Commercial translations

Commercial translations

Bantelmann Translate offers commercial translations for all business sectors, using specialised translators who are native speakers, and adaptation and transcreation processes for those materials which prove the most complex to be carried into a different language.

What is commercial translation?

The term commercial translation refers to the conversion from one language into another of all texts and contents that a company writes and uses in order to communicate with customers, both publicly (e.g. promotional materials) and privately (letters or confidential communication).

In this particular area of translation, it is especially important, even more so than in other types of conversion between different languages, to preserve – together with the meaning of the text – its tone and style: in commercial content, they are key elements that assure the proper ‘functioning’ of communication. Be it in a letter of intent or an advertisement in a magazine, the translation of a commercial text must preserve all nuances of style.

Who requires commercial translations?

Due to the broad nature of commercial translations, which include all contents with which companies address their customers for promotional or communication purposes, the market requiring this type of service is vast: there is no company that does not eventually need a commercial translation of its materials.

The reason for this situation lies mainly in the intense globalisation of markets brought about by the Internet in recent years: companies that grew with only a local perspective quickly found themselves positioned in an international context and needing to communicate effectively with customers on the other side of the world.

A good commercial translation enables these companies to present their work and products to foreign customers in the best possible way, communicating in their own language and in the manner to which they are accustomed, thus immediately feeling closer and more accessible.

Which kinds of documents require commercial translations?

Precisely because of the transversal need for translation of commercial documents, which, as we have seen, affects the most different companies, this practice is required for a very wide range of different documents and contents.

This is but a brief overview of the main types of documentation for which a commercial translation is required:

Our method and approach

Commercial translations have some unique characteristics; knowing how to handle them well is the key to getting the most out of your translated communication. It is not enough for the commercial translator to have perfect knowledge of both the languages, the source and target language: this represents only the starting point.

In fact, the first prominent feature of commercial translations is a high degree of interactivity. In business negotiations, it is normal for exchanges to be numerous and frequent; this requires above all the translator to be able to work quickly, so as not to interrupt the dialogue that is being established between the company and the potential client.

Secondly, commercial translation often entail work on promotional or advertising texts. In these scenarios, the translation work becomes complex, because very often it is not possible to transpose the meaning of a slogan or a particular expression from one language to another in a literal manner: this would entail a loss of effectiveness, and often no longer communicates the original idea. If this is the case, a different approach is needed: transcreation which goes beyond normal translation and involves reconstructing the original message in a form that ‘works’ in the target language.

In all cases, the documentation requiring commercial translation is often confidential, especially when it contains the details of a commercial negotiation. For this reason, commercial translators must guarantee the strictest confidentiality and secrecy.

Available languages

Bantelmann Translate is able to offer specialist business translations from and into a wide range of languages: