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secteur de report
Nov 5, 2009 23:47
14 yrs ago
1 viewer *
French term

De l'écoute à l'action !

French to English Marketing Advertising / Public Relations commerce
Slogan pour une entreprise logisitique, original translations were

From listening to action! (doesn't make any sense to me)
and
From start to finish (but we need the idea of being able to listen to the customer)
Proposed translations (English)
3 +7 Translating your needs into action
3 +5 From input to output!
3 +2 Delivering your requirements!
3 +2 You talk, we listen, we act!
4 Turning your dreams into action
3 +1 Your wish is our command!
3 Listening to the customer and then putting its needs into action!
3 We take heed, then action.
3 Putting the customer in the driving seat
3 Your solution. Our job.
Change log

Nov 6, 2009 08:02: Stéphanie Soudais (X) changed "Level" from "Non-PRO" to "PRO"

Votes to reclassify question as PRO/non-PRO:

PRO (3): Sandra & Kenneth Grossman, Sarah Bessioud, Stéphanie Soudais (X)

Non-PRO (1): writeaway

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Discussion

Cath St Clair (X) Nov 6, 2009:
Mediamatrix I agree with you entirely, Mediamatrix. I think that (rather bizarrely, for people who are supposed to understand the nature of the profession intimately) there is a lack of acknowledgment of this within translation agencies. My wont to live in out-of-the-way places means I am highly dependent on these intermediaries, who seem to be scared to ask the client for more than a “rate-per-word,” whatever the job. My adman husband has got fed up with my asking him to get his creative cogs whirring for peanuts. The solution seems to be, if you can’t deal directly with the client in these scenarios, just say no.
Chris Hall Nov 6, 2009:
The plot thinckens... If only I had inside information to mediamatrtix's personal memory bank / database. I think to translate this slogan in two words is nothing short of genious!!!
mediamatrix (X) Nov 6, 2009:
@Cath Yes, I'm deadly serious. I'd be exremely surprised if the person who dreamt up "De l'écoute à l'action !" only claimed 10 eurocents per word: €0.60. In most cases slogans don't translate well - they need to be 're-invented' on the basis of a full understanding of the client's operations and objectives, as well as the constraints/opportunities offered by the target language/culture. That's a job for highly-paid advertising people who are familiar with the target audience, not Kudoz.
polyglot45 Nov 6, 2009:
I agree with Mediamatrix after a certain point, this sort of thing involves creative imagination and some people get paid large sums of money for doing just that. Why should translators give it away for free...
Cath St Clair (X) Nov 6, 2009:
Are you serious, Mediamatrix? I find it exhausting (and usually futile) work persuading clients that the "price per word" culture does not apply to advertising. Then again, I work mainly through translation agencies, which could be the problem.
Sandrine Savarit (asker) Nov 6, 2009:
I really did not mean to rip off anybody here, especially you Chris, you've done a great job, thanks again. I just meant to use this great tool that proz is to confront opinions and get some professional feedback. Never pretendes anybody should spend hours on that really :)
David Hollywood Nov 6, 2009:
sad to see that everything comes down to dollars and cents but maybe it's the way of the world ...
mediamatrix (X) Nov 6, 2009:
@Chris: How much? In this field the price depends more on the ability of the client to pay than it does on the translator's 'per source word' tariff. We'd need to know if the client is, for example, a major worldwide courier company or ... my local news-agent.
Chris Hall Nov 6, 2009:
How much are we talking mediamatrix? I would be interested to know.
mediamatrix (X) Nov 6, 2009:
Job? This kind of translation - even though only a few words - is an entire job in itself. And, to whoever comes up with the 'right' solution, it may be worth a *lot* of money.
I suggest that it should be posted as a job, not a Kudoz.
I also believe that the client should be prepared to pay a handsome price for the answer I have in mind - which I am prepared to sell for its true worth but will most certainly not give away free...

Proposed translations

+7
4 mins
Selected

Translating your needs into action

Maybe
Peer comment(s):
agree Chris Hall
1 hr
agree sktrans
1 hr
agree Ben Lenthall
7 hrs
agree Sandra & Kenneth Grossman : Catchy
7 hrs
agree Caroline Vignard (X) : nice!
7 hrs
agree Simona Nicoara (X)
8 hrs
neutral polyglot45 : good but still a bit too long and not "catchy" enough
8 hrs
agree Evans (X)
9 hrs
Something went wrong...
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer. Comment: "Thanks!"
1 hr

Listening to the customer and then putting its needs into action!

