What should a good translation brief for your company include?

There's a lot more to a translation project than the translator's expertise. The quality of the information you provide plays a crucial role. A clear and detailed translation brief saves time, prevents misunderstandings, and ensures a result that fits your needs perfectly. The clearer your brief, the easier it will be for the translator to deliver an accurate and effective translation that fits seamlessly into your communication strategy.

Why a translation brief is essential

The brief is like a roadmap for your translator. It helps them understand your expectations, choose the right style, and use the appropriate terminology. Without a brief, the translator has to guess your intentions... which can lead to delays, repeated corrections, or a final product that fails to reflect your brand. A good brief ensures smoother collaboration and an optimal result. It's also a great way to save time and resources, as each step is planned ahead.

Define your objectives: what is the purpose of the text? 

Is your goal to inform, convince, sell, or educate your audience? The style and vocabulary will vary depending on what you want to achieve. A marketing brochure should be catchy and persuasive, while a technical manual should be clear, accurate, and neutral. By making your objectives clear from the outset, you'll spare the translator from guesswork, giving you a text that will match your vision.

Specify the source and target language

Simply stating the language is not enough. You also need to mention the required variant: British or American English, French from France or Canada... These details help avoid mix-ups and last-minute costly changes. Overlooking regional differences can make a translation less effective or even misleading. A clear brief allows the translator to adopt the right variant from the very beginning.

Provide context and describe the target audience

Who is the text intended for? Is it for specialists who understand your industry jargon, or for a wider audience that requires simpler language? The context is just as important: is it an internal document, a marketing campaign, or an official communication? Not only does this information affect the tone, but also how precise the wording needs to be. The more the translator knows about your audience, the more effectively they can tailor the message.

Format and technical constraints

Specify the expected format: Word, InDesign, Excel, HTML, etc. And if the translation needs to fit into a layout or adhere to a character limit (for example, on a website or application), make this clear. These technical constraints directly influence the translator's work, as they may need to reword or shorten parts of the text. Specifying these details upfront saves time and avoids costly fixes down the line.

Provide references and examples

To ensure consistency, share your glossaries, previous translations, style guides, or even examples of content you like. These documents help the translator understand your brand tone and maintain consistency across all your materials. Providing these guidelines is a simple yet valuable step that limits the risk of inconsistencies or misunderstandings.

Set realistic deadlines and plan for checks and validations

A well-defined schedule prevents unpleasant surprises. Specify the final deadline, but also any intermediate stages if necessary (draft version, internal review, validation by a specific department). Taking the time to plan helps you handle any potential problems, make changes if needed, and avoid the stress of looming deadlines. A clear schedule benefits both you and the translator.

Identify the right contacts

The translator needs to know who to contact in case of doubt. Provide a main point of contact to streamline communications, ensuring efficiency and avoiding mixed messages. This facilitates smoother communication and helps resolve issues quickly, preventing any potential delays. A contact who's quick to respond and easy to reach makes following up much smoother and more professional.

Checklist: the 8 points of an effective brief

1. Clear and detailed objectives
2. The source and target languages (with regional variants)
3. Description of the target audience and context
4. Format and technical constraints
5. Glossaries and reference documents
6. A clear schedule that includes validation stages
7. Details of the main contacts
8. Any specific instructions related to the project

A translation brief saves time and ensures quality. At AbroadLink, we support you from the very beginning, helping you prepare your briefs to get the best out of your multilingual projects.