Have you ever wondered why — other than the date on the calendar changing — we're expected to succeed at new things and turn our lives around in January. Seriously. Why is that? It's cold. It's dark. Some days you have to wear 5 layers just to get the mail. Not exactly the most energizing, motivating season.

Yet, most of us set our new goals in January and February. We work on them a little bit, but then spring comes and we get a "spring fever." It's hard to concentrate on work. Then comes summer and vacation. Next thing you know, it's fall and we're stressed and guilty because we haven't made enough progress and the year's almost over.

So, why not start in autumn instead? Even more so than New Year, I think fall brings an expectation of new exciting possibilities. We're rested and relaxed after our vacations (hopefully) and glad to be back to routines, friends, colleagues — life.

This is the time to make New Year's resolutions. Forget January; now is the time to start working toward new goals. Research. Decide on a strategy. Make contacts. Get. To. Work.

"I learned this, at least; that if one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live the life which he has imagined, he will meet with success unexpected in common hours. ... If you have built castles in the air, your work need not be lost; that is where they should be. Now put the foundations under them." ~ Henry David Thoreau, Walden

Imagine where you want to be next year. What do you want to accomplish in 2011?

Start building the foundations for those castles today, and you just might get to move in next year.

It was HOT in Sweden this week. And being from Texas, I don't use that word lightly. Now, before all my friends in Texas start hollerin' at me for complaining about Nordic temperatures: yes, of course, I realize it's not as hot here as it is in Texas. However, there's a big difference in how we experience warmer temperatures in Sweden.

After our bodies have acclimated to 8+ months of cold weather, it's a shock when the temperature suddenly rises. And here's the catch: we can't escape the heat. There is no indoor air conditioning here. There hasn't been much of a breeze, either. The sun is up until midnight, and our upstairs bedrooms act like little greenhouses — storing all the heat they can. And the office? Yikes! The computer monitors add to the heat, making concentration nearly impossible.

At 80 to 90 degrees Fahrenheit (26-32 C), I've been more miserable than I was on most triple-digit days (40+ C) in Texas. Is it any wonder most Scandinavians take long summer vacations and spend countless hours at the beach? Growing up in Houston, I thought my family in Scandinavia didn't know what "real heat" was. How could they complain? Now, I understand.

Here's the point of my heat wave rant:

When marketing your products, services, or ideas, remember: your perspective is not their perspective — and their perspective is more important.

That seems basic, right? We know it's vital to connect with our audience, and we know many factors influence audience perspective: cultural norms, peer influences, available local resources, history, climate, languages and dialects, standard technology and equipment, etc.

Yet, it's still easy to fall into the trap of assuming some things are the same for everyone. Because of our own natural perceptions and life experiences, there are factors we wouldn't even think to consider. Things that seem innate, universal. After all, wouldn't many of us assume 80 degrees (26 C) feels the same for everyone?

The danger is if, when we become aware of differences, we ignore them or judge them.

People living in different parts of the world may experience and perceive your business, services, products, and website in some unexpected ways. Their problems, "pain points," likes and dislikes in these areas are real and serious. If their support is important to you, address their experiences properly.

P.S., To my family and friends in Scandinavia: thanks for not saying, "I told you so."

Happy summer! I'll be at the beach with my laptop if anyone needs me.

Recently, I was talking with a friend of mine from London about what we were planning for the upcoming weekend. I mentioned we were hoping to have a big family breakfast with scrambled eggs and homemade biscuits.

That’s when she looked at me with a strange expression on her face. “Biscuits?” she asked. “For breakfast?”

You see, in the UK and most of Europe, the English word biscuit refers to what Americans would call a cookie or cracker, which is usually sweet, hard or crispy, and often has a cream filling, icing/frosting, chocolate chips, etc.

