Can YOU talk the talk?

"It's really embarrassing, people in Europe can talk English but we can hardly say hello in a foreign language".

Have you ever said this? I bet you've heard it plenty of times.
If I was given a pound every time I hear that, I wouldn't be worried about this recession.

However, if I was given a pound for every person who actually did something about learning a new language, I wouldn't have much to show for it.

The fact is that people in the UK know they lack the language skills of their continental counterparts but it seems to be continually swept under the carpet.
This is as true in business as it is anywhere else.

FACT#1: 1 in 5 British companies have lost contracts because they cannot communicate in any language apart from English.


"But they all speak English anyway". Sound familiar?

It is widely known that English is the international language of business - of that there is no dispute. BUT this is out of necessity and not choice.

FACT#2: 8 out of every 10 Swedish citizens surveyed said that they would not buy from a e-commerce website which did not have a Swedish language version.
Perhaps more surprising is that many UK-based foreign owned companies do not have an international communication strategy. This is to say that they do not even attempt to speak the language of the people who pay them their salaries!

FACT#3: 80% of Export Managers in British companies cannot communicate in a foreign language.

You only get one chance to make a first impression. Even a few phrases in a foreign language can create a postive impression on a client/colleague/supplier from overseas.

Enough to be able to make a telephone call to a company and get through to a department and a person who speaks English can go a long way.

The benefits for business are there to be seen. In times of economic recession, we need to prepare ourselves for the upturn.
Now is the time to train staff.
Now is the time to look at potential markets in overseas countries.
Now is the time to look at exactly how useful languages can be for your business.

What are YOU going to do about it?

Paul Ironmonger

www.gallowaylanguages.co.uk