Spanish Market Development
Press, Communication and Marketing
“In 2013, corporations must invest more wisely and strategically in the Hispanic consumer – who are not only early adopters of social media and mobile device use, but are now translating their superstar status into super-consumers via social and tablet shopping. In doing so, Hispanic consumers have become super-trendsetters.” – Glenn Llopis, who wrote the Forbes magazine article, “Advertisers must pay attention to Hispanic consumers as rising trendsetters”, (9th January 2013).
There are 26 Spanish-speaking countries in the world and 469 million speakers. Companies need to make sure their products are understandable for Spanish-speaking consumers and no legal issues may arise for using unsuitable terms or concepts. We can assist in the market research stage and investigate the industry and competitors to help you identify new business opportunities in the Spanish-speaking world. Continue reading
Making a phone call in Spain
Often on holiday you need to make a phone call; to book a table at a restaurant, book a taxi or hotel room or call a local tradesman. Maybe you deal with colleagues and clients in Spain and regularly make calls abroad. It is a good idea not to rely on all Spaniards speaking English and more importantly it is good to offer at least a few words in Spanish. Here are a few key words and phrases to learn before making a phone call in Spain:
Dígame / Diga: Hello. [Literally, “tell me”]
¿Está Juan?: Is Juan there?
Sí, soy yo.: Yes, speaking.
No, no está. No, he’s not here.
Soy Carmen.: It’s Carmen. Continue reading
How to translate written abbreviations and conventions into Spanish
ASAP (as soon as possible) – lo antes posible
by return of post – a vuelta de correo
c (circa) – alrededor de
certified true copy – copia certificada
c/o (care of) – para entragar a
cont’d overleaf – sigue al dorso Continue reading
Writing a business letter in Spanish
Greetings
When you do not know the person to whom you are writing:
Muy Señor Mío / Muy Señora Mía
A little less formal:
Estimado Señor [male] / Estimada Señora [female] – (Dear Sir / Madam)
If you do know their name, the following is appropriate:
Estimado Señor García [male] / Estimada Señora López [female] – (Dear Mr García / Dear Mrs López)
If you have met them and have established a good relationship with them, use their first name:
Estimado Juan [male] / Estimada María [female] Continue reading
Tips for developing good business practice in Spain
Build successful relationships
Spanish people like doing business with people they know and trust, therefore it is a good idea to spend enough time getting to know and building rapport with your colleagues. This is crucial for good business practice in Spain.
Once you have built up a good relationship with someone, this will continue regardless of whether you stay with their company as they have got to know you as a person rather than the company you work for. Continue reading
How will learning Spanish make my business succeed internationally?
Spain is rapidly becoming one of the most important languages for business. Spanish is the official language of 21 countries. It is the third most spoken language in the world today and the second most used language for business. Globalisation is making the business world a much smaller place and those with knowledge of Spanish will have a clear competitive edge over those who only speak English. How nice would it be to be able to offer your product or service to other countries? Continue reading
Follow Us