In the USA, biscuits are small, round leavened breads – slightly crispy and golden brown on the outside, fluffy and melt-in-your-mouth soft on the inside.  They’re not sweetened and are typically a breakfast food, often eaten with scrambled or fried eggs, sausage, bacon, ham, cheese, or butter and jam/jelly.  In the south, buttermilk biscuits and white “country” gravy are popular. Is it the healthiest breakfast? Not at all. But oh, so yummy.

Why am I writing about biscuits? Simply to remind you that regional differences in word-choice and phrasing can have a dramatic impact on your business success internationally.

My friend was immediately disgusted when I mentioned having biscuits and eggs for breakfast. We were both speaking English, but our minds had conjured very different images and emotions from just that one word. It was startling, confusing, disconnecting, and it threw off the whole conversation.

We laughed about it, of course. And it was educational. But when you’re writing to customers or business partners online, in brochures, or via email, you don’t get to know immediately if they’ve misunderstood something. You won’t know if they’re thinking or feeling something completely different from what you’d hoped.

In your international marketing and communication, you want to connect clearly, easily, and naturally.

Before you mail your next sales letter, print a new brochure, or click send on your latest email blast, give it a “biscuit test.”  If anything is unclear (based on feedback from native regional English experts), consider creating separate communications for each target region.  It may take some extra effort, but the returns will be worth it.

If you hang around me long enough, you'll soon realize I love quotations — inspiring, thought-provoking, funny, emotional statements (even whole songs, book passages, and movie scenes) that strike a chord. A good quote wakens something in me — some sense of purpose, excitement, motivation, joy, or challenge.

I guess it boils down to my fascination with words and all they allow us to express. Amazing, isn't it? How after all these centuries, we're still able to use the same 26 letters (in the English language, anyway) to move people — to laughter, to tears, to action.

That's why I'm excited to open a new blog category: Motivation & Inspiration.

Now, I realize you're probably most interested in following this blog to gain fresh ideas, advice, and information for your business. Don't worry, you'll still find that here. These entries will be a supplement to the information I share about English copywriting, international marketing, and global communication.

I hope these posts will encourage you, challenge you, and get you thinking in a new way. So, please visit this blog anytime you're feeling unmotivated, discouraged, or just in need of something on the lighter side, and look for the Motivation & Inspiration category.

Now, on to our first entry: Persistence Trumps Talent

I came across this quote from Calvin Coolidge* several years ago when I first faced the challenge of running my own business. I turn to it often as a reminder that talent and education, while important, do not guarantee success. You need to work hard to make things happen.

"Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not;
nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not;
unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full
of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination are omnipotent."

I've discovered Coolidge had a lot of great things to say, despite his nickname, "Silent Cal." Here are a few more quotes to motivate you to get up, shake the dust off your ideas, and do something to achieve your goals today.

"All growth depends upon activity. There is no development physically or intellectually without effort, and effort means work."

"If I had permitted my failures, or what seemed to me at the time a lack of success, to discourage me I cannot see any way in which I would ever have made progress."

"I have found it advisable not to give too much heed to what people say when I am trying to accomplish something of consequence. Invariably they proclaim it can't be done. I deem that the very best time to make the effort."

"No person was ever honored for what he received. Honor has been the reward for what he gave."

* John Calvin Coolidge, Jr. was the 30th President of the United States from 1923 to 1929.

Yesterday's blog covered the ways weak international business writing can destroy your brand. Now, here's a look at what can make your international communication weak along with ideas for how to strengthen it.

Weak Foundation

Strong international communication starts with a strong foundation. You can't effectively translate and/or adapt information for specific international markets if the original materials aren't written well.

People will question a company's competency — whether international or domestic — if its business communication is difficult to read and riddled with mistakes. This list from my series about how to create more effective business websites includes some important tips for making your business writing easier to read and more effective.

Bad Translation

As we've seen, bad translations can kill your message. That's obvious. So, what makes a bad translation?

