In the US today, Spanish language skills are fast turning into an inevitable necessity for many businesses. The Hispanic population has grown into the largest minority in the country, with one study projecting that one out of every five US citizen by 2012 will be a member of the group.
If you are a business engaged in providing products or services for a large number of consumers, don’t you think that having a facility to attract that Spanish-speaking demographic is an immediate concern?
1. Marketing materials
Your marketing materials will need to be donned in more than just the English language. More and more, in fact, we’re seeing companies translate their marketing – from advertising to brochures to websites – to reach out to Hispanic audiences.
2. Receiving queries
Your business, especially if it’s listed in the phone books or keep some form of online presence, will regularly receive unsolicited queries. With Spanish-speakers making up a large part of the population, you will undoubtedly get a good amount of potential businesses from this segment. Are your employees equipped to handle those inquiries, whether with a language translation software (for reading email queries) or ample Spanish training (for phone conversations)?
3. Workplace
Chances are, you’re already employing a good number of bilingual (English and Spanish) speakers. Why not retool your organization so that you can take full advantage of their existing skill sets?
Necessary Changes
The rise of Spanish as a medium of communication will lead to a lot of changes. You can either ignore them or prepare your organization to be ready for them. It’s up to you.