Closing deals. Developing partnerships. Enhancing international reputation. Expanding market share. Driving innovation.

When it comes to cross-border business, it’s hard to overstate the value of English for Italian and French business professionals. Yet organizations and individuals squander hundreds of dollars every day because their English isn’t at the level they need it to be. 

Effective communication in English helps you make the right impression with clients and peers – and has a knock-on effect when it comes to negotiating, networking and closing deals. 

So how do you maximize the role of English in your value chain? Let’s explore your options.

Boost skills and confidence with English language training courses 

The most obvious path to boosting English effectiveness is via a training program. However, it’s vital to choose an English language training provider that delivers value. You need to be able to quantify the investment you’re making – with measurable results that link to business outcomes.

Be wary of courses that focus heavily on studying – and especially grammar – at the expense of communicating. To maximize the value of your English training, you need courses that highlight practical business skills – presentations, negotiating, email writing and conference calls – that drive successful cross-border business.

At TLG, we combine innovation, challenge and emotional empowerment to deliver tangible improvements in English. As a general rule, we’d expect a company to increase its revenue by at least 10 times the amount of their training investment. 

For example, one global consultant client invested €200,000 and achieved a return of over €10 million.

Achieve immediate results with a translator or interpreter 

Over time, the right training will help you become more effective when speaking and writing in English. But cross-border business is demanding, and the requirements are often complex and immediate. Making the wrong impression with your English can cost you.

For example, it takes a beginner 24 minutes to draft a single email paragraph in English. For each email, that’s 22 minutes not spent on value-added work – not to mention the cost that comes from not making the right impression. Rather than wasting hours trying to write in English yourself, it’s often quicker and cheaper to invest in the services of an experienced translator or interpreter – helping you impress your audience, close the deal and secure the relationship for the future.

At TLG, our mother-tongue English speakers operate as an extension of your team – translating or interpreting your Italian or French at a fraction of the cost of doing it yourself. 

Guarantee ROI with a partnership approach

Boosting your team’s ability to communicate with confidence will benefit your business long term – but what about when you need to nail that presentation next month? 

To make the best impression, you’re likely to be better off – both financially and in terms of achieving your intended goal – having a mother-tongue English speaker help. This could be providing English-language templates for you to work from. It could be editing your draft. Or it could be writing the script and slide deck for you.

To achieve maximum value from your English investment, it’s worth taking a big picture approach – one that encompasses both short-term requirements and long-term objectives. To do this, seek out a provider that offers training and consulting – one that can match your English needs with your business strategy.

At TLG, we take the time to delve into your objectives and understand how English helps drive business. “Improving English” is never a goal in itself. We pin down precisely what you want to achieve – winning more international work, for example – and the skills you need to reach this goal.  

As one TLG client puts it: “TLG is more than a partner – it’s part of our value chain.” We have a 100% success rate because we look at your requirements holistically. Taking a creative approach, we help you do business in English more effectively. 

Contact us for free advice on how to maximize the role of English in your value chain.

Zoe Flaherty, Founding Director of The Language Grid