► Incorrect spelling, grammar, or word choice

► Wrong style, phrasing, gist, or overall meaning

If you get help from a native-speaking professional writer, this shouldn't be a problem for you.* Yet, I continue to see bad translation examples from otherwise capable businesses. Usually, it's easy to spot the reason: outsourcing to cheap non-native speakers or skipping the human altogether and opting for fast, free translation software.

[The sound you hear is me climbing onto my soapbox.] Let me say this loud and clear: translation software is not accurate enough for your important business communication.

Do I think translation programs aren't useful? Of course not. I use Google Translate when I need quick help with languages. It's a quick, easy, free translation tool. But I have yet to find translation software that can capture the nuances of emotion and appeal in real human speech patterns. (I'll assume I can skip the lecture on why a non-native speaker can't help you.)

* Be sure to find a writer that fits your audience, taking into account the differences in regional dialects and spelling. For example, British English won't work for an American audience and vice versa.

Wrong Perspective

So, if your translation is flawless, your business communication is effective, right? Not necessarily. In fact, probably not. Technically, your translation may be accurate. You may have used all the right grammar, spelling, style, phrasing, etc. But there's a vital element missing: adapting the message to the audience's perspective.

What matters to people in your own country, may not be important to others. Likewise, people in your target audience may have certain viewpoints, concerns, problems, or character traits that you don't give a second thought.

Take the time to understand what matters to your audience. Customize your data, examples, case studies, and anecdotes with locally familiar and applicable ones. Just be sure you're getting the right perspective. Avoid falling into the stereotype trap.

Improper or Awkward Formatting

As you know, design, formatting, packaging, and writing all work together to give an impression of your brand. Your words won't have a chance if people are distracted by your format or, even worse, offended by something.

► Make it as easy as possible for your audience to read, handle, distribute, respond to, and store your communications.

For example, in Sweden the standard business paper size is A4, which is slightly longer than what's used most often in the United States. If you're going to send a proposal to prospective clients or important documents to your business partners, consider their frustration if they can't fit the documents in their normal file drawers, binders, envelopes, or presentation folders. (The U.S. also uses a different standard hole-punch so it's best to avoid pre-punched holes.)

► Use the professionalism, courtesy, and formalities your audience prefers.

It's important to consider differences in formality and manners of address. Some countries use an informal first-name salutation for business letters and other communications, while other cultures find that disrespectful. For example, when making first contact in formal business letters to the USA, you should use Mr., Mrs., or Ms., with the recipient's last name and possibly other titles (such as M.D. or Ph.D.).

What would you add to this list? Any other important differences in business writing around the world?

Have you seen these famous examples of translation gone wrong?

"Nothing sucks like an Electrolux" (Swedish company marketing vacuums to the USA)

"Bite the Wax Tadpole" (Coca-Cola's first try at translating it's product name into Chinese)

"It won't leak in your pocket and make you pregnant." (Parker Pen marketing a ballpoint pen in Mexico)

Obviously, these highly visible mistakes can devastate an international marketing campaign. What you don't often hear about are the less visible writing mistakes that can slowly bleed your company dry. The ones that aren't plastered all over billboards and magazine ads, but handed directly to individual clients, prospects, and business partners.

I'm talking about the business communication you generate on a weekly or daily basis: letters, proposals, emails, newsletters, blog articles, memos, etc. Although not as visible as public marketing messages, writing mistakes in your international business communication are just as toxic to your brand.

Here's why:

Weak International Business Writing Undermines Your Brand's Image.

Remember the movie, "Singin' in the Rain"? Gene Kelly and Debbie Reynolds singing in the rain. Classic. But remember Lina Lamont? In the movie, she was a great beauty of silent films who lost her career because her terrible voice wouldn't work for the "talkies."

► Your marketing is your brand's image. Your business communication is your brand's voice. Do they match?

If you've spent countless hours and dumped your whole budget into a slick image, how will people react when what comes out of your "mouth" sounds terrible. Suddenly, your brand isn't looking so pretty anymore.

Weak International Business Writing Lowers Your Brand's Income Potential.

