Renishaw plc
Understanding business culture key to cracking overseas markets
With headquarters in Wotton-under-Edge, Gloucestershire, Renishaw plc designs and manufactures high precision metrology equipment for use in a wide range of industries. Over 90% of its revenues are derived from overseas sales and Renishaw prides itself on the expert service and responsive support it offers wherever its customers are located around the world.
Languages and the awareness of different countries' business cultures have played a central role in successfully entering new markets, as well as building and cementing relationships in current markets, to maintain sales growth and support existing customers. Jo Simpson, Language Services Executive, states, "Understanding the business culture in different countries is key to increasing sales and maintaining a competitive advantage. It is also important when trying to gain a foothold in new markets."
Translating product literature makes the right impression
The company puts a lot of emphasis on translating product information, including technical documentation and marketing literature. Depending on the product, the company translates into up to 29 languages. Currently it also has 16 non-English websites to support its worldwide customer base.
Although it seems an onerous and expensive task, Renishaw's Language Services department liaises with some 50 independent agencies and translators and the company's overseas subsidiaries to ensure accurate translation and localisation. This ensures each publication is linguistically and technically correct and suitable for the target market. Jo Simpson comments, "Our translation policy has played an integral part in delivering the company's overseas success and has helped to ensure that we successfully identify with our customers in our target markets to accommodate their different needs and preferences."
Jo also highlights Renishaw's ongoing commitment to developing multilingual talent and emphasises the difference learning languages can make to a person's employability and enormous sense of self-satisfaction it can bring.
Recruiting people with language skills is important to Renishaw considering the diversity of their markets around the world. For the majority of posts, engineering skills are essential, but knowledge of a language is always a plus point. With subsidiary companies and customers worldwide, the ability to communicate in another language can prove to be vital. In addition, employees who do not have language skills but who need them in their jobs may be offered the relevant language training.
Visit the Renishaw website at www.renishaw.co.uk
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