Localization metrics that matter. Stop educating, start influencing

Certain words in business settings push all my buttons, such as" synergies," "strategic meetings," "low-hanging fruit," "thought leadership," and many others. But the worst offender for me is synergy. Nothing makes me cringe more.

Many years ago, a peer and I used to play a kind of bingo during conference calls, tracking the number of times the word "synergy" was said.

It was both hilarious and depressing.

Lately, though, another term has been creeping up my list of words that trigger an involuntary eye roll: "educated."

Not in the general sense, but in the way it's used in business conversations, "We need to educate stakeholders on the importance of localization."

I used to say this too, until I realized that most stakeholders don’t want to be educated. They don’t need to know the ins and outs of localization, they need to understand how it impacts them.

Shift from Teaching to Translating Their Needs

Many localization professionals make the mistake of thinking that explaining what we do will automatically lead to buy-in. However, the reality is that most stakeholders don't have time to become localization experts. They focus on their own responsibilities, marketing, product management, finance, and operations. Localization is just one piece of their bigger puzzle.

So, instead of trying to teach them about localization, take a different approach: listen first, then translate localization into their language.

If you’re speaking to a marketing director, their priorities might be user engagement and conversion rates.

A product manager will care about feature adoption and user experience.

A finance lead? Budget efficiency and return on investment.

Our job is not to explain how localization works; it’s to show them how it helps them succeed in the areas they already care about.

How to Approach the Conversation

View fullsize

Click HERE to download the infographic

1. Start with Their Goals, Not Localization
   Before talking about translation, ask:

• What are your biggest concerns right now?

• Are you trying to increase user engagement and reduce churn, or maybe it’s all about regional expansion to enter new markets?

• Do you struggle with user acquisition in non-English markets?

2. Frame Localization as a Solution to Their Problems
   Once we know their pain points, position localization as a tool that solves them.

• If they care about player retention, highlight how cultural adaptation keeps users engaged.

• If they need to boost revenue in new regions, show how localized pricing and UX can increase conversions.

• If they’re worried about budget efficiency, explain how smart localization choices (e.g., MT + human review) can optimize costs.

3. Keep It Simple & Business-Driven
   Avoid deep localization jargon. For example, instead of saying, "We are enhancing our translation workflow by refining glossaries and leveraging machine translation with post-editing," say, "We are making sure product descriptions are clear and compelling in every language, which will help increase conversions in global markets." Make an effort to use metrics and examples that matter to them:

• “In markets where we fully localize, player retention is X% higher.”

• “Localized content increased app store downloads by X% in [specific region].”

• “We reduced support tickets by X% by adapting terminology to local expectations.”

4. Become a Translator, Not Just a Localizer
   What an irony that in the localization industry, we spend our time "translating" for global audiences, yet we often fail to "translate" what we do for our own stakeholders. Too often, we get stuck in our own terminology and fail to communicate in a way that speaks the language of the C-suite.

As a localization professional, our job is to translate what localization means into business terms. This means:

• Analyzing the data, trends, and needs of our organization.

• Drawing clear connections between localization and business impact.

• Communicating those insights in a way that matters to your audience.

Instead of sharing raw localization processes, answer: "So what does that mean for the company?"

For example, instead of presenting purely operational localization metrics like:

• Average cost per outsourced word

• On-time delivery rate

• Number of linguistic errors per 1,000 words

Reframe them in terms of business impact and product metrics:

• "By improving on-time delivery by 15%, we accelerate feature launches in global markets, increasing early adoption."

• "Reducing linguistic errors by 20% lowers customer support tickets in localized markets, saving operational costs."

• "Optimizing cost per word allows us to reinvest in high-impact content localization, improving engagement and retention."

This shift helps stakeholders see localization as a business enabler rather than just a cost center.

5.    Show Impact, Not Process

Stakeholders don’t need to know how the localization sausage is made. They don’t care about the tools, workflows, or internal processes, what they care about is the result. You'll likely see eyes glaze over if you start talking about translation management systems, term bases, or linguistic QA cycles. Instead, bring it back to what matters to them.

For example, if a game team asks about localization, don’t say,
“We’re implementing LQA cycles, pseudo-localization, and machine translation post-editing to improve efficiency.”
Instead, say,
“We’re making sure players in every language get the same immersive experience, so they don’t drop off due to confusing or awkward translations.”

If a product manager asks about translation quality, instead of explaining the details of error categorization and vendor review scores, tell them,
“We’re ensuring that localized content is as polished as the original, so users trust the product and engage longer.”

And when finance asks why localization costs are high, avoid getting into rate cards and vendor negotiations. Instead, explain,
“By optimizing our workflows, we’ve reduced per-word costs, freeing up budget to invest in high-impact content like in-game dialogues and community translations, which directly improve retention and engagement.”

The key is simple: stop explaining how you do localization and start explaining why it matters in terms of business impact.

6. Tie It Back to Company Goals
Every department is measured on specific KPIs. Show how localization supports them:

• If they measure customer satisfaction, explain how well-localized content reduces frustration.

• If they focus on market expansion, show how strategic localization unlocks growth.

• If they track operational efficiency, highlight how localization optimizations can cut costs and improve speed-to-market.

Final Thought: Speak Their Language

Localization is not a goal in itself; it’s a means to help the business grow. The best way to advocate for localization is not by explaining its mechanics but by translating its value into the priorities of the people you’re speaking with.

So next time you're pitching localization, don’t educate; understand first. Then, position localization as the missing piece in their success story and always be ready to answer, "What’s the impact of the work you do?" in a way that makes sense to them. Staying relevant and speaking in business terms ensures that localization is seen as a strategic driver, not an afterthought something we too often recognize only when it’s missing and causing problems.