International Sales in Several Languages: How to Write to a Buyer in Their Language

Translating an email is not writing in the buyer's language. Five criteria: tone, form of address, industry terms, schedules, follow-up.

Published by

David Argüello

CEO of Hurus AI · LinkedIn

Key points

Write in the buyer's language; do not translate word for word.
Adjust form of address, industry vocabulary and schedules.
Follow up in the same language as the first message.
Cover only the languages you can sustain in a meeting.

A buyer answers a message in their own language sooner. Not just because they understand it, but because it shows you made the effort to reach them. But writing in their language is not translating your Spanish email word for word. Five criteria make the difference.

1. Write, do not translate

A literal translation usually sounds odd: long sentences, turns of phrase from another language, a tone that is not the industry's. What works is drafting the message from scratch in that language, with the short, direct sentences a professional there would use.

2. Get the form of address right

The level of formality changes by language and by company culture. In many B2B settings in French or German, formal address is the norm in a first contact. In English, the tone tends to be more direct. Adjust, without forcing a familiarity the buyer has not asked for.

3. Use industry terms

Every industry has its own buying vocabulary. A purchasing manager does not talk about "your catalog", but about SKUs, formats, turnover or supply terms. If you use a term that is not theirs, it looks like you do not know the market.

4. Respect schedules and calendars

Write during the buyer's business hours, not yours.
Avoid the usual holiday periods in their country.
Propose meeting slots in their time zone, with the zone stated.

5. Follow up in the same language

If the first message was in their language and the reply comes in English, ask which language they prefer to continue in. Switching without saying so can end the conversation.

Common mistakes

Using machine translation and not reviewing the result. An error in a first message weighs heavily.
Keeping the same message in every language. Each market has its own reasons to buy.
Promising service in a language your team then cannot sustain on a call.
Ignoring local rules for commercial contact. Confirm them with your advisor before writing.

How many languages to cover

You do not need to cover them all. Start with the markets you have chosen and the languages you can sustain in a meeting. A flawless message in three languages performs better than a mediocre one in ten.

Before sending: a checklist

Was it written or reviewed by someone who masters the language and the industry?
Is the form of address the one expected in that market?
Does it use the terms a buyer in that category uses?
Are the time and time zone of the meeting clear?
Can your team sustain a call in that language?
Have you checked the local rules for commercial contact?

How to organize work across several languages

A native or professional-level speaker who drafts in each language.
A reviewer who validates the first message and the follow-ups.
A shared criterion for what to say, so the message is consistent across all markets.

If you cannot cover this in-house, it is reasonable to rely on an external team. What matters is that the message is written by someone who knows the market.

Where Hurus comes in

Hurus opens the conversation with the buyer in their language, with a person who has reviewed the case and a concrete reason to write. The meeting lands on your calendar with the account context.

Frequently asked questions

Is translating an email enough to sell in another country?

No. A literal translation usually sounds odd and off-tone. What works is drafting the message in the buyer's language, with their industry vocabulary and the form of address they expect.