Many metrics exist in business to track "lost business" but nothing exists to track ungained business.
How many times have you ended a conversation in anger and frustration kindled by an inability to understand or be understood? Does poor speech or writing ability have an impact on your confidence in the service provider or professional? How confident do professionals feel when constantly asked to repeat what they say?
When people can't understand you, they can't buy what you're selling, understand your requests, offer you a job, or promote you to a better position. The inability of professional and semi-professional staff to communicate clearly, or intelligibly present complex ideas in English can also cost the employer new clients and have significant negative impact on the retention of existing clients and on the credibility of the professional's expertise.
Consider this real-life scenario described to me a few years ago by a business acquaintance who happened to share an elevator with two attorneys. The lawyers had just finished interviewing a forensic accounting associate for the purpose of bringing him into a case they were handling. "Well, we certainly can't use this firm, " one attorney was said to the other. "I didn't understand a word he said."Ungained business. No one will ever know why the CPA firm did not get the business and no one will ever tell the associate that it was because of his heavy accent, which made his expertise unintelligible and questionable.
Fortunately, improving
pronunciation and/or
writing are very teachable skills. Business owners and decision-makers are now realizing that it makes economic sense to provide language and culture-related support to their skilled and loyal employees. Professional and non-professional employees can be helped to overcome language challenges.
Language Directions can help you to help them. Quickly, Efficiently, and Confidentially.
If you are unaware of and unable to respect other cultural norms and cues, it can lead to failure in multinational communication settings. Behaviors and expectations can vary widely, creating roadblocks to successful interaction between cultures. Learn to identify key areas of cultural differences, adapt to your surroundings, and bridge the gap for better understanding. Areas addressed include Body Language, Language Issues, Tonality and Voice Projection, Eye Contact, and Educational or Religious Factors affecting employee behavior and productivity. A short term, general course.
Thank you for your continued support!
Sharlene Vichness, President
and the Language Directions Team
NOTE
We are always looking for qualified instructors who are bilingual in English any other languages, or who can teach ESL.