My second attempt after my original attempt of "From start to finish" in the translation.

Dear Sandrine,

Please can you confirm receipt of the file which I sent to you yesterday to [email protected]. Many thanks.
Peer comment(s):
neutral Jennifer Levey : 11 words when just 2 would be quite sufficient...
4 mins
2 words? Impossible!!! I agree that 11 words is a bit too lengthy. Where is your answer then? I am dying to know...
neutral Travelin Ann : way too long for a slogan
42 mins
Agreed. My initial translation was "From start to finish" (snappy) as mentioned above.
neutral Lianne Wilson : Hardly what anyone could call snappy. Not sure about calling the customer 'it' either.
7 hrs
Agreed. My initial translation was "From start to finish" (snappy) as mentioned above.
Something went wrong...
1 hr

Turning your dreams into action

Not just listening to the customer but understanding his innermost thoughts and dreams, we can turn it into a profitable enterprise
Peer comment(s):
neutral Chris Hall : Not sure whether dreams works here Ann.
1 min
Something went wrong...
2 hrs
French term (edited): De l\'écoute à l\'action !

We take heed, then action.

Or 'We take heed, then we take action'. Just an idea.
Something went wrong...
+1
9 hrs

Your wish is our command!

A simple suggestion, though perhaps too general. Thought it worth mentioning, at least. It gives the idea of listening to the customer and then acting on it as well as the idea that the customer is king.
Peer comment(s):
agree polyglot45 : I just entered this without seeing that you had done so already - maybe copyrighted ? The whole point of slogans - whence my comment above - is that you have to think out of the box and get the flavour rather than the words
40 mins
Yes, that's the only concern really. I tried to find out and I couldn't find any problems but it's not really my area of expertise... Thanks for the agree though!
Something went wrong...
+2
7 hrs

Delivering your requirements!

This is my proposal. 'Delivering' would fit nicely with their line of business IMO.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 7 hrs (2009-11-06 07:25:05 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Or, along the same theme: We listen, we deliver!

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 9 hrs (2009-11-06 09:12:46 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

After 3 cups of strong coffee, brain now in action:

"Listening, delivering!"
Peer comment(s):
agree Nicky Over : I think 'We listen, we deliver!' is a very good equivalent.
46 mins
Thanks Nicky!
neutral polyglot45 : be careful with "we deliver" - I wanted to use it once and was told that someone, UPS, I think has registered it
1 hr
Good point polyglot
agree Jennifer Levey : At last! Someone's getting this down to 2 words (and almost the same ones I had in mind yesterday...).
7 hrs
Thanks mediamatrix! So, how much should I charge then?!?
Something went wrong...
+2
9 hrs

You talk, we listen, we act!

RBS-NatWest bank used this on a flyer, as did a US company on its website, but I'm pretty sure it wouldn't be copyrighted as a phrase.

That's if it's what you want, of course, but I like its snappiness.
Peer comment(s):
agree Colin Morley (X)
12 mins
Thanks Colin
agree Chris Hall
4 hrs
Thanks Chris
Something went wrong...
9 hrs

Putting the customer in the driving seat

Just another suggestion which may be appropriate for the logistics business.
Something went wrong...
+5
5 hrs

From input to output!

Hello,

That's how I read it.

De l'écoute= from what was heard (input)
à l'action = to action (output)

The problem is, is that "listening" doesn't work well in English here. You have to make it sound like natural English, of course.

I hope this helps.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 1 day1 hr (2009-11-07 01:00:06 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

For clarity's sake, perhaps "from your input we output"

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 1 day2 hrs (2009-11-07 02:01:31 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Or just say use quotes: From "input" to output. That may make things a bit clearer.
Peer comment(s):
agree Sandra & Kenneth Grossman : Nice idea, but should be somehow clarified, otherwise it does not make sense: "we turn your input into profitable output"
1 hr
Thank you! I think it would make perfect sense if the context were made clear. But good point! THe French isn't that clear, either. LOL. Perhaps "From your input, we output" for clarity's sake.
agree Marian Vieyra
6 hrs
Thank you, Marian!
agree Chris Hall
8 hrs
Thank you, Chris!
agree John Detre
19 hrs
Thank you, John!
agree Verginia Ophof
1 day 11 hrs
Thanks, Verginia! Have a great day.
Something went wrong...
2 days 10 hrs

Your solution. Our job.

can't resist poppint this into the pot ! pithy enough ?!
Something went wrong...
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