Selling Terminology

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

2013Langolution.com 2

Overview - objectives

Convey the importance of terminology –

target audience

Develop a solution –

determine scope required

Demonstrate feasibility of working with terminology

2013Langolution.com 3

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

2013Langolution.com 4

Overview - approaches

• DefinitionImportance of

terminology

• Tools

• Implementation

• Integration

Costs and investments

• Soft approach

• Hard numbers

Selling approaches

2013Langolution.de 5

Who?

Who are you

Who are they

Who needs terminology

Who will use terminology

Who can you reach

2013Langolution.com 6

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 ….

2013Langolution.com 7

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

2013Langolution.de 8

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

2013Langolution.de 9

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)?

2013Langolution.com 10

Clarifying “Terminology“

Back to the basics

• What – defining it for non-specialist

• Why – intrinsic and extrinsic advantages

How – can we (both) benefit

2013Langolution.de 11

Clarifying “Terminology“

1. What is Terminology work?

What processes are involved

Whose job is it?

Research and why?

2013Langolution.de 12

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!

2013Langolution.de 13

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

2013Langolution.de 14

Importance of Terminology

Save time in communications and writing

Ease work requirements, staff

Large scale QA improvements

More convenient for customers

2013Langolution.de 15

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

2013Langolution.com 16

How can we sell it?

Hard or soft aspects

Costs, ROI

Quality

Workflows

Trust

Approaches

Intangibles

Who

When

How

2013Langolution.de 17

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

2013Langolution.de 18

Selling - approaches

Deficiencies – areas for improvement in existing configuration

Risks – potential problems with new product

Corporate image

Why not numbers?

2013Langolution.com 19

Selling - approaches

Deficiencies

Areas for improvement in existing configuration

Quality assurance

Customer experience

ERP integration

Time to market

2013Langolution.de 20

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?

2013Cougler.com 21

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

2013Langolution.de 22

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

2013Langolution.de 23

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.

2013Langolution.de 24

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

2013Langolution.de 25

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

2013Langolution.de 26

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

2013Langolution.de 27

What about the numbers?

How much will it cost?

What is the investment? How much will we save?

When is the projected ROI?

2013Langolution.de 28

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

2013Langolution.de 29

Importance

Basic financial aspects

Reseach

Time

Corrections

2013Langolution.de 30

Numbers! Time is money

How? Benchmarking

Time tracking

Compare time with dictionary

and googling

Reuse of dictionary, reuse of

google

...

Determining Costs, Savings

Time spent on research

Time spent on re-researching

Time on corrections

Translation costs

(one wrong term)

2013Langolution.de 31

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

2013Langolution.de 32

Determining Costs, Savings

2013Langolution.de 33Jan Dec Mar Sep

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

2013Langolution.de 34

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.

2013Langolution.de 35

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

2013Langolution.de 36

Keep selling

Evaluate

Plan

Implement

Repeat*

2013Langolution.de 37

Tools

Know your tools before you sell others on them

Tools on market?

Terminology tools and translation tools

Regional/customer preferences

2013Langolution.de 38

Tools

Selection Criteria – individual

Current use

Potential use

Budget

Ease of use

Compatibility

...

2013Langolution.de 39

Tools

Costs

Listed price

Training

Service or support

Transition

Maintenance

...

Numbers important!

2013Langolution.de 40

Tools

2013Langolution.de 41

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

2013Langolution.de 42

Selling it

Selling yourself, selling your work

Useless if not used – Work it!

Financial support – budgets

Integrating active support

2013Langolution.de 43

Implementation - evaluate

Take stock

Word lists

Paper distribution

Determine scope

Degree of centralization

Amount of documentation

2013Langolution.de 44

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!

2013Langolution.de 45

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

2013Langolution.de 46

Conclusion

Define terminology and work

Determine scope

Plan, Develop, Sell

Keep building bridges

2013Langolution.de 47

Questions?

Thank you!