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“Now I can welcome my