How to know ‘who to know’ to build success

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Whenever you ask successful people how they got to where they are you often hear the words uttered including; hard work, determination; luck and one that’s often repeated and emphasised upon constantly is who they know or their connections. As it stands it is not simply what you know but who you know and the two work together to translate into achieving your goals.

Now for the average person who did not perhaps attend private school and is well connected to people with influence it is sometimes not easy to get connected to the people who can be instrumental in your success. Now let’s not be mistaken buy thinking that just because you attended private school you are instantly going to be more successful than say a state school student! There are many other factors to take into consideration to come to such a conclusion. Factors such as your will and determination because let’s face it you could have had the best education but if your work ethic does not match, someone with a basic education but with great determination can be more successful. On the other hand private school education does put many people at a higher advantage especially later in life when wanting to work for the likes of government bodies or prestigious law firms. Privately educated students also tend to get into the higher ranked universities like Oxford and Cambridge despite reports suggesting that state school students get better degrees than private school pupils with same A-levels.

Now back to the point of how to know who to know. So we’ve established we need to have god connections in order to achieve success whether in business or working career but often times we wonder how do we build these useful connections? How do we position ourselves amongst influencers? Where do we find these people to connect with?

There are plenty of resources out there to help. Thanks to the internet a multitude of information is accessible to all that are looking and it just takes a little digging. To highlight a few mediums you can take advantage of in order  to make valuable connections you can refer to the below list:

  1. LinkedIn

Sites like LinkedIn provide an inside access to ‘who’s who’ in your industry. For example if you are trying to break into the financial industry you can easily send a message to the director of finance for a large multinational company. Needless to say they probably get tons of these on a daily basis so being creative is key!

  1. Business networking events

Attending business networking events is very useful as these are often intimate settings where you can actually speak and connect with people and ask all the questions you need answers for.

  1. Trade shows

Trade shows allow you to speak to your competitors or potential competitors giving you a firsthand experience of what they do. This is also a great opportunity to meet people and generate leads.

  1. Apps

There are many business apps available on the market and one which stands out today is Meetup. This free app allows you to join other like minded groups of people in your local area ranging from business clubs to leisure and sport.

  1. Social media

Social media is one of the best things to come out of the internet with the likes of Facebook and Twitter allowing you to connect on an informal level. This also gives you an insight into the hobbies and interests of whoever you wish to connect with which can be a great ice-breaker when starting conversations.

Are there any other means you have found successful in creating great connections? Feel free to share.

Image by: Internet Association on Flickr

This new app helps you verify your Google translation is accurate

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Most of us at some point have attempted to use language translation apps like Google Translate to assist us with conveying our message from one language to another, whether at work dealing with a client who does not speak or understand our language or perhaps when on holiday trying to communicate with the locals when hand gestures fail! The go to for fast instant translation services is usually through a quick Google search where you are able to translate your text or speech into more than 100 languages at the click of a button.

Now many Artificial Intelligence (AI) assisted software such as Google Translate which we have previously discussed lacks human touch and thus lacks nuance especially when you are trying to translate a complex message. As a result the meaning behind what you are trying to say gets lost in translation which can prove to be a non-starter and even costly especially when in professional settings like business meetings. This is where the benefits to you for using a professional translation agency to help you with your language translation needs comes into effect.

Now on the other hand not everyone requires professional translation services and a new app called Boomerang has taken on a task to correct inaccurate Google translations. The app which was developed by Ishmael Shabazz and Heidi Helen Pilypas is designed to help you verify that what you are trying to say in another language actually makes sense before presenting it to the intended party. This works where the app translates your source language to your target language and then translates the content back to the original source language allowing you to make sense of it before you send it out. The app which is currently on the iOS platform translates your text using Google Translate then translates it back to you to ensure that your message reads as you want it to in another language. The app currently translates in 104 different languages.

The Boomerang app is free to download but as with many apps these days has ad’s. For a subscription of $1.99 however you are able to utilise the app ad free according to The Verge.

Although this app appears to be basic it could help prevent the most of awkward situations like what was demonstrated on The Tonight Show starring Jimmy Fallon where actress Ana Hathaway sang songs translated through Google translate into another language then back to the original language which although created some good comedy for TV could have been disastrous had that been a serious setting.

