Conveying key messages accurately in the participants’ own language
Liaison interpreting
Do you want to optimise your professional relationships with foreign-language speakers? Liaison interpreting is an excellent solution for encouraging spontaneous conversations and direct exchanges during meetings and other conversations. However, unlike consecutive or simultaneous interpreting, this service is only offered in small groups, consisting, at the most, of four speakers.
The interpretation process
This style of interpreting is a dynamic communication method in which the interpreter ensures communication between two or three participants in a conversation directly. Words are translated directly from one language to another. Thanks to this service, all of the participants can understand and communicate with each other, without any language barrier or miscommunications.
Liaison interpreting for negotiating with suppliers
Are you a Belgian company that buys goods from a supplier in Germany, for example? Using a French-German liaison interpreter is undoubtedly the key to successful commercial discussions and negotiations. Whether the meeting takes place remotely or in person, the interpreter will facilitate conversations with your supplier about contract clauses, among other things, in order to be sure that the various parties have understood their duties and obligations. An interpreter limits the risk of misunderstandings between you and the supplier, which could have a negative impact on business relations.
Interpreters: the ideal partner for your trade fairs and exhibitions
As a company owner, have you decided to present a stand at a large international trade fair to promote your goods or services? During the event, you and your salespeople will meet many people from all over the world, that is, a multilingual audience. You and your team will need to communicate with visitors, who may be prospective customers. But how can you communicate with them effectively if you don’t speak the same language? This is where your liaison interpreter comes in!
At Mea Lingua, our interpreters are perfectly bilingual, or even trilingual, and can support you with prospective activities at trade shows. Of course, the interpreter is primarily there to share information about your activities in the foreign language and to answer questions from visitors. Thus, the role is not to sell your products or services, but to be by your side to help you communicate and thereby facilitate sales.
Services included in liaison interpreting
Initial briefings
Quality is the top priority at Mea Lingua. That’s why we ensure that the interpreter is well prepared before the job, and has mastered your field of expertise. This means that, as a manager or company owner, you must brief the interpreter in advance and clearly explain the subject of the meeting or the event, the message you want to convey to participants, the content that will be shared and even the expected tone of voice. In summary, you must provide the necessary tools and information so that the interpreter can prepare before the job, feel comfortable and perform under the best possible conditions.
Costs related to the service
Professional interpreters rarely accept hourly rates, and we will explain this for complete transparency. For example, even if a job lasts one hour, the travel time between their residence and the job location takes up at least half a day. This is why interpreting services are generally offered for a flat rate based on a half day or full day.
Travel costs
The client is also responsible for the interpreter’s travel costs. These are calculated based on the distance between the interpreter’s residence and the job location for a return trip. We try to find interpreters who live as close as possible to the job location where possible.
Per diem
Interpreting requires a high level of concentration and precision. We ask that you provide regular breaks (every two hours, or two and a half hours) for the well-being of our interpreters, as well as a meal and drinks. If it is not possible to provide a catering solution, a per diem will be requested to cover the interpreter’s expenses for food and drinks during the job.
Other costs related to interpreting services
Accommodation costs
When you use an interpreter for several days in a row, and they are required to travel a significant distance, you must pay accommodation costs, which must be included in the interpreting service. At Mea Lingua, we are extremely conscientious of the comfort and working conditions of our employees. We require our interpreters to stay in appropriate hotels and have half-board (breakfast and dinner included). We can handle the reservation, or you can take care of it at your end, as long as you inform us of the hotel (or bed and breakfast) that you have booked.
Equipment
Liaison interpreting does not require special equipment or resources, since the interpreter is in direct contact with the participants.
What kinds of meetings do we offer liaison interpreting for?
At Mea Lingua, we assign the perfect candidate from our network of interpreters.
Our professional interpreters are perfectly bilingual and perform liaison interpreting in two (or three) languages of your choosing. Interpreters generally offer this kind of service during meetings with a very small number of participants, that is, a maximum of three or four people.
- Meetings
- One-on-one interviews
- Trade fairs and shows
- Business trips
- Company visits
In Belgium or abroad
Our liaison interpreters offer assistance throughout Belgium, but also during international trips. Whether in Europe, the United States or Asia, we find an interpreter who will be present throughout your trip or assist you with every step of your business trip by staying at your side.
The main linguistic services offered by Mea Lingua