07
de Setembre
de
2016
Act.
07
de Setembre
de
2016
Internationalisation has become the best strategy for growth and also for surviving a tough period of crisis. However, taking on this challenge also means accepting the need to improve in the area of languages. At Essential for Business they know how to help the companies most committed to overcoming both challenges.
The startup was set up in June 2011 by Àngels Creus and Bea Navarro, two professionals with more than 20 years experience in multinational companies in the areas of marketing and finance. What led them to set up the business, according to Creus, was a lack of knowledge on behalf of the business world: "Something needed to be done to break the communication barrier of professionals, which is a genuine danger for companies wanting to operate abroad."
A personalised method adapted to objectives
There are plenty of schools and instructors offering language courses, but the majority are focused on teaching grammar, vocabulary and providing some guidelines they see as fundamental for maintaining a minimal conversation. Yet, nothing that reflects the everyday experience of employees.
In the case of Essential for Business, the programme goes much further. Creus and Navarro have created a method of teaching in which sessions are based on objectives. When a client asks for information, the startup asks what the profile and skills of the staff are, in which areas they work and what they want them to achieve, as well as other technical details. All of this allows them to come up with a programme adapted to the specific needs of the client.
The method is called Situation-Based-Learning and Creus defines it as "learning based on practical situations." "We do not talk about presentations, having telephone conversations or reinforcing words we know from newspaper articles, but rather we do work sessions to practise real situations, such as closing a deal in a meeting, politely interrupting someone or talking about technical problems," she explains in more detail, adding that they have identified almost 400 common situations found in companies that do business with professionals from other countries.
In their classes, they recreate these real situations and help the students to come up with a guide with phrases they then practise in class with their classmates and teacher in order to incorporate them into their discourse in a natural way. "So, when they truly find themselves in this situation, they have enough resources to manage it," concludes the other founder of the startup, Bea Navarro. For her, the procedure is "to do theatre" and acquire the necessary confidence to overcome the situation successfully.
All of this, says the cofounder, is the result of having spent "a year studying learning methods in all disciplines, from music to mathematics," which allowed them to come up with a system based on applying "common sense".
As for the teachers, they have to fulfill certain requirements: to be native speakers, to have teaching experience and also experience in the business world. "It is important that they know the subject, that they explain things well and that they understand which aspects apply to communicating with a large audience or in a small meeting," says Creus. The team is made up of 40 professionals on staff and working freelance.
Failure in communication
If there is one thing they are clear about, it is that the key to success is in communication skills. And this is where Creus believes the business culture in our country falls down: "We see a very significant lack, we do not know how to get our message across in an auditorium or how to defend our point of view with arguments." It is a situation that she insists does not happen "in the Anglo-Saxon world, in the north of Europe or even in countries like Italy, where they learn and practise from a very young age."
Aware of this, and of the fact that companies are looking to optimise their resources and easily achieve their strategic objectives, Essential for Business sells itself as a startup that helps clients to more easily take on the challenges. "We do not claim to raise the language level any higher than another school, but we do say that we reach the objectives that the company sets because we work at providing solutions for specific needs," says Navarro.
Creus adds that companies should be more aware of the importance of having "a linguistic strategy in-line with its talent." If that happens, the employee will be able to get more out of the training and there will be a return in the shape of positive results for the company.
Working with the big guys
Their first client was the Damm brewery, which still uses their services, but the list has grown to some 30 companies, such as Laboratoris Ordesa, Pepe Jeans, Korachan and Simon Holding. Although these are large companies, Creus says they initially thought more about small and medium-sized firms, but over time they saw that their method was applicable to any business and offered a unique aspect that made them stand out from their competitors.
The first language was English and today it makes up the largest part of the company's business. However, they also offer courses in French, Italian, German, Portuguese and Spanish for expats, as well as training on intercultural aspects. This is a need, says Creus, that has emerged with increased internationalisation: "Until a few years ago, companies dealt with areas that had similar cultures, but when they began to go to Asia and Arab countries, they realised that sometimes being able to communicate by itself is not enough and other elements are required in order to establish relationships of trust and respect." And it is worth bearing in mind that it is not only the commercial area that has to address its strategy to foreign markets, but the change in mentality is relevant to all areas of the business and the entire team needs preparation in languages and communication.
