Terminology Management
Promote trust, loyalty and common understanding with precise and coherent terminology throughout your communications
3 Solid Reasons to Pay Attention to Your Terminology
There are at least three very distinct reasons why you should care about your terminology: trust, loyalty, and common understanding.
Who does not want these things for their business?
Just think about it. You enjoy the TRUST of your target markets, which makes it much easier to acquire new customers. Your customers are LOYAL to you, and your employees and business partners are on the SAME WAVELENGTH with you. You share a vision, even if you do not speak the same language. Doesn’t this sound like a business dream come true?
However, just managing your terminology might not be enough to reach that happy place, but it may help.
So, how exactly does terminology help you get there?
How to build TRUST with terminological clarity
We tend to trust people who have a clear and confident message. It is like a verbal equivalent of the open palms gesture. Clarity removes all thoughts of hidden threats.
Well-organized specialized vocabulary (or terminology), in which every meaningful concept has a clear corresponding term does just that.
It provides a solid structure for your company’s communications. It allows you to always put your best foot forward and create trust more easily.
How to build LOYALTY with consistent terminology
You might think that you can make your message clear without having to get into the whole complicated terminology management process.
You are right. A given message can be clear by itself and help you build trust, but what then?
Imagine the same audience receives another message from you the next day. This second message is equally clear in itself, but the wording is not consistent. Wouldn’t that be confusing?
You want your message to be consistent throughout your company’s communications. Including translations into different languages.
This is where terminology management becomes essential and where it is often overlooked.
Why does this happen? Managing your company’s terminology in one language may be a natural process. It evolves gradually, new terms are added with new products or services and employees have time to get used to them.
However, when company documents are translated into a different language, several translators may be working on different documents or even different parts of the same document. They might translate the same term differently, while at the same time equally correctly.
Terminology management ensures consistency of terminology in and between texts, in the work of one or more translators, and in different places and times.
It helps you maintain the trust and grow it into long-term loyalty.
How to ensure COMMON UNDERSTANDING through convention
Let’s take the example of job titles. If there is no convention in place regarding the translation of job titles into a different language, this could lead to confusion. Imagine if a potential partner reads one translation in a company presentation, a different version on your business card, and when they try to find you on LinkedIn, they see yet another wording. It may be understandable and will not ruin your business reputation, but it does not look very professional and could be confusing. Why does it say “Director” here and “Manager” there? Have you changed your job? Are you still the right person to go to?
This is just one example. Sometimes the names of the company’s financial items are translated slightly differently, which causes misunderstanding and brings chaos to your company’s finances.
These cases are still about consistency and clarity, but not only that. It is more about creating a convention regarding the meaning of each term. When creating such a convention between two languages, the translator should fully understand what each term means for your company to ensure that your customers and clients understand your message correctly.
Such common understanding is the basis for smooth relations with partners, vendors, and customers.
How to start
Now that we agree that terminology management matters, let’s look at how it works in practice.
In a nutshell, to manage your terminology you need to:
- Create a glossary
- Keep it up to date
- Follow it at all times
Easier said than done. Yet, doable. Let’s have a closer look at the content and the form of your company glossary.
Usually, the question of terminology management arises as the volume of translations grows together with a clear need for maintaining consistency.
If you have previously worked with a translation agency, this agency may have created a “working glossary” to ensure the quality of their work.
If not, you might need to start from scratch. Establish a list of key terms for your business. What are your main products or services? What are their components and key features? How do you promote them? What is your marketing message? You will also want to include all the brand identity words, your mission statement and your slogan. The idea is to form a core body of terms that must be consistently translated throughout your communications.
Further on, as more of your documents are translated, more terms will be added to your glossary. Make sure that subject matter experts verify and confirm these terms.
In terms of the format of your glossary, it may be a simple Google Doc or Excel spreadsheet.
Your translation agency probably already uses some terminology management tools in their translation management software. These usually provide the ability to export termbases in more conventional formats (.csv or .xlsx). You might want to set up a procedure for vetting new terms that are added to the termbase. The best way to do this is to discuss it with your translation agency.
How can GEF help?
If you want to put your terminology in order, but cannot or simply do not want to do it yourself, let GEF be your terminologist.
Our experts have excellent terminology research skills and are always there for you. We will compile and maintain your documentation and termbases.
Just give us a quick call or send a message to get started. We are already doing it for all our clients.
Tell us about your project today!
And our managers will contact you promptly to offer a solution that best suits your needs.