About us and what we do – quickly and painlessly

What manner of beasts are you, translators or copywriters?

We prefer to think of ourselves as copywriters who translate. Instead of performing textual transplants straight from one language to the other, a painful process that often disrespects the constraints of grammar, syntax, context and idiomatic expression, we use considerable artistic license to produce a convincing, purpose-orientated message with far more cosmetic appeal.

Besides being copywriters, we might just be better listeners than your own dear Grandmother. We listen to what you have to say, who you want to say it to, for what reason you’re saying it, and then we ask ourselves what’s missing from the story. In like manner, if you say something that we believe doesn’t quite square with the rest of the whys and the wherefores, we’ll be quick to voice our concerns. The message you want is the message you get.

You’ve already said that you charge more than many local translators. Why so?

We guarantee the utmost devotion of time, effort and brainpower for your copy. It’s been stated before but it bears repeating – we don’t just offer translation, but a full-on communicative extravaganza that’s designed to reflect favorably on you and your products or services. This also includes background research and face-to-face consultation as standard features of the process. In addition, if you’re not completely happy with anything we’ve done, we’ll go back and revise it at no extra charge. The little bit more you lay out on communicating effectively with your client base should be recouped very quickly through a sharp upturn in international interest in your enhanced company profile.
Our slightly higher price tag is offset by the fact that this sort of service demands a premium in Europe and North America. Since these are markets you’re targeting, this is the standard against which we too should be judged.

Is the style of writing on this website representative of everything you do?

Absolutely not. In creating our own material, we deliberately opted for a breezy, light-hearted tone as befitting the image we wanted to project of ourselves. Nonetheless, we possess a chameleon-like ability to adapt our style of writing to suit the particular nuances of each client and the project in question. Hence, you won’t find us wisecracking our way through a Funeral Director´s corporate brochure.

How long does the process take?

How long is a string of words? It all depends on variables such as subject matter, complexity, required background research, and, of course, final length. We can promise you that we take our time – our approach is exhaustive, involving ongoing communication with you, and endless amounts of bickering amongst ourselves, ensuring that the final product is the result of a painstakingly controlled creative process.

Do you implement web copy as well as translating and copywriting it?

If you’re looking for the full techie treatment, then we have the professional contacts to put your copy online. We should stress, however, that our services are not predicated on web implementation, and selecting this option would incur an extra cost.

What’s the secret to successful communication with the English-speaking world, and how do cultural differences affect things?

Three staple ingredients are punctuality, brevity and transparency.
In today’s frenetic global economy, information is strewn about in inverse proportion to ever-shrinking attention spans. The result is that vital, economical modes of communication have gained in currency more than ever before.

How you handle punctual exchanges of information is up to you; brevity and transparency falls firmly within our camp. We will do everything we can to encourage concise, proactive disclosure of information so that the international market will give you a fair hearing; this often means beating customers to the punch by answering their questions before they can pose them.Such an approach helps build trust and, by consequence, brand loyalty.

This is where our role as cultural intermediaries fits in – as well as relaying the message, the application of our knowledge of how both sides of the fence operate should be of just as much value.

How important are employee, public and investor relations in the scheme of company communications?

Progressive companies will make an effort to inform the public on how they are handling issues of importance. This gets us back to the question of transparency again; company forums help encourage free flow of information by serving as a useful means through which interested parties can address matters of common concern.

What type of copywriting project will be of most use to me in increasing international sales?

A persuasive website acts as your communicative frontline, providing the first line of approach for prospective markets. This seems an obvious point; if you’re reading this, you presumably need no introduction to the merits of the Internet, but given that Peru still has a limited online penetration rate, much still has to be done.

How do I get the process started?

Just send us an email outlining your ideas and preliminary specifications, including the text in question in the case of translation or editing projects, and we’ll get back to you with a quote. Better still; let us know your availability and we’ll come and meet you to discuss your plans face-to-face.

What if I need to translate something from English into Spanish, or into a third language?

Don’t despair, help is at hand. Just get in touch and we’ll have one of our tried and tested Hispanophone associates get to work on a world-class adaptation from English into Spanish. For other languages, please ask.