This seems obvious: writing that doesn't make sense or connect with your audience isn't going to do much to convince them to buy from you, choose your service, partner with you, or anything else that will bring you revenue — no matter how cool your advertising looks.

Weak International Business Writing Decreases Your Brand's Credibility / Authority / Influence.

You may have fantastic information to share, but bad translations and weak writing can lead to confusion, misunderstandings, and even ridicule. If you aren't able to connect effectively with others in your field — if you aren't able to express yourself or your ideas in a way that your international audience can easily follow — your brand certainly won't gain much footing as a leader.

One more thing:

Weak International Business Writing Can Destroy Your Personal Brand, Too.

Your international business communication is personal. It's going to a specific group of people — perhaps even a specific individual — with whom you want to communicate. It's also usually coming from a specific individual. If you, as the business owner, marketing director, sales representative, or account manager, sign your name to something, be aware of how it reflects on you, personally.

► In the next blog post, we'll talk about what can make your international business writing weak — and we'll discuss ways to strengthen yours as it crosses borders.

What funny (or just bad) translation mistakes and weak writing have you seen from international companies?

As a business-to-business (B2B) professional in Europe, does the pervasive use of Twitter in North America mystify you? Do you think of it solely as the domain of bored American teenagers and Hollywood stars? I understand. I did, too, until I tried it — and now it's a vital component of my marketing strategy and business development.

After reading the smart discussion on Twitter's #B2Bchat last week about best practices for professional and corporate Twitter (transcript), I was inspired to share what I've learned from great minds like theirs as well as my own experiences.

I hope this will convince some of you who are wavering about Twitter to give it a try — and to do it with the right mindset.*

* It's difficult to write something about Twitter without using jargon. If you need definitions and instructions, read Mashable's excellent guide to Twitter.

1. Twitter is a Good Investment of Your Time. Really.
I know what many of you are thinking, because I thought it, too: "Isn't Twitter just a glorified Facebook status — a place to drone on uselessly about what music you're listening to and where you're meeting your friends for dinner? It's not useful for business, right?" Wrong. Surprisingly, it's been one of the best time investments I've made this year — yielding new contacts, an endless supply of industry news, and the opportunity to interact directly with leaders, influencers, and prospects. Of course, it all depends on the people you follow... and who's following you.

2. Don't Worry if You Don't Find Your Clients on Twitter. Focus on Industry Influencers & Thought-Leaders.
Since there aren't as many Twitter users in Europe as there are in the USA, it seems logical to say you won't try Twitter because you won't find your clients on Twitter. But there are other ways to reach your clients. Don't underestimate the power of influencing the influencers. Follow industry leaders, critics, journalists, researchers, and others who influence your clients, competitors, and the media. You can gain an incredible amount of knowledge from these people as well as position yourself as an industry leader by sharing your own knowledge. And being among the first in your region to adopt social media is a real advantage. You'll have an established presence and influence while others are playing catch-up.

3. Realize It's Social: Follow and Interact.
Twitter is social media. If it were only about broadcasting information, we would call it news media or advertising. Twitter offers people something different — something immensely valuable — a chance to instantly and personally interact with and influence people, brands, policy-makers, and more. Don't be afraid of negative comments. Everyone makes mistakes. How you respond can boost your reputation better than you'd imagine. Seek to be inclusive, not exclusive. Follow those who follow you (within reason). It's ok to ignore the spammers, get-rich-quick schemers, and those who only care about numbers. But for those who sincerely want to follow you, it's important to reciprocate.

4. Twitter Success is About Consistency of Value and Interaction.
Twitter is a "what-have-you-done-for-me-lately" kind of place. In the Twitterverse, information is here and gone almost instantly. You can't hang your laurels on one incredibly smart, poignant, and timely tweet. On Twitter, your reputation, influence, and reach are based on your averages. It's not who you are on your best day, but who you are everyday. It's your consistency of value and interaction that counts. Be prepared to offer a steady stream of useful, helpful, interesting information.

