Want to engage with your audience and get your message across despite language barriers? Well, that’s what an LSP is for to convey both the original message, as well as its cultural relevance. But wait- do you actually need one? Keep reading to compare the pros and cons of hiring a Language Services Provider.
What are the advantages of an LSP
If your company or website is looking into the localization and live interpretation, using an LSP is the easiest way to get the job done. Not only can you cut back on costs but will end up spending less time on a project as well. But of course, these are the basic benefits of hiring a professional language services associate. So, how exactly does using an LSP help you? Read on to know more.
Licensing and authenticity
Consider this, you just land a new deal, but unfortunately, one of your partners on the project is more comfortable speaking in Spanish than English. We all know that there’s one solution for this situation- because when ideas meet, languages should not cause a problem.
So, you hire a translator who claims to be able to speak fluently in both English and Spanish. But how do you guarantee that your message is being sent across as accurately as possible? While freelancers and project-based service providers may only have previous experience to speak of, being with an agency means you can check whether they comply with international standards such as the International Organization for Standardization’s Technical Committee’s ISO 17100.
Access to niche services
A frequent question you might find yourself asking is, hey, why not just get a singular translator or interpreter to get the job done? This isn’t a bad option if you have clearly defined needs for one project at a time. However, if you want to keep expanding your business and are looking to scale up, getting in touch with an LSP is the way to go.
This is because rather than just a single person trying to manage it all, LSP offers a flexible team of well-trained professionals who can work on a project-to-project basis. This means insurance against an employee falling ill or terminating their contract.
What’s more, you can easily delve into different niche services such as Arabic language translation, or even marketing video voiceover, since you now have access to a company that specialises in all types of linguistic services.
What are the disadvantages of an LSP?
Using a Language Services Provider comes with a few certain disadvantages. After all, using the services of a team of professionals can hardly mean more problems than before. However, as the saying goes, every coin has two sides. While you may not encounter reasons to stay away from hiring an LSP, here are a few things to look out for.
Too many cooks spoil the broth
As we have already discussed, going for a single translator may not be the most efficient choice. But this doesn’t mean that the more the better!
When getting any outside help for your business, remember that consistency is critical. Having one too many of a language services associate on the team can mess things up since you no longer have significant control over the brand image that you’ve been building. What’s worse than a change in brand voice and messaging? An uncertain and wavering brand image.
In such scenarios communicating freely and frequently is the solution you are looking for. This is because although you may not completely trust the idea of outsourcing work to a company that operates by its own set of guidelines, using an LSP guarantees that you can scale up the workload as and when required, without missing a beat.
Potentially higher expenses
If you have a limit to your budget, this might discourage you from hiring an LSP since getting professional services will almost always be more expensive than using insider help. However, don’t hesitate to reach out to an LSP that you have in mind. Oftentimes, there may be discounted packages or tech-enabled programs that can fit inside your budget, but you don’t know about them yet.
In situations where you need the final push to help you decide, consider this- trying to DIY your translation needs can often fall costly, and not just from a monetary perspective! Trying to save on up-front costs, leads to miscommunication which deters customers from doing business with you. So rather than worrying about the cost, try comparing it to expenses run up from damages.
Where to find a good LSP?
As you can see, finding a good Language Services Provider can depend highly on the type of service you need. At MoniSa Enterprise, we aim at breaking down language barriers and bringing the world together as one. With over 500 Subject Matter Experts and linguistic services in more than 250 Asian and major European languages, you know you can trust us to be there when you need it. Reach out to MoniSa Enterprise to get a free quote today!
