International English”.

I wonder how common this dilemma is today.

When American English Trumps British English In Europe

Companies all over the world use English for their communication.  There is an interesting phenomenon in Europe with regards to the use of the English language. British English is the official English within the European union. But outside of Brussels, there are times when British English just does not make good business sense compared to American English. It is fairly common for European businesses to choose American English.

It is interesting to note that in France, the English language teachers in the French schools are instructed to teach English with the Queens English language accent. These directives come with the phonetic sounds for this particular accent.

I cannot tell you how many times I’ve cringed at listening to my daughters school friends trying to imitate this “posh” English accent with their own heavy French accent. Doesn’t anyone realize how ludicrous this sounds to the vast majority of native English speakers? Including the average British person.  And the French wonder why they are so bad at languages. It’s normal to stop trying to speak a language when you appear so funny.

The reason why many European businesses use American English is because it makes better business sense. The reasons are multiple and I will get into that in a minute.

I remember actually noticing a few international British companies using American English a couple of years ago.

The Political Debate

But first, you have to realize that a European company’s choice to use American English opens a more political debate.  Some cultures are more prone to a political debate on this subject than others.

And when you have any British element involved this debate can get quite complicated.

Making The Choice

What about the readers of these English language materials?

It appears that when companies base their decision on their readers, it is a fairly easy business decision to make.  There are several criteria you can base your decision on:

• either overall readership majority – who are you speaking to
• or your highest region for profit – where is your money coming from
• or your primary target market – who do you want to reach

This can help you decide whether to use American English or British English.

An International Readership

But is it so easy?

Today another factor that comes into play. Who is really reading your materials?

European companies translating their materials into English, usually also distribute these materials to readers outside of the UK and the US. In fact, for most companies this readership is probably greater outside of the UK and the US.

When people communicate on an international level, with multiple cultures, something happens. Whether you use British English or American English, you adapt your language so that the majority of your international audience understands you… easily.

This happens naturally over time and with experience. You learn which words or expressions always lead to confusion and which words everyone understands.

One obvious example is the word “should” when used by a Brit. In my experience, a Brit does not often use the word “should” to express a conditional verb form. It is more often a form of British politeness. Remember, Britain has a history based on a class society.

Miscommunication arises very easily here, simply because just about every non-native English speaker will translate “should” as part of a conditional verb form. It does not enter their minds that this might be a polite way of telling someone to do something. The only message that comes across is a conditional suggestion to do something.  So if this person is busy or has other interests, this statement is quickly put aside.

And yet “should” is used often enough in good British English.

People that communicate with a wide international audience almost always adapt their English to an “International English”, easily understood and spoken by non-native English speakers.

In addition to communicating to international audiences, there is another movement.

In some industries online communication plays an important role.  It only takes a quick glance to see that web communication is predominantly in American English.

Clarity For A Global Environment

Web communication is also leading the trend to simplifying English even further:

• For clarity of communication
• To make it easier, quicker and more cost effective for multiple translations

With regards to English for web communication, this book gives a very good description of English:

• The Global English Style Guide – Writing clear, Translatable Documentation for a Global Market – by John R. Kohl

But there are no definitive guidelines on what International English is exactly, when a business should use it and how to use it.  The reason is simple.

On The Road To International English

There is a movement towards an “International English.  But we are right in the middle of it.  It is still changing.

In Europe, the British English enthusiasts are still very active and this creates tension in companies where the real world business environment demands not only an American spelling, but also an International English to communicate well within this global world we now live in.

I am also expecting a pull towards International English from the non-native English speakers.  And perhaps this is where the real guidelines will emerge.

Last year, I remember reading blogs written by non-native English speakers which had comments on them left by native English speakers lamenting the non-native English speakers language skills. Some of those comments were embarrassing to read as a native English speaker.

This year I have not noticed any such comments.

Non-native English speakers use English to communicate with larger audiences.  As their online presence become more established, and more authoritative, the English language purists will not be as loud… and an International English style will become more wide-spread online.

…probably with American spelling if only due to the shear volume of American language software.