Although many new creative apps seam to edge closer and closer to eliminating the need for human translation services it seems a long way ahead before the need for professional translators will be a thing of the past. Businesses and individuals who require their translation to be the most accurate still need a qualified translator to translate or interpret their message as accurate as can be.

How machine translations are being used for good over evil

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We recently brought you a post about how machine translations were used for evil, but today comes a story originally reported on Newscientist.com about how these artificial intelligent assisted translation services can in fact be used for the good.

The development of AI assisted machine translations might not be any use when translating documents, specifically technical ones and they will produce ‘awkward’ real time translations that might get you into trouble, but one area in particular that could see AI translations becoming valuable is for translations of sign language.

Machine translations are being used to help translate sign language into text and then back again into sign language for those who are hard of hearing or deaf. A Dallas, Texas based start-up KinTrans have been trialling this technology in government offices and banks in the United Arab Emirates.

The way KinTrans sign language translator works is by means of a 3D camera which records the hand signs being gestured by the individual using sign language; the hand movements are then translated by the device into text. It can also be used the other way around for those trying to communicate with a deaf person but don’t know sign language, by typing the message in text the translation into sign language will then be shown on screen using an avatar.

KinTrans currently supports American and Arabic sign language with 98% accuracy according to the company’s founder Mohamed Elwazer. Although with an estimated 70 million sign language speakers and over 100 different dialects, they are looking to expand on this in the future with sign language for Indo-Pakistani and Portuguese translation services.

Another company SignAll from Budapest, Hungary along with Gallaudet University in Washington DC, USA has also developed similar technology to aid students who are deaf or cannot hear well. They aim to have the largest database of sign language sentences, as of now it can translate around 300 signs from American sign into English text and the CEO Zsolt Robotka hopes his device will have learned 1000 signs by time they start their trials next year.

Of course like any new technology there will be teething problems and initial issues that will undoubtedly be sorted as technology advances but this is the way in which machine translations can do good for humans and make life easier, who knows we could eventually have these machine translations running perfectly like human translations, American sign language to Hebrew translation services and vice versa.

Image by: langfordw on Flickr

3 ways to boost your marketing activities

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The business market is a very competitive place to be whether you operate in the tourism  industry or legal sectors many businesses find themselves constantly trying new ways to differentiate themselves and stand out from the crowd and this can be a challenge at times. There are many ways in which businesses can reach their target market some of which are highlighted below.

  1. Invest in a good website

This is by far one of the most effective ways of marketing your business especially if you aim to reach an audience outside your local community. A website today must be fully functional and mobile friendly as more and more people use their Smartphone’s when it comes to their online activities. Most Smartphone’s have the ability to give users the chance to download apps whether it is banking apps or news apps. Ensuring your site is mobile responsive or even taking it to the next level where you can create an app for your service will ensure you are ahead of the competition as not only will you rank better in search which will ensure you are visible to a wider audience but you also will be able to monitor online behaviour for your audience and adapt your marketing strategy accordingly.

  1. Use professional translation services

With many consumers more comfortable purchasing in their own language this is a part of your marketing mix worth tapping into. Take for example you are an English tourism agent who helps people book holidays and tours. If you aim to target more people in China it may be worthwhile you investing in professional Mandarin translation services as this is likely to boost your enquiries allowing you to achieve more sales. Often times people look at translation services as too costly but forget to see past the greater benefits this may have on their marketing.

  1. Actively use social media

We all know that in 2017 social media is not just some cyberspace platform where teenagers and twenty-something’s get to showcase their ‘perfect lives’ go on rants or snoop on others! Many businesses ranging from large corporations to small companies and freelancers have been tapping into the benefits of social media. With a chance to reach millions of users on a daily basis surely it is a no brainer that you can benefit from increased brand awareness and the ability to get your products and services in front of your intended audience without sitting and waiting for them to find you.

These are just a handful of ways in which your business can reach a wider audience. There is plenty of information online which goes into depth and can all be found by a simple Google search. Sites like Search Engine Watch and Moz provide a great staring point.

What other methods would you recommend?

Image by: Brisbane City Council