Order for a business to grow, one must expand the playing field of clients; this means that getting more clients on board and extending your reach will make your business flourish. If you are able to communicate in Spanish, it can vastly affect the number of clients you can do successful business transactions with.
Many assume that people from the Spanish-speaking countries of Latin America can break out with even the tiniest amount of English – enough to get by a quick business deal – but the reality is very different.
If we take Mexico as an example, only around five per cent of the population can speak English with a degree of fluency. Just 18 per cent of schools include an English Language program within its curriculum and although around a third of Mexican businesses do international trade using English, that still leaves us with billions of dollars of untapped clients who can only deal effectively in successful business using Spanish.
Learning the Spanish language is not only going to open up new doors for businesses in Mexico but all of the other Spanish-speaking countries too. As any businessperson will tell you, communication is vital in any business transaction. Misinterpretation and a lack of understanding key words can lead to failure in securing the right deal for your company or service provider.
Learning the Spanish language is a worthwhile investment for you or your company, as you need to adapt to the demands and requirements of the client who prefers to speak or communicate in Spanish.
Communication with Spanish-speaking partners from overseas is so vital that it can be the difference between a deal breaker and a deal-maker. If you or your business provides a service, how would you deal with customers’ after sales service, if you cannot communicate effectively? Following up requisites and customer complaints are important – especially in the modern age of internet-based reviews from clients hailing or shaming your business.
Learning the Spanish language also makes for good business acumen, as the knowledge of a second language improves the all-round mental ability of that person. There are those that argue that bilinguals are simply smarter.
Research on bilingualism has defined that cognitive skills are improved in people who can communicate in two languages; therefore, having smarter employees can be good for business.
REFERENCES:
Fernández, C. (2016, September 4). What percent of Mexico is English speaking? Retrieved July 3, 2017, from https://www.quora.com/What-percent-of-Mexico-is-English-speaking
Muñoz, M. A. (2014, June 23). Does being bilingual make you smarter? Retrieved July 03, 2017, from https://www.britishcouncil.org/voices-magazine/does-being-bilingual-make-you-smarter Feel free to share our articles, we only ask for credit! Be sure to mention IMAC Spanish Language Programs as the author and a link back to our website: www.learnspanish.com.mx
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