An Even Simpler Choice

As this movement continues, businesses will have a much simpler choice.  Most of today’s political debate will fall to the side.

Oh, I am sure a new one will pop up:  to save endangered languages.

As the need for global businesses to embrace International English becomes inevitable, there will really only be a simple choice of spelling.  International English is more about your

• Clarity of expression
• Choice of words
• Choice of punctuation
• Simple grammar
• The ease of understanding

American or British spelling, you still need to communicate effectively with your readers.

What To Do Now

If your readers are from many different countries, improve communication with them now.  In order to find out what you say that confuses them, or is difficult for them to understand, you need to create a dialog… and then you need to listen and make an effort to improve your communication.

No one can claim to have the ultimate “International English” guidelines today.  There is still too much movement.

This reminds me of when people stopped using the hyphen in words like “co-operation”, or when businesses started using the simplified left justification, instead of  indenting paragraphs, when writing letters.

Except the movement towards International English is a bit more complicated, more widespread and is taking longer.

Languages have always morphed and changed with the current times.  It is interesting watching “International English” evolve across the world.

Although there are no ultimate guidelines for “International English” today, we can use good business practices of listening and trying to improve our communication with the people we interact with.  This leads to better cross-cultural communication.

Even the current social media trend has the same outlook towards communicating with others. It reinforces the need to improve our overall communication with all of our audiences.

This process towards better communication is the natural path towards an International English.

More on Internationalizing Your English:

• A Multicultural Writer Gets More International Readers?
• Adjust Your Own English Communication To Meet Other Language Levels
• Americans Need International English Too
• Culture-Free Communication
• Customize Your Content For Different Cultures
• English For International Appeal
• Focus On Your Cultural Communication
• Global English To Avoid Miscommunication
• International English For Better Communication With Global Audiences
• Internationalize Your Own Communication
• Translation Friendly International English
• What Flavor Is Your English?
• What Is International English?
• Where To Learn How To Write International Or Global English

What you need to know about International English:

• International English Guidelines
  

More in these Get International Clients Business Guides

• International English
• Culture Customized Content

Copyright Cindy King 2006-2010 - International Business Blog

Is International English In Your Future?

Cross-Cultural Marketing

Two American copywriters recently asked me for my opinions on the potential market of ethnic or multicultural copywriting.

Now, you may have noticed…

Twitter For Cross-Cultural Marketing Research

I have beefed up my Twitter micro-blogging recently.  And following everyone who Tweets about everything related to international and cross-cultural business.

There are a few very useful things that have come out of following my favorite topics this last month.

• I’ve noticed the increased interest in ethnic marketing in the United States due to the Obama effect
• I’ve met a few key ethnic marketers in the US and here in France.
• I’ve noticed top American marketers scrambling to find out more about ethnic marketing.

And I also saw a number of Tweets on about a recent survey on the increase of the ethnic population in the US.

• Americans of ethnic origins will represent the majority of the US population in my lifetime.

As a cross-cultural marketer, it is obvious that this will change marketing tactics.

Marketing gets you more sales when it connects with your customers.  And you need to understand your customers’ behavior for you can create an effective marketing campaign.

The problem is that different cultures have different behaviors.

• Different cultures need different marketing.

Ethnic Marketing Today

Let’s look at ethnic marketing…

Ethnic marketing still represents a few hurdles for businesses today.

• It is not a standard practice – companies do not use this often enough
• Ethnic marketing best practices still have to be ironed out – more businesses need to have ethnic marketing strategies

Not Just Marketing

The trouble is that management often assumes that ethnic or multicultural marketing is “just marketing”.  They do not realize the extent to which selling to different cultures effects the entire business.

In addition, the first hurdles businesses encounter in ethnic marketing often translate into more time and investment.

• Businesses do not realize that will often need to re-position their product
• They underestimate the amount of work this involves
• They underestimate the extent this effects all of their business

An ethnic marketer who does not have the support and participation of the whole business team cannot impact ethnic sales effectively.

Best place to look for insights:

• International marketers

They can easily understand how doing business with different cultures can effect the entire business. International business development is a process that involves new skill sets.

