BEYOND BORDERS
Exploring cultures, countries and comfort zones
Blame It On Rio
was thrilled about traveling to my
speaking engagement in Rio de
Janeiro, the second largest city
in Brazil, on the South Atlantic
coast. Rio is famous for its
breathtaking landscape, its casual
beach culture, and its annual carnival. I
was booked for four consecutive days of
keynotes to kick off daily meetings for an
international corporation. My audience
was composed of 2,000 marketing manag-
ers who flocked from around the world to
attend the event. There would be simulta-
neous translations in nine languages.
On the first day, I was excited and
ready to inspire my multi-national audience. To my surprise and disappointment,
my material was met with blank stares,
expressionless faces, and not one shred of
positive feedback. I was deflated.
So, what happened?
My presentation did not translate. I
was tempted to have a meltdown, but
I knew it would be unacceptable, so
I approached the head translator and
humbly asked for help—any advice or
helpful suggestions that would make
the next three days of keynotes more
successful and meaningful.
The translator instructed me to write
a complete script of my three morning
keynotes, so the translation team could
plan the interpretation carefully and use
the correct words and inflections. He cautioned me about using euphemisms and
humor, both of which cannot be translated accurately into other languages. This
was not an easy task for an inspirational
keynoter like me, who does not script
presentations. It was my only option,
though, to continue enjoying the privilege
of speaking to this global audience. And
do you know what happened?
It worked!
I came home with piles of business
cards, given to me with polite admiration, avid enthusiasm, and serious
intentionality. “Please call us when you
visit our country.” “We will consider
it a privilege to entertain you.” “We
have never met an American like you,
and we want to know you better.” The
compliments were warm and genuine.
Preparing for the international platform is more intense, rigorous, and
requires more research than presenting
to American audiences. When speakers
enter “another world, another culture,”
we must be cognizant and sensitive
to our audiences’ needs, respect their
culture, and demonstrate the highest
concern for using appropriate language
and accompanying graphics.
Fortunately, my “lost in translation”
experience in Rio happened in the
early years of my professional speaking
career. It was a great wake-up call that
prepared me well for speaking in 17
countries. And now I am a past president of the Global Speakers Federation
(GSF)! When I am on the international platform, my presentations are
no longer met with blank stares and
expressionless faces. I continue adding
to my mountain of business cards and
making new friends around the world.
Naomi Rhode, RDH, CSP,
CPAE, is a past president of
NSA, recipient of the Cavett
Award, and is known for her
inspirational, dynamic
speaking to both healthcare and general
audiences. She is co-owner and vice president
of SmartPractice, a marketing and manufac-
turing company that provides products and
services to the healthcare industry worldwide.
