Learning to “Speak European:” Expanding your Business in the European Union

The European Union is one of the world’s largest and most culturally-diverse markets. It includes 25 member states, with two new members slated to join in early 2007, and its combined GDP was over $12 trillion in 2005. The EU recognizes 20 official languages and will sanction three more in January 2007.

The language complexities of this community complicate a company’s typical business goals. How can organizations reach their customers and employees with marketing, HR, and training deliverables when they’re dealing with 23 potential languages? How can organizations hit their product delivery dates and keep their development costs from spiraling out of control in so many markets? Do companies have the resources, strategies, and knowledge they need to deliver relevant and meaningful products and content in Europe?

This executive brief provides you with information you need to consider as you develop expansion plans for Europe. It outlines the impact of this diverse language community on four key areas:

• Sales and Marketing
• HR and Training
• Operations
• Product Development

By planning ahead to more appropriately address the challenges of supporting a large, diverse set of languages, organizations will be better equipped to expand in the evolving EU with a truly differentiated approach, and ultimately grow market share and revenues.