5. Don't Feel Pressured to Perform or Conform. Find Your Voice. Be Yourself.
The pressure of producing consistent value and interaction holds a lot of people back from trying Twitter — especially if it's just you running the business or the social media efforts. I understand. I felt the same way. However, I get great ideas from reading others' posts, and many threads evolve simply from interacting with people. For inspiration, follow other professionals in your industry to learn from what they're doing successfully and not so successfully. Then, try to create something that is uniquely you.

6. Have a Plan or You'll Get Sucked into a Twitter Time Warp.
We all know social media can be addictive. (How many hours I wasted when I first discovered Facebook flair, I'll never tell.) However, with a good plan in place, you can avoid a lot of the time drain, keep your focus, and get better results faster. Kent Huffman (CMO of BearCom Wireless) wrote a fantastic blog piece to help you plan an effective and efficient strategy for creating a B2B community on Twitter.

7. If You Want Global Reach, You Will Need to Use English — at Least Part of the Time.
Unless you have absolutely no business dealings outside your own country, you will need to use English for Twitter — at least part of the time. And even if you do only operate domestically, I'd still recommend using English. It will enable you to interact with others in your industry around the world. That's one of the advantages of Twitter: instant global interaction. Consider writing your Twitter bio in English and translating important tweets.

8. To Interact with an International Audience, Use Scheduled Tweets.
Obviously, you can't be on Twitter 24/7. That means the majority of your U.S. audience won't notice the tweet you sent at 9:00 am central Europe time. So, if you have an important message for people in a different time zone, use a Twitter scheduler to automatically send the tweet at a specific time. (Try free services like TweetDeck or HootSuite.) Just be careful not to spam. Sending the same or similar tweets repeatedly throughout the day is annoying and a good way to get dropped by your followers.

9. Give it at Least 3 Months of Concerted Effort before Forming an Opinion.
Twitter is not an overnight project. It takes time to gain a quality following, test the features, show up on influencers' radars, and build relationships. I've been at it 3 months and I've only scratched the surface. Give yourself at least one full quarter before doing an evaluation — and make sure you go "all in" during that time.

► If you're an experienced Twitterer, what other advice would you give someone who isn't convinced Twitter is good for business?

► If you're in B2B, what questions do you have about Twitter's usefulness for your business?

► If you're ready to create a Twitter profile, be sure to follow me @useglobalreach. I'd love to hear from you.

It’s sometimes annoying, usually funny to hear the stereotypical questions from Europeans upon hearing my American English accent — especially when they learn I’m from Texas.* 

* Let me address some of them now. No, I do not now, nor have I ever owned a horse, struck oil, worn cowboy boots, owned a pick-up truck, fired a gun, lived in a desert, or spoken with a slow drawl. Not that there’s anything wrong with those things.  Some of my best friends have done almost all of these. (I’m still waiting for one of them to strike oil.)  The point is, not everyone does.

When I get these questions from prospective clients, however, it’s not so funny anymore.  That’s because I know those stereotypes and generalizations are probably creeping into their marketing and communications to their US audience.

International communication goes beyond getting the grammar, punctuation, and style of a foreign language right.  It’s about understanding perspective. It’s vital to know your audience’s true character — and chances are high it’s nothing like the stereotypes you’ve heard.

Stereotypes are difficult to avoid, though.  For example, given the pervasive media coverage of the USA, it’s easy for others to think they know what Americans are like. Yet, have you considered how varied the perspectives must be for people as diverse as Americans?  After all, we are talking about a country nearly the same size as all the European countries combined, with a population made up almost entirely of immigrants from every country in the world who’ve only settled in the USA within the last century or two. 

Sure, they have many shared experiences — as any people living in the same country would have.  But I’ll go out on a limb and say the USA has more diversity of perspective than any other country on earth.

