Business Interpreter Services

Professional business interpreter services deliver better business interpreting…

… so you can do better business

We’ve delivered over 20,000 interpreter assignments, face-to-face & remote, of interpreter services to date for business, public sector & medical interpreting.

Language interpreting is spoken translation. Of almost 50,000 language projects we’ve delivered to date, over 40% are language interpreting services. While many are in Lancashire and the wider UK, we’ve also been busy in China, France, Italy, Africa, Spain, Korea… Here’s some case studies

“You won’t just be the first company I contact for a business interpreter – you’ll be the ONLY one.”
– Norfrost

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What business interpreter service is right for you?

Good business interpreter services are far more than just talking translation. They can range from full-featured 200-delegate 10-language conference simultaneous interpreting through to a 10-minute phone call. Other popular formats include face-to-face (aka “F2F”) and “tour guide” – see below – as well as remote interpreting.

Our business interpreter services typically support training courses or meetings. BSL & SSE interpreting are also available of course.

Following the surge in remote interpreting created by COVID, face-to-face (F2F) interpreting is regaining popularity, and is generally recognised as the most effective format. However, we do also offer a comprehensive remote interpreting service – paricularly useful for rare languages or less accessible locations.

Image: business interpreting services

Face-to-face interpreting is the simplest format – in fact F2F interpreting is one of the oldest professions in the world! Speaking someone else’s language has always provided invaluable communication in trade and politics.

In F2F the business interpreter simply listens to each party and translates that verbally to the other(s). No equipment is needed, and it’s a great format for smaller meetings, training courses, interviews, appointments and more.

It’s also low-cost; typically an hourly fee for the interpreter (a minimum of 2 or 3 hours often applies), plus whatever travel time and expenses are incurred. Our Europe-wide network means local provision can help keep your costs down.

Building the next generation of business interpreter services

We work closely with schools and colleges to develop future business interpreters and translators, both teaching and taking on interns to ensure the next generation has not just the technical skills, but also the “softer” skills needed to succeed as a business interpreter.

We also encourage our own staff into the translating and interpreting professions, and we’re delighted to say one is now in great demand at the highest levels of German business and politics. Well DONE Eva!

Why our business interpreter services?

We’ve excellent experience, delivering over 6,000 business interpreter services to date. And our in-house (not outsourced) business interpreter services management keeps our smart well-qualified professional interpreters on-time and well-briefed. Thorough preparation not only ensures accurate language interpretation, but also ensures your visitors obtain the best impression of your company. We carefully select our interpreters for knowledge of your sector.

“Do I really need a business interpreter?”

Professional business interpreter services help your business in several ways.

Firstly, providing smart and competent interpreting for your visitors will be taken as a compliment – you’re showing that you take seriously what they have to say. Similarly, providing professional interpreting at trade shows adds credibility to your presence and product.

You’re also demonstrating respect for their language and culture, and signalling that you don’t see language as a barrier. A good business interpreter also really helps to “break the ice”, facilitating small talk and building empathy with your visitors before you get down to business. They’ll also accompany factory tours or join you for meals if needed. But most importantly, they will be a professional, well-qualified, highly-experienced linguist. So you and your visitors can rely on smooth, accurate interpreting so that you can focus on business.

“We’re OK, one of the visitors says she’ll interpret”

In an established relationship where trust has been built, that’s not uncommon and isn’t unreasonable. However, do remember that having your own independent business interpreter ensures accurate impartial communication – that may not always be the case where one party is interpreting for both. Also remember that if someone is acting as interpeter, they’ll be hard pushed to also contribute to the discussion – interpreting demands real concentration! Finally, remember that your own business interpreter can offer insight into in-language discussion between visitors – often well worth having!

“Aren’t remote business interpreter services cheaper?”

In terms of direct cost, yes. In terms of cost-effectiveness however, very often no. Interpreting remotely means the interpreter is deprived of the ambience and most visual cues that are available in face-to-face interpreting. One consequence is that they’ll struggle to pick-up on the discussion’s “vibe”, putting them at a disadvantage while interpreting that can actually be quite damaging. If the vibe is deteriorating, an interpreter can often modify their tone, language choices and delivery to mitigate that – but only if they can feel the vibe, very difficult when remote. That’s particularly the case for telephone interpreting, but – as anyone who’s video-conferenced will know! – is a major issue for online formats as well. The University of Surrey published an interesting study of the issues surrounding remote interpreting in late 2024.

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business interpreter services tour guide system

“So what’s a ‘tour guide’ system then?

These were developed – amazingly – for working with tour guides, allowing the interpreter to translate the tour commentary to the tour group in their language. However, their simplicity and versatility has made them a popular part of business interpreter services, especially for site visits.

Typically, the system comprises a portable case containing a transmitter unit carried by the interpreter, and 10, 20 or (exceptionally) 40 wireless/Bluetooth delegate headsets. The picture shows a typical set-up, with 20 headsets docked in the charger points and the interpreter’s mic at the front.

As the name implies these are intended to be used on-the-move, such as factory tours. However they can also be used to provide simultaneous interpreting in small static scenarios where full-scale booth provision is not cost-effective.

Tour guide systems work “out of the box”, usually requiring no technical support. As the interpreter has to handle every aspect however, many are reluctant to work with these.

Many systems support multiple channels, allowing more than one language to be interpreted (e.g. 2 interpreters, each with their own mic, transmitting to headsets set to their own channel).

For better business interpreter services for your business, drop us a few details (in total confidence of course) and we’ll get straight back to you. Or, just give our helpful team a call on UK Freefone 0800 783 4678 (Intnl 0044 1772 558858)