This international process and these skills sets are very similar and can usually be transposed to develop effective ethnic marketing.

Positioning The Sale

The very first task for ethnic and cross-cultural marketers is to reposition the sale.  Different cultures respond to different emotional buttons.

Best place to look for insights:

• Copywriters and marketers with field experience

Copywriters are marketers trained in understanding a market from their side.  A professional copywriter is usually able to grasp the extent of how much you will need to reposition your offer in order to sell to a different cultural or ethnic group.   With two caveats:

• The copywriter or marketer has to have the time to do the research.
• He also needs to know when he needs to continue to dig further. Cross-cultural communication challenges hit everyone, no matter what your profession.

The Future Of Multicultural & Ethnic Copywriting & Marketing

Yesterday, I mentioned the book Megatrends Europe by Adjiedj Bakas and this comes to mind yet again today.  Our societies are changing, but:

• No one knows for sure what they will be like in the years to come.
• No one knows how the different elements will influence each other.

Despite these uncertainties, if you have a business today, it is wise to look at current trends.  You will have more informed insights into where you business will be tomorrow.

There is an obvious trend in ethnic changes in the populations of many of the current leading world countries.  The one assumption you can count on is: a

• An increased need for effective ethnic and multicultural marketing

And my advice to the two copywriters interested in multicultural copywriting…

…Jump onboard now if you can.

More On Cross-Cultural Marketing

• A Future For Ethnic Marketing
• Cross-Cultural Web
• How Cultural Differences Influence Marketing Segmentation
• Marketing Segmentation Grows Both Sides Of Your International Business
• Sophisticated Marketing Methods And International Sales
• Why Cross-Cultural Marketing Is Not An Option
• Why International Marketing Needs To Do More

Copyright Cindy King 2006-2010 - International Business Blog

A Future For Ethnic Marketing

Translation For International Sales

A young French copywriter recently asked me if an international client should take the sales letter he wrote for them in French and translate it into English and a series of other languages.  And this is for a direct mail piece, which means a fairly large investment for the mailer.

Translation or copywriting?

Now this is something an experienced copywriter and marketer would immediately understand.

A Unique Audience

A copywriter always writes a sales letter for one specific audience. And in addition to the demographic specifics of each audience, the copywriter also writes for a specific market maturity and environment.

This is what increases the results of your sales letter.

Now…

Different Culture = Different Sale

If you change the language you change the culture.  This means you change the audience.

In fact, you are probably also addressing a different market.  This market has a different environment.  There will be cultural differences.  And possibly other differences in market environment.

This different audience might even be at a different stage of market maturity for the product you are selling.

Different Sales Letters In Different Languages

What does this mean?

A different culture will not respond to your letter in the same way. Your sales letter will not work well.

You need different sales letters when you write them in different languages.  It is unlikely a simple translation will get you good sales results.

If you are investing in a direct mail package to sell your product, you should also invest in appropriate sales copy for each different language you use.

A company that invests in hiring a copywriter to write a sales letter, knows that a good sales letter will bring in more money. That is why companies pay large sums of money for experienced copywriters to write their sales letters.

An Example Of How Translation Ruins The Sale

Have a look at this example of translation into English:

• Van Cleef And Arpel’s Feerie Perfume

It is easy to see the lack of good copywriting skills in the English text.  And the text reads as if it was simply translated from French.  The text may work well in the original version.

But here,  it does not go well with the elegant and expensive web design.

The English text will not add to the sales appeal.  In fact, the English text actually takes away some of the sales appeal.  And in some places the English is actually confusing.

It makes me wonder whether:

The translator did not do a good job.  Which would surprise me.

Or with a company this size, I would expect the translator was told to give a strict translation and to follow the original text as closely as possible.  A common problem.

Of course, in smaller French companies, the reason could also be because it was the technically minded webmaster that was asked to write the script.

The end result is a pity… especially after investing in such great design.

Foreign Language Sales Letters

As a marketing executive, I would never turn to a translator to write any sales copy. As a marketer this was easy for me to grasp even before I “discovered” copywriting as a profession.

How did I get foreign language sales copy?

