EBOOK

Mission:
International
Business
Success with Language Learning
 E B O O K Mission: International Business

Your Mission: International Business

Entering new markets comes with unique challenges. It’s only until
companies are in the middle of global expansion that they understand
the importance of solid internal communication and an innovation-
driving company culture.

Internationally oriented small- and medium-sized enterprises

(SMEs) in the US

grow faster than competitors create more jobs and pay

operating domestically higher wages

In 2021, the value of US goods and

95 %
Roughly three-quarters of world
services exports was an impressive purchasing power and almost 95% of
$2.5 trillion. consumers live outside of the US

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E B O O K Mission: International Business

What Do Companies Wish They Knew

Before Going International?

Top challenges US businesses face when going global include:

1
Language Barriers

In international business, it’s important to consider languages spoken in

the countries that companies are planning to expand to.

2
Cultural Differences
Just as each country has its own makeup of languages, each also has its
own specific culture or blend of cultures.

3
Team Management
When trying to function as a team, it can be difficult to account for
language barriers and cultural differences.

How language learning can support you:

With their language skills, Your team understands Communication in a

your team can connect cultural business customs multilingual company
with customers, business within their solid increases, plus good
partners, and co-workers knowledge of the language. managers help with
to form successful business attracting and retaining
relationships. international talent.

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E B O O K Mission: International Business

Communication in an International
Team

3 tips for better collaboration

1
Analyze your communication

Set aside time to discuss internal and external

communication processes within your teams.

This is how you can avoid costly misunderstandings.

2
Strengthen digital skills

Experiment with digital formats and team building.

Use the proven Blended Learning method: That’s how
your team focuses on practicing communication in
their new language.

3
Promote diversity

Spread tolerance for other points of view, e.g. through

diversity training.

Benefit from the advantages of language training to

minimize conflicts and misunderstandings.

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 E B O O K Mission: International Business

Culture of Innovation
Company Culture Is Critical for Innovation

How can companies stay competitive in the international market?

The key is having a company culture that promotes innovation.
The good news? By focusing on multilingual communication and
diversity, you’re already taking a step toward innovation:

Communication and interaction between

teams and with external partners is a
prerequisite for stimulating innovation

Diversity means being open to other

perspectives, which spurs creative
thinking and ideation

Companies with a management team

more diverse than average report

+19 %
more revenue from innovation

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 E B O O K Mission: International Business

How Language Learning Also Promotes a Culture of Innovation

Innovative company management

Focusing on language training positions you as an

attractive employer. In addition, as you increase language
learning within your company, you can draw from a wider
pool of potential workers. Language courses from Babbel
can support the initiative.

Trust and learning from mistakes

Feeling safe to make mistakes is a prerequisite for

developing yourself and exploring new ideas. Constructive
feedback and learning from mistakes are part of Babbel’s
scientific learning approach.

Flat hierarchies

Ideas grow with teamwork, regardless of the job title.

In the online group lessons from Babbel, everyone learns
together — from the department director to the junior
assistant — and employees have the opportunity to
interact on equal ground.

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 E B O O K Mission: International Business

Mission Accomplished
How Sodexo benefits from language training with Babbel for Business

The food services and facilities management company

Sodexo is one of the world’s largest multinational
corporations, with 420,000 employees from over 120
nationalities. Mutual understanding among team members
and effective communication with clients is essential for
the company’s success.

The Challenge

With a significant population of native Spanish speakers in

the US, Sodexo is faced with two main linguistic challenges:
frontline-employees with low English proficiency having
difficulties communicating with customers, and some
managers with low Spanish proficiency having difficulties
communicating with their employees.

Therefore, the company needed a language learning

solution that addressed the diverse needs of their
employees and customers and turned to Babbel for
Business.

I could listen to expressions, repeat them, and

listen to them as many times as I wanted.
A participating Sodexo employee

The Result

Sodexo employees increased their willingness to

communicate as they felt more confident and comfortable
using their second language. As a result, Sodexo benefited
from improved internal communication and better
customer service.

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 E B O O K Mission: International Business

Why Babbel?
compact, job-related personal account online group or individual
learning content management and lessons with certified
onboarding teachers
practice with realistic
conversations usage statistics for minimal organizational
tracking learning effort and transferable
high ROI and cost progress access
effectiveness

Babbel Professional Babbel Live Babbel Intensive

App App + group lessons App + individual lessons
per video per video

Give employees a way to Take your team’s language Offer individual team
learn a new language for their learning one step further members the chance to
job with our Babbel app. with our video lessons with learn with both the app and
certified teachers. individual video lessons.

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 E B O O K Mission: International Business

The Next Steps

As language learning experts, we can help you to establish

a solid internal communication and an innovative corporate
culture. Babbel for Business is specifically designed to
achieve language goals and promote understanding at an
international level.

We would be delighted to accompany you on this mission and

look forward to hearing from you!

Email corporates@babbel.com

Website www.babbelforbusiness.com/us/

Sources:

Office of the United States Trade Representative: Small and Medium Sized Enterprises
International Trade Administration: ITA Exporter Database
U.S. Small Business Administration: Frequently Asked Questions
Office of the U.S. Trade Representative: Economy and Trade
U.S. Chamber of Commerce: Growing Small Business Exports
Harvard Business School: 5 Common Challenges of International Business You Should Consider
Boston Consulting Group 2018: How Diverse Leadership Teams Boost Innovation
Harvard Business Review 2019: The Hard Truth About Innovative Cultures
McKinsey Quarterly 2017: Creating an innovation culture

International Trade Association: Strategic Reasons to Export