Proactive Words
Selling Terminology TC World Wiesbaden
8 November 2013
Term 12, DeAnn Cougler
Overview – about me
Professional translator and consultant for terminology and translation management issues
Expanding translation capacities in documentation
Centralization of translation activities
Translating
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Overview - objectives
Convey the importance of terminology –
target audience
Develop a solution –
determine scope required
Demonstrate feasibility of working with terminology
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Overview - situation
Who we are
Who they are
What is terminology
What the sales divide is
Why do want to implement a terminology solution
Where should this be based
When should it be implemented
How will we do this
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Overview - approaches
• DefinitionImportance of
terminology
• Tools
• Implementation
• Integration
Costs and investments
• Soft approach
• Hard numbers
Selling approaches
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Who?
Who are you
Who are they
Who needs terminology
Who will use terminology
Who can you reach
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Who – uses / needs terminology?
Who needs managed terminology? Everyone, you, your employer, your customers
Who is it feasible to reach? Your customer
Your boss
Your department
Your purchasing
Your developers ….
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Who(m) – is the terminology
for
For the company
For a product
For a special customer
For a department
For fun?
Clarify the objectives of the terminology work
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Where – do we want to use it
Internally
For vendors
For customers
Special departments
Personal use
-> type of solution (cloud,
inhouse, hosted)
For the company
For a product
For a special customer
For a department
For fun?
Clarify the objectives of the
terminology work
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How to cross the divide
What are you trying to convey?
What do you need to convince “them“? Why?
How can you build the bridge?
How can you open the bridge for use (and keep it open)?
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Clarifying “Terminology“
Back to the basics
• What – defining it for non-specialist
• Why – intrinsic and extrinsic advantages
How – can we (both) benefit
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Clarifying “Terminology“
1. What is Terminology work?
What processes are involved
Whose job is it?
Research and why?
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Importance of Terminology
2. Why – what are the benefits?
Soft Benefits
Quality
Corporate language
Improve quality (In the context of translation as well as definition)
Brainstorm!
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Importance of Terminology
2. Why – do some companies/customers seethe light?
Product placement – localization
Technical complexities
Innovations
Methodical approach – cultural German vs. English example
Experience
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Importance of Terminology
Save time in communications and writing
Ease work requirements, staff
Large scale QA improvements
More convenient for customers
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86%
87.7%
96.9%
96%
2. Why – what does management / customer think?
Managers said assumed “terminology” would contribute to:
* „Erfolgreiche Terminolgiearbeit im Unternehmen, 2010, Straub, Schmitz
Selling – perceived benefits
Why do German
companies use terminology
more?
Translation awareness
Also
Technical complexities
Variety of innovations
Methodical approach
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How can we sell it?
Hard or soft aspects
Costs, ROI
Quality
Workflows
Trust
Approaches
Intangibles
Who
When
How
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Selling – to whom
Obvious?
Define terms to define products
Easy to provide
Understandable
…
Quantifiable?
Investment
ROI
Time
…
Works for
Terminologist
Translator
Technical writer
PM?
PM
Management
Accounting
Customer
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Selling - approaches
Deficiencies – areas for improvement in existing configuration
Risks – potential problems with new product
Corporate image
Why not numbers?
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Selling - approaches
Deficiencies
Areas for improvement in existing configuration
Quality assurance
Customer experience
ERP integration
Time to market
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Selling - approaches
Risks
Lack of terminologymanagement
Import / Export issues
Customs forms
Parts ordering (component orassembly)
Sales brochures / Contracts / Support documentation
Synonymsseveral names for one term -> translations
Homonymsseveral concepts with same name -> incorrect translations
Unclear, unintelligible names
Copyrights?
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Selling – approaches
Again, the Germans report:
84.2% - realize that different departments and people use different terms for same thing
70.7% report that various documents use different terms for same thing
47.1% of staff don‘t always understand immediately what a term means
51.1% of staff have to keep asking what the correct name for something is.
