Beyond Revenue: Additional benefits of localizing

by Alexa Tan
4 Minute Read

5 min read 

rawpixel-620230-unsplashImage by Raw Pixel on Unsplash

Most companies localize because they want to increase global sales by expanding into new markets. But the benefits of localization are far greater than simply maximizing sales. For starters, localization allows for your reps to appear more polished in front of prospects, stand out against the competition and ultimately, tell better stories that foster a deeper connection with your customers around the world.

Refine your sales motion

Incorporating localization into your expansion strategy gives customers the impression that you value quality, customer service, and even more so, them. When you make it a point to localize content for every locale, you’re not only sharing information that makes sense, but you’re advocating for your global audience. In effect, proving to them that their business truly matters to you and that you’re willing to go the extra mile in making sure that it’s clear from the get-go.

Localizing content doesn’t stop at making things understandable, but goes on to ensure that what you’re creating resonates with locals around the world – delivering a personalized experience for every buyer, no matter their context.

Beyond this, localization provides a framework for your sales teams to train on; they’ll be able to familiarize themselves with cultural and linguistic peculiarities, like diction, nuance, humor and even, prose. This gives your reps the advantage of appearing polished and prepared in front of international buyers and as a result, you’ll see an immediate improvement in your sales motion across foreign markets.

Stand out against the competition

The best translators localize as they translate. They’re taking into consideration what you’re trying to say, and how to say it even better in the locale’s native tongue. If you’re able to take this one step further and work with a translator who’s a domain expert in your field (legal, finance, etc.), you'll be able to create a top notch experience.

When comparing your product to a competitor's, your prospects are looking for more than just a feature-by-feature rundown. Instead, they want a solution that checks off every box on their list, and then some. Properly localized marketing materials will allow your products and services to stand out amongst the competition’s and for that reason, buyers will see an enhanced value not only in your offerings, but in the superior customer service that comes along with it.

Improve your team’s storytelling ability

As Seth Godin put it, “all marketers tell stories.” and the magic of stories lies within the context they are told in. So, if you’re not careful, or you just don’t have enough time to thoroughly post-edit, pure machine translation (MT) can rob you of that magical element.

The thing is, pure MT applications are wonderful for quick, on-the-go translations. They’re fast, painless, and usually, mostly accurate, but when you have millions of dollars on the line, ‘mostly there’ doesn’t quite make the cut.

When you make a valiant effort to localize your product’s content and supporting materials, you’re essentially telling your customers a story – moving them with your words, and building a lasting connection between both you and them. Feeling makes all the difference in the world when it comes to selling, and telling that story using words and nuance that’s familiar to them is key.

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