Welcoming people who speak other languages doesn’t have to be all or nothing.

OMG: The Overwhelmed Marketer’s Guide to Multilingual Members

As of the last census, about one in five people in the US spoke a language other than English at home. Of course, many of those folks are perfectly comfortable doing business in English. However, pretty much everyone feels more welcome and comfortable when they’re greeted and served (if possible), in their first language.

Even if you aren’t fluent in any other languages, here’s how to make sure people who do speak other languages feel invited to make their financial home at your credit union.  

Tailor your approach and products to your local community and cultures

In most of the US, Spanish is of course the primary language other than English. But you can’t assume that’s the primary language used in your particular area among people who might be good prospects for membership. Do some research into local communities and cultures, especially those that might be underserved. Learn what their unique financial needs might be.

For example, if you have a community of French speakers, are they from Canada, France, or one of several French-speaking countries in Africa? There are significant differences in language and culture you may need to be aware of. The same goes for Spanish, Arabic, Portuguese, Chinese and other widespread languages.

Connecting authentically with local communities is one of the most important credit union super powers. Make the most of it by tailoring your products and messaging to match existing and potential members who speak other languages. 

Do what you can do well

Welcoming people who speak other languages doesn’t have to be all or nothing. The fact that you’re making an effort will mean a lot. Just make sure that you can deliver what you promise and that the information is accurate and kept up to date.

For example, translating your entire website word for word and maintaining two or more complete sets of website, blog, and social media content is an enormous task, and might not be realistic for your CU. But you could at least set up pages with information in other languages, post on social media in other languages sometimes, and make sure members know how to get service in their language and what to expect. Quite often, translated forms and disclosures are available from suppliers. 

Use certified human translators

AI tools like Google Translate are actually pretty darn good these days. However, “pretty darn good” still isn’t good enough for many of the things credit unions do. After all, this is people’s hard-earned money you’re dealing with, so pretty much everything in your marketing, collateral, forms, and website has potential financial and legal consequences. It’s well worth investing in certified professional translators who can guarantee the meaning is the same in both languages. 

Make sure your content is translatable

Still, those “pretty darn good” translation tools are also “pretty darn useful”, and quite a few people doing business with you will be using these tools to better understand your website (you can translate a web page with one or two clicks), understand signs and forms, and maybe even translate while speaking with your staff. 

People who use these tools are generally pretty aware that they have limitations. But you can also help out by making sure all your content is clear, using simple sentences and vocabulary, and by avoiding things like jargon, puns and idioms. On your website, make sure that images aren’t misused as headlines.

The bonus, of course, is that clear, simple language communicates better and faster with everyone, even those who are already fluent in English.

Reward and create bilingual and multilingual staff

Your best links to your local communities might be people already working at your credit union. Recognize and value language skills with extra pay and opportunities for folks who can pass fluency tests.

It’s also important to provide training for everyone. For example, WECU in Washington State has set up a training program so that everyone can learn some basic Spanish and how to serve Spanish-speaking members.

It’s definitely worth it

To put this all in perspective, with just a little extra effort at expanding your linguistic and cultural horizons, your credit union can reach up to 20% more people. That’s a bargain any way you slice it.

Brian Wringer
Latest posts by Brian Wringer (see all)

Email this article to a friend or coworker.