Work Effectively with Your Interpreter

As companies do business farther and farther from home, presenters increasingly need translation. And working with an interpreter always complicates things. You can make it easier, though, with preparation.

Start by picking the right type of interpreter for your situation. Three types are available:

• Simultaneous: The interpreter sits in a soundproof booth while you present without disruption. Audience members who need translation wear earphones. When I spoke to a large group of business leaders in Taiwan, more than half the audience used earphones. As a result, I got through a lot of material with little time lost. Simultaneous interpretation requires more overhead than the other types do, since it involves technology.
• Consecutive: The interpreter shares the stage with you. After you make a point, you pause for her to relay what you’ve said. You can use this approach in less-formal settings or if you don’t have the budget for simultaneous interpretation.
• Whispering: Here, the interpreter whispers translation to you when audience members make comments or raise questions. This approach works best if you are familiar enough with the language to understand most of what’s said but need help here and there with specific words and phrases.

Once you’ve sorted out which kind you need, here’s how to choose the right person and work effectively with her. If you can, allow up to a month to do the following:

• Test your chemistry: Some interpreters bring energy to the presentation; others can drain you. Spend time speaking with yours before you hire her. If you have time to interview a few candidates, all the better. You’ll know someone’s a good fit if she makes you laugh, for example, or calms you down. The interpreter shouldn’t agitate you in any way—public speaking in a different culture is hard enough as it is. You should trust that she values your material and will represent it well.
• Call in reinforcements: If you can’t find an excellent interpreter who’s also a subject matter expert (a rare breed), use the professional interpreter as your primary source of translation—but also enlist an expert who speaks both languages to help out. That way you’ll have someone who can correct the interpreter if she makes content mistakes here and there, in real time, or who can simply step in at a point where the material gets highly specialized or technical.
• Prepare half as much material: If you are given an hour, prepare 30 minutes’ worth of material. It takes twice as long to convey your message with a consecutive interpreter—and even with the other types, you’ll need extra time to translate any Q&A discussion.
• Send your notes: A week ahead of time, send over your notes or a transcript of a similar talk so the interpreter can practice. Even if you don’t deliver your presentation exactly the same way, she’ll get a feel for your material and style.
• Work through idioms and metaphors: Many phrases and sayings have no direct corollaries in other languages. If you’ve sent your notes or a transcript in advance, your interpreter will have time to flag anything that doesn’t translate clearly. She can then suggest regional stories and metaphors that would work in her culture.
• Practice pacing: Rehearse with your interpreter when you arrive to get a sense of how much material she can translate at a time. Have her coach you on your speed of delivery, so she can keep up and audience members can process what you’re saying.
• Complete each thought: Each burst of content should be a concise but complete thought. Otherwise, you’ll leave people hanging midphrase while the interpreter translates the first half of your point. Keeping your statements short and sweet makes it easy for the audience to follow you and engage with you.