Why should Businessmen have fluency in English?
A quick google search will tell you that the world’s most widely spoken language is English. It has become the global language of business and holds paramount importance in the corporate world.
Many Multi-national Companies, E-commerce websites use English besides their local language. Big social media platforms also primarily communicate using English. This just shows that learning English opens a wide array of opportunities for not just individuals but businesses as well.
In October 2018, Shiseido, a cosmetic giant, became the second-largest company in Japan to embrace English as an in-house language. Car-making giant Honda also has plans to introduce English in their working space by the end of 2020. Both companies have realised the need of the hour — to go global. Shiseido has seen an increase in their revenue by at least $100 million since their new and improved language policy came into effect.
If you are still sceptical about the scope of English and why should Businessmen have fluency in English — Here are a few more reasons why!
Competitive Pressure
In today’s world, there are very limited boundaries for trade. At the comfort of being in their homes, customers can order from worldwide. This means that your competition as a business person is not just the local vendor but big international MNCs as well. By only communicating in your native language, you are isolating your business from many growth opportunities. Therefore, first adopting English and then fluency in English is key to business growth.
Helps in Negotiations
Fluency in English will make the overwhelming process of Mergers & Acquisitions ten times easier for you. Both companies (say A and B) will experience the ease of communication. The risk of misinterpretation, losing subtle details will all be eliminated.
Make the right Impression
One would think after college, you would be relieved from the burden of making presentations. Ah well, not if you’re entering the corporate world. Presentations and speeches are almost an everyday thing. While presenting your ideas in a board meeting, the key is to present your thoughts clearly and concisely. Fluency in the language will help you do just that and make the right impression!
Internet’s preferred language
There are a million ways in which you can promote your business today. Online or Digital Marketing is one of the top methods! The internet-primarily speaks English. Meaning, if you want to expand your customer base, all the content that you plan to bring out has to be in English. It could be setting up a blog, making youtube videos, or infographics for Instagram, if it’s in English, there are higher chances of your content being recognized!
Learning a new language or adopting a global language policy can never be easy. Concerns regarding their own jobs may arise among existing employees. Disharmony, troubles in maintaining teamwork and just resistance in general from the employees could be some of the hurdles that the company may have to face. However, this change is necessary for any employee/company that wants to sustain in the long run.
English is going to be the common language of business for a long time. Soon, it will be unimaginable for any person to survive in this industry without having a good command over the language. Therefore, the sooner you master the language, the better!