The best solution is to network until you find a native language speaker with the right marketing and sales background to understand both your product and the foreign language market.

Yes, there are translators who do have copywriting skills.  There are also many translators who say they do copywriting, and yet do not have the skills.

If it is my product, I would still prefer  to spend the time to hunt down the person right for the job.

Professionals with good sales skills exist in all cultures.  Your international sales results will increase if you learn to seek out other people with native language sale skills in your industry.

More on Translation For International Sales:

• How Translation Ruins The International Sale
• Online Translations Tools Write Bad Sales Copy
• Translation Agencies’ Narrow Vision

Don’t Miss…

• Internationalize Your English

And in particular…

• Translation Friendly International English

More In The Get International Clients Business Guides

• Culture Customized Content Guide
• Guide To Use Free Translation Software Tools

Copyright Cindy King 2006-2010 - International Business Blog

How Translation Ruins The International Sale

International Copywriting

Copywriting is any type of writing that offers products or services for sale.

Writing For A Call To Action

Copywriting skills are needed whenever you have a call to action, even if this is not a sale.  Calls to action can be:

• Press this button… for any reason
• Sign up here… for anything
• Give me your support
• Call me
• Read more
• Come see me
• Ask for a free trial, report or anything else
• Buy my product

As you can see, a call to action can take many different forms.  Most of these calls to action are part of a lead generation or sales strategy.

Writing For Sales

Beginners are often confused about what is involved in copywriting.  This is because there are different types of writing for sales:

• Feature article copy – editorial writing, a little more formal, but also uses conversational writing style.
• Big ad agency copy – short and clever copy, used to build awareness and does not have a sales order device.  Success performance is not tracked and you cannot measure exact response to see how well the ad worked.
• Direct response copy – asks for an immediate action with a strong call to action.  Success of this copy can be tracked and measured.  Direct response copywiritng is personal.

Good Web Copywriting

Writing for the web is closer to direct response copywriting than any other writing style.  Whether it is for profit or not.

To understand this, you need to understand how people use the internet.  Their behavior online is linked to the action of search.

Your website needs to keep your readers:

• Attention, to get them to stop and stay on your website.
• Interest, to get them to read and look at your website.
• Desire, to spend more time on your website, and even to come back again
• and calls them to Action, to read more, to visit more of your web pages and to click through your links.

This formula, AIDA, is the first basic formula copywriters learn to write sales letters.

There are a few differences between Direct Response Copywriting and Web Copywriting.  But the principles of good Direct Response Copywriting correspond to good Web Copywriting by over 90%.

When you think about it, there is no coincidence that you can use the same copywriting principles.

• You can track and measure results for both Direct Response Copywriting and Web Copywriting.

When people refer to Web Copywriting this usually also involves SEO Copywriting.  More on the differences between these two in a later article.

It Is All About Conversation

Conversational style writing skills are what makes great copywriters.  Conversational skills that connect with target markets.  And these are the two reasons why conversational writing style works:

Empathy – You talk to your reader as a friend. You show that you understand your reader. This is empathy.

Not Selling – You provide solutions. In a conversational writing style you do not sell, you provide solutions to your readers problems.

Conversational copy is quick and easy to read.  It hits the emotional buttons that will get your readers to respond to your call to action.

This is why conversational copywriting is a proven sales technique.

Layers Of Marketing

In fact, a copywriter relies on marketing skills just as much as writing skills.

Let’s look at a typical copywriting project.

Professional copywriters usually spend their time as follows:

• 40% – detailed market research
• 20% – writing
• 40% – editing copy for sales objectives

As you can see, marketing research is a vital part of good copywriting.  This happens before the actual writing.

Marketing guidelines also come into play.  These guidelines look at the whole communication experience for the reader and also include:

• How the reader responds within a specific market
• Where your reader is when he finds your copy
• How the copy works with your reader’s specific environment
• How the copy works with the graphics

And the copywriter also refers to these guidelines when editing his copy.

And… Intimate Knowledge Of Your Readers

When you fully understand your reader, you are able to call him to action.

