Our services Interpretation and Translation (English / Japanese)
Utilizing our wealth of experience in global business, we go beyond a literal interpretation and translation of your verbal and written messages, and accurately communicate what you really mean to other parties. Our talented interpreters are capable of finding out what the other party really expects from you, so that you can have a more effective dialogue with them.
[ Interpretation ]
Client: a Japanese manufacturer
In the final stage of contract negotiations with a distributor in the United States, the client was frustrated that the U.S. firm did not deliver what had been agreed upon at the last meeting, while the client delivered what they had agreed to. The client had spent a large amount of time narrowing down several candidates to this firm, but was no longer sure if this firm was the right choice.
When we were brought to the negotiating table for interpretation, we found that the U.S. firm never realized that they were supposed to resolve issues. As the client did not explicitly ask the U.S. firm to take actions on pending issues, no issues were resolved. On the other hand, the U.S. firm did not understand why the Japanese company wanted to have one meeting after another over the same issues as they thought it was simply a waste of time. They were getting nowhere.
Before we got involved, another interpreter had provided literal translations of what was being said between the two parties at the meetings and had not followed up on business matters. What we did for the client was not only to provide better interpretation at the meeting but also to help identify the cause of the problems, weighing the pros and cons of all proposed solutions for them, and confirming who would do what by when. It was a complete process.
By providing a value-added interpretation service to the client with a good understanding of business needs and cross-cultural differences, we eliminated redundant meetings and achieved greater efficiency in the negotiation process.
As both parties came to trust each other and to establish a follow up process after the meetings. The client no longer needed an interpreter for smaller follow-up meetings.
Testimonial by the above-mentioned Japanese manufacturer
We hired a bilingual college student as an interpreter to save costs at the first three meetings with an American company. We walked away from each meeting feeling frustrated as we did not quite understanding what the other party really meant at the meeting. At the end of the third meeting, we still did not have any specific solutions to the issues we faced.
When an interpreter from US-JAPAN CONSULTING joined us at the fourth meeting, the way the other party interacted with us dramatically changed for the better from the beginning. We were able to identify the root cause of the problems. Both sides benefited from this single meeting as each side agreed on what to do for the next meeting. The meeting went so well that both of us went to dinner together afterward and were able to build a relationship of trust with each other.
If we had asked US-JAPAN CONSULTING for assistance from the beginning of the process, we could have produced positive results from a single trip to the United States instead of three. It would have been a more cost efficient process.
It was a pleasant surprise that US-JAPAN CONSULTING had an interpreter who was capable of creating an approachable atmosphere at a meeting and developed instant chemistry with participants. We will ask for their services next time around.
