Here’s how business English skills can help foster better understanding between companies and their clients, and help expedite the process of closing deals.
The last 30 years have brought about drastic changes to the manner in which organizations do business. From marketing their products to closing deals, the hyperconnectivity of both small and large scale businesses has changed due to advances in telecommunications. Industries were able to save on time and resources, and businesses have been able to rapidly close more deals than ever. But more than just the influence of communication tools such as email and the Internet, there’s also the propagation of and the demand for learning English as a global language.
To date, numerous global and multinational companies have adopted English as their official corporate language. Such companies include German automobile manufacturer Audi, South Korean electronics giant Samsung, Japanese automobile company Honda, and Japan’s largest e-commerce organizations, Rakuten, and that’s only to name a few. The reason for this is clear: English helps bridge the gap between these global companies and their markets, a significant portion of which are first-world countries that speak English. Secondly, it’s also to unify business processes across borders, regardless of where these multinational companies are. The ability to communicate in one language internally is key in propagating efficient business processes.
The implications of communicating in a unified global language such as English are evident in how businesses close deals today. English speaking and writing skills enable companies to better reach a profitable agreement by improving coordination among multi-national companies and organizations, breaking geographical and language barriers to facilitate further market reach globally, and cultivate smoother and more seamless global acquisitions.
A successful business is much like a well-oiled machine. It has defined business goals and objectives, and functions that work together to achieve those goals. Having the ability to communicate in English enables companies to better collaborate across shores. Organization leaders from France can better work with their Indian counterparts if both parties can speak a common language. When communication is clear and concise, agreements are met more smoothly, plans are laid out more competently, and goals are met more efficiently. This way, businesses can make more appropriate decisions and close internal deals better—and come up with better ideas and solutions to create a more efficient systematic business process.
In terms of company-client settings, business English skills takes away both geographical and language barriers to enable companies to expand their global reach. Businesses need to communicate well with their clients if they want to send a message that would ultimately lead to a profitable exchange. Having adequate Business English skills help companies reach a wider range of people: primarily those who speak English and those who may not necessarily fluently speak the language, but understand it.
This is also where advertising comes into play. As digital advertising has evolved to be at the forefront of the industry, more companies are investing in digital marketing strategies. About 80% of online content is in English. This includes digital advertisements, with the market projected to grow up to $103.3 billion between now and 2019. If this is any indication, the geographic lines between markets are now dissolving thanks to the Internet.
Given that, companies are investing not only in telecommunications but in English language training in order to seamlessly connect with both their partners and subsidiaries, across the world. Having business English skills enables companies to cultivate smoother global acquisitions. By speaking one language and communicating it well, these organizations can easily acquire subsidiaries and in turn, shorten turnover periods.
Today, English training has become more than just a requirement in the workplace. It has become an employee benefit, a retention tool that enables companies to invest in their workforce and therefore, create even more valuable employees who will grow together with the company. As English is becoming a requirement, it is also becoming an attractive benefit for those who are yearning to achieve more.
