I once worked for an organisation where part of my role was to create and maintain translated marketing communications. These were to be translated into 20 different languages.

After my business case was created and put forward, it was rejected because of cost. Can organisations afford not to communicate with non-English speaking customers? 23.2% of people living in Australia speak another language, and 2% speak no English at all (2011 Census data).

Every member of the community deserves to be able to get the information they are looking for. In fact, for Government organisations, this is a mandatory – just look at the Human Rights Charter Act.

Part of my role at the time was to speak to community and immigration groups about my organisation. This gave me an opportunity to learn the difficulties that new arrivals have to go through when they come to this country. Apart from the language barrier (speaking with an interpreter, as well as them asking questions was a very slow process when presenting) a lot don’t understand the services available to them and their responsibilities as citizens.

People may complain about the lack of communication with immigrants, but believe me it’s more frustrating for them than it is for us. And it’s something that both small business and big business need to get right or brand reputation may suffer.

Source:The Thinking Blog

It’s why businesses need to invest in providing accessible information to our community so they have a better understanding and opportunity to interact, and transact with us. It might be a costly exercise and a somewhat difficult task for small and start up businesses, but it can definitely pay off in the long run. If your business is providing more information than your competitors, this can give you a real edge.

Bye for now,

The Creative Craftsman