• You use the same vocabulary and buzz words as your reader.
• You know how to talk to your reader to get him to listen to you.
• You know exactly what his deepest fears, motivations and desires are.
• You understand how he will respond to what you say.
• You know how to respond to his objections.
• You know which emotional buttons to push to get your reader to respond immediately.

With a little tracking to measure results, copywriting skills are a valuable sales tool.  In fact, all successful marketers online have invested in good copywriting skills.  Either by taking the time to learn copywriting themselves, or by outsourcing.  And usually a mixture of both.

More on International Copywriting:

• Marketing Is An Integral Part Of Copywriting

More in the Get International Clients Business Guides

• International English
• Culture Customized Content
• Connect With Your International Markets

Copyright Cindy King 2006-2010 - International Business Blog

What Is Copywriting?

Internationalize Your English

Recently a translator asked how to write in International English. A client of his specifically requested International English content. And he asked whether American English or British English was considered International English.

To understand how to choose either American English or British English have a look at this recent article on Get International Clients.

In either case, whether you start with American English or British English, the first step is to take out all culturally specific references. Cultural references that can only be understand by people with a similar cultural background to the writer.

But International English is a bit more than that. There is also a question of how you use English grammar.

Reasons For International English

First you need to understand why you need International English.

There are a few reasons why businesses like to have content written in International or Global English:

• To reach a broad international market
• To communicate more effectively with non-native English speakers
• To prepare for easy translations, multilingual websites

You also need to consider the document itself.  Is it a technical document, or sales and marketing materials?

Where To Read More

I recommend two books if you would like to learn how to write International English.

The Global English Style Guide

Do you need to:

• Write in International English?
• Want to make the text you write easy, fast and cheaper to translation?

Then this is the book for you…

The Global English Style Guide – Writing Clear, Translatable Documentation for a Global Marketplace, by John R. Kohl.

This book provides all the information you need on what to write and how to write it.  It gives easy to follow examples.  Yes, it is written by a grammar expert.  But you do not need to be one to follow this book.

There are many “rules” in this book to write International English.  Don’t be daunted though. It is so well explained that it is a quick read and an easy to use reference book.

The Elements Of International English Style

Another good reference book is:

The Elements Of International English Style – A guide to writing correspondence, reports, techical documents, internet pages for a global audience, by Edmond H. Weiss.

This book is more business oriented.  It gives specific guidelines for different business documents.  For example, it tells you how to make an agenda for a meeting easier to read for international audiences.

It also gives many comparisons between British and American English.

Both books complement each other and are a good place to start to learn how to write International English.

International Communication Skills

But there is also another element to writing International English.

You must not forget to include international communication skills.   And you can only acquire international communication skills through international exposure.  These are the international communication skills you pick up through communicating with different cultures.

You need to have basic international communication skills to implement the written techniques outlined in these two books for best results.

When you write technical content for translation, good international communication skills may not be of primary importance.  These skills will improve your technical writing.

But…

• Do you want to write web content or sales and marketing materials and want to also make this content translation-friendly?

Then good international communication skills are just as critical as implementing the International English language skills.

You see, these international communication skill:

• Add in a layer of international politeness
• Take away any abrasiveness
• Make your content more appealing

The first step in creating international content is to strip off all cultural-specificity.  A writer with international communication skills puts a little bit of flavor back into your content.  To appeal to a broad international audience.

More on Internationalizing Your English:

• A Multicultural Writer Gets More International Readers?
• Adjust Your Own English Communication To Meet Other Language Levels
• Americans Need International English Too
• Culture-Free Communication
• Customize Your Content For Different Cultures
• English For International Appeal
• Focus On Your Cultural Communication
• Global English To Avoid Miscommunication
• International English For Better Communication With Global Audiences
• Internationalize Your Own Communication
• Is International English In Your Future?
• Translation Friendly International English
• What Flavor Is Your English?
• What Is International English?

What you need to know about International English:

• International English Guidelines
  

More in these Get International Clients Business Guides

• International English
• Culture Customized Content

Copyright Cindy King 2006-2010 - International Business Blog

Where To Learn To Write International Or Global English