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Exporter enjoys the fruits of learning foreign languages
Sunday Times (3 November 1996)
Attempting to export potatoes to the homeland of pasta might appear foolhardy, yet one small company in Spalding,
Lincolnshire, scored a success in Italy and other European countries after it taught its staff to speak foreign
languages.
A & C Exports Ltd. has seen its annual export sales rise by 40 % since it took the trouble to improve
foreign-language skills. Its success highlights the gains that could be made by other small firms that follow
in its footsteps.
Karen Burdett, a language specialist who joined A&C 18 months ago, is the key to the firm’s export success.
Alan Avison, A&C’s joint director, says: "When we started targeting Italy, we tried to overcome the language
problem by using an interpreter, but we found it very frustrating. No matter how fluent, a middle man or woman
can't hope to establish relationships in the way that a committed member of the company can."
It was to address this problem that Burdett was appointed, but although she was already fluent in Spanish and
French, her knowledge of Italian was limited. In the four weeks before she took up her new post, she set about
improving it. She listened to Italian while driving, cooking, dusting and sleeping. She watched Italian videos.
She read newspapers, magazines, pizza packets, shampoo bottles and jars of pasta sauce.
Her reward came with her very first phone call to Italy. "I explained that I was learning their language, and
asked our clients to bear with me if I made mistakes. Far from being critical, they were delighted, and from
then on a very strong and positive relationship was forged," she says.
Today Italy represents 20% of A&C’s export business. It is the only British firm dealing directly with
Italian supermarkets and has amongst its customers Italy's two leading chains, La Standa and Pam...
© Alison Thomas
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