* „Erfolgreiche Terminolgiearbeit im Unternehmen, 2010, Straub, Schmitz
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Selling – first steps
Know WHAT you want to sell
Know WHO you want to sell it to
Know WHY you want to sell it to them
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Selling – first steps
Raise awareness of the issue
What the problem is,
Why it‘s a problem,
How it affects the person, company, department, etc.
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Selling – next steps
Who should you be convincing?
? Boss, next boss, colleagues?
Selection of key people might not be obvious
Experts – not just terminologists
Credibility – people who have a say
Leadership – might be management, people with access to
management, people management listens to
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Selling – moving forward?
Work with team to developFocus – where, scope, start
Clarification – definition of objectives
Relevance Developers
Product managers
Localization in development cycle
Start doing itStart small but effectively – fastest and most visible improvements
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Selling – moving forward?
Start doing itStart small but effectively – fastest and most visible improvements
Walk the walk, don‘t just talk the talk.
Show how easy it is –> clear demonstration of benefits.
Record times and data
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What about the numbers?
How much will it cost?
What is the investment? How much will we save?
When is the projected ROI?
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0
5000
10000
15000
20000
25000
1993 1996 1998 2000 2005
Total
Dept 3
Dept 2
Dept 1
Numbers and decision
makers
Intangible
Instinctively “know“
Expert opinion
Trust
Disadvantage of numbers
Numbers used to say no ,
rarely to say yes
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Importance
Basic financial aspects
Reseach
Time
Corrections
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Numbers! Time is money
How? Benchmarking
Time tracking
Compare time with dictionary
and googling
Reuse of dictionary, reuse of
...
Determining Costs, Savings
Time spent on research
Time spent on re-researching
Time on corrections
Translation costs
(one wrong term)
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Determining Costs, Savings
Costs for tool
Costs for implementing
project
Daily costs
Costs per entry
Fixed investment (one off)
Project planning (time, one
off)
PM (constant)
Time, averages
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Determining Costs, Savings
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Define scope
Jun
Progress
Implement
Consolidate
Publication
Plan
ca. 500 h
ca. € ?…
ca. 30 h
80 h
60 h
ca. 10 h
Take stock
Centralize
MaintenanceImplementation costs
Daily costs
Project management – like housekeeping?
Dedicated resources – as required (one person, part of job)
Priority time
Termbase entries
Recording savings and effects
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Determining Costs, Savings
Costs for one term entry
Calculating costs
Time for average entryx average personnel cost/ planned number of entries
Variations
- Type of entry
- Completeness of entry
- Definition, research, etc.
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Determining Costs, Savings
Determining Costs, Savings
Time savings
Less research time
Shorter correction times
Faster translations
More precise translations (lower error quota)
QA results
Less correction work, editing
Order placement, customs
Hotline, shorter hotline times
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Keep selling
Evaluate
Plan
Implement
Repeat*
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Tools
Know your tools before you sell others on them
Tools on market?
Terminology tools and translation tools
Regional/customer preferences
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Tools
Selection Criteria – individual
Current use
Potential use
Budget
Ease of use
Compatibility
...
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Tools
Costs
Listed price
Training
Service or support
Transition
Maintenance
...
Numbers important!
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Tools
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Selection criteria matrix - example
Tool A
Tool B
Tool C
Tool D
Tool E
Etc
Use N Y Y Y N
Budget Y N Y N N
Ease Y N N Y Y
Compatible Y N N N N
...
Terminology Tools
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Selling it
Selling yourself, selling your work
Useless if not used – Work it!
Financial support – budgets
Integrating active support
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Implementation - evaluate
Take stock
Word lists
Paper distribution
Determine scope
Degree of centralization
Amount of documentation
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Terminology
Terminology
Terminology
Terminology
Terminology
Terminology
Terminology
Implementation - repeat
Repeat and expand
Consolidate
Centralize
Publicize
Your customers, your department, your company, your co-workers
Feedback!
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Work it!
Keep selling it
Show the benefit
Expand on it, grow it, resell it
Always selling, matter of course
Not a sales pitch anymore
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Conclusion
Define terminology and work
Determine scope
Plan, Develop, Sell
Keep building bridges
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Questions?
Thank you!