The startup was set up in June 2011 by Àngels Creus and Bea Navarro, two professionals with more than 20 years experience in multinational companies in the areas of marketing and finance. What led them to set up the business, according to Creus, was a lack of knowledge on behalf of the business world: "Something needed to be done to break the communication barrier of professionals, which is a genuine danger for companies wanting to operate abroad."
A personalised method adapted to objectives
There are plenty of schools and instructors offering language courses, but the majority are focused on teaching grammar, vocabulary and providing some guidelines they see as fundamental for maintaining a minimal conversation. Yet, nothing that reflects the everyday experience of employees.
In the case of Essential for Business, the programme goes much further. Creus and Navarro have created a method of teaching in which sessions are based on objectives. When a client asks for information, the startup asks what the profile and skills of the staff are, in which areas they work and what they want them to achieve, as well as other technical details. All of this allows them to come up with a programme adapted to the specific needs of the client.
The method is called Situation-Based-Learning and Creus defines it as "learning based on practical situations." "We do not talk about presentations, having telephone conversations or reinforcing words we know from newspaper articles, but rather we do work sessions to practise real situations, such as closing a deal in a meeting, politely interrupting someone or talking about technical problems," she explains in more detail, adding that they have identified almost 400 common situations found in companies that do business with professionals from other countries.
In their classes, they recreate these real situations and help the students to come up with a guide with phrases they then practise in class with their classmates and teacher in order to incorporate them into their discourse in a natural way. "So, when they truly find themselves in this situation, they have enough resources to manage it," concludes the other founder of the startup, Bea Navarro. For her, the procedure is "to do theatre" and acquire the necessary confidence to overcome the situation successfully.
All of this, says the cofounder, is the result of having spent "a year studying learning methods in all disciplines, from music to mathematics," which allowed them to come up with a system based on applying "common sense".
As for the teachers, they have to fulfill certain requirements: to be native speakers, to have teaching experience and also experience in the business world. "It is important that they know the subject, that they explain things well and that they understand which aspects apply to communicating with a large audience or in a small meeting," says Creus. The team is made up of 40 professionals on staff and working freelance.
Failure in communication
If there is one thing they are clear about, it is that the key to success is in communication skills. And this is where Creus believes the business culture in our country falls down: "We see a very significant lack, we do not know how to get our message across in an auditorium or how to defend our point of view with arguments." It is a situation that she insists does not happen "in the Anglo-Saxon world, in the north of Europe or even in countries like Italy, where they learn and practise from a very young age."
Aware of this, and of the fact that companies are looking to optimise their resources and easily achieve their strategic objectives, Essential for Business sells itself as a startup that helps clients to more easily take on the challenges. "We do not claim to raise the language level any higher than another school, but we do say that we reach the objectives that the company sets because we work at providing solutions for specific needs," says Navarro.
Creus adds that companies should be more aware of the importance of having "a linguistic strategy in-line with its talent." If that happens, the employee will be able to get more out of the training and there will be a return in the shape of positive results for the company.
Working with the big guys
Their first client was the Damm brewery, which still uses their services, but the list has grown to some 30 companies, such as Laboratoris Ordesa, Pepe Jeans, Korachan and Simon Holding. Although these are large companies, Creus says they initially thought more about small and medium-sized firms, but over time they saw that their method was applicable to any business and offered a unique aspect that made them stand out from their competitors.
The first language was English and today it makes up the largest part of the company's business. However, they also offer courses in French, Italian, German, Portuguese and Spanish for expats, as well as training on intercultural aspects. This is a need, says Creus, that has emerged with increased internationalisation: "Until a few years ago, companies dealt with areas that had similar cultures, but when they began to go to Asia and Arab countries, they realised that sometimes being able to communicate by itself is not enough and other elements are required in order to establish relationships of trust and respect." And it is worth bearing in mind that it is not only the commercial area that has to address its strategy to foreign markets, but the change in mentality is relevant to all areas of the business and the entire team needs preparation in languages and communication.