The ATC’s Member of the Month in December 2022 is Liverpool-based International Translations Ltd, a company with strong local connections but a global reach.

We caught up with International Translations Ltd’s Director and ATC Vice-Chair Corinne Saynor Smith to talk about the power of networking and personal relationships, and how they drive growth.

The Power of Business Networks

Corinne Saynor Smith runs the business established by her parents in the 70’s. “International Translations Ltd has always had strong local connections, and this is something I wanted to hold on to when I took the reins,” recalls Corinne.

For her, the value of getting involved with local business organisations is in building relationships, from Chambers of Commerce to the Law Society and from science networks to tech organisations like the Startup Grind, a global community for entrepreneurs.

For a language service company like International Translations Ltd, client service is above all about communication and understanding the client’s needs.

“We all know how difficult it is to reach clients and build meaningful connections via cold-calling or email marketing,” Corinne says. “But business networking is a fantastic, quick way of building relationships and trust. It’s also one of the easiest ways to understand who someone is as a person, and what their business is about.”

A Vice-Chair Role and a Legacy to Uphold

In the autumn of 2022, Corinne Saynor Smith was elected as ATC Vice-Chair, working together with Chair Ruth Partington and CEO Raisa McNab in driving the association’s strategy, activities and initiatives forward.

“Association work is also all about relationship-building, and adding value to the ATC’s ‘clients’ – its member companies. I’m very sales and marketing focused, and I believe my skills will complement those of the ATC’s existing leadership, expand its membership, and widen its reach,” explains Corinne.

“My father was ATC Chair for a number of years, and in a way running my company and becoming ATC Vice-Chair are two sides of the same coin – I’ve got a responsibility to build on and develop what has gone before, and do things right, but do them in a way that moves the company and the association forward in a rapidly changing industry.”

In her Vice-Chair role, Corinne is looking forward to working with the ATC’s Commercial Collaborations Lead on forging deeper relationships between the ATC, its members, and business organisations across the UK.

Full Speed Towards 2023

For International Translations Ltd, 2022 was a year of change but also of growth.

“As a small business, it’s really important for us to regularly look at where we are at, and where we want to go,” says Corinne. “We are expanding, and have just taken on a new Business Development Manager, so we are going full speed towards 2023. Analysing our client base, and ensuring that we develop our services to match our clients needs is crucial, so that we know we are not just going somewhere, but in the right direction.”

And what better way of doing that than from the front seat of the ATC, representing over 200 UK-based language service companies.

International Translations Ltd’s Director Corinne Saynor Smith was in conversation with ATC CEO Raisa McNab.