So, how do you shake the stereotypes in international marketing and communication? These basics will turn you in the right direction:

1. Shatter your preconceived ideas and start over. Question every stereotype or generalization you’ve heard about a particular country, region, or people. 

2. Obtain market research from a reliable, objective, and thorough source. 

3. Get as specific as you can in identifying your target audience — beyond just nationality, gender, and age.

Marketing to the USA? Who is your target audience, really?  Narrow it down. 

► Are they housewives, blue-collar workers, retirees, or career-driven 20-somethings?
►  Do they live in bustling metropolitan areas, family-oriented suburbs, or quiet country landscapes?
►  Are they from the south, north, mid-west, east coast, or west coast?
►  Do they look for bargains at Wal-Mart, Target, and JCPenney, or do they prefer high-end shopping on Rodeo Drive, Fifth Avenue, or a big Texas Galleria? 
►  Do they live in New York City and use public transportation or do they live near Dallas where public transportation doesn’t effectively serve the suburbs and it’s too hot to walk far in a business suit during the summer?
►  Are they into high-tech gadgetry?
►  Are they focused on green living?
►  Do they homeschool their children?
►  Is faith important to them?

The options are endless.  Determine which questions will hit closest to your target.

4. Don’t judge. If you are trying to introduce something new or change opinions, don’t do it from a position of judgment or superiority. Respect your audience’s perspective. Try to see the world through their eyes and make sure everything about your message makes sense from that perspective — the graphics, words, offer, and call to action.

5. Get help. The reality is, you may never fully understand your audience’s perspective unless you’ve walked in their shoes — a lot.  That’s why it’s important to consult with someone who has.  Your communication — and your business — will be more successful as a result.

Remember: Your business, services, and products remain the same.  But how people perceive them will vary greatly as you expand internationally. Learn and adapt.

Yes. You read that right. I think translation is a bad idea. Direct, untargeted translation, that is. Why? Let me give you an example.

As I was planning a family outing last week, I turned to that handy little resource — the Web — to get information I needed from a particular Swedish company. I'm always happy when I see the UK or US flag icon on a website signaling English-language pages. It makes it much quicker and easier for me to find and absorb the information I need.

But happiness turned into frustration within a few seconds of reading the copy. Let's just say, I could forget about quick and easy information. After flipping back and forth a couple of times between the Swedish and English pages, I found the 3 main culprits.

► First, the original Swedish copy wasn't great.

► Second, they'd most likely used translation software or a translation service to directly translate the average Swedish copy into terrible English copy.

► Third, they'd obviously not bothered to ask a real live native English speaker to read through the copy after translating it.

My first thought was: "Wow. Why did they even bother? They must not think English-speaking visitors are worth their time and attention." My second thought was, "This company must not be as professional as I'd hoped."

How unfortunate. Yet, I see this kind of average, quick-fix English translation all too often on Scandinavian and European websites. My Swedish friends might call it lagom (good enough), but I call it a mistake. Why? Because your English-speaking customers will feel like they are an afterthought, rather than a priority, for you — diminishing your reputation in their eyes.

Some may argue that English-speaking customers accessing European websites should overlook poor English communications since they know it's a foreign language for those companies. That may be true when meeting people in person, but not for online and print marketing.

Everything you post on your website is a reflection of your work ethic, professionalism, expertise, and credibility. The moment you put English-language content on your website, you acknowledge that English is important to your business and clients; therefore, it requires the same effort and attention as any other marketing.

Also, consider your global exposure. It just doesn't make sense to put subpar copy on your website where it's accessible 24/7 in a language used globally for business.

English copy on your website is marketing, PR, and customer service all rolled into one. It's a golden opportunity to attract customers and boost your reputation. Don't just translate. Communicate in a way that shows you understand and value your English-speaking audience.

► Remember: an undervalued customer isn't a customer at all, but an offering to your competition.

Concerned about the quality of your website's English translation? Call or email me. I'm always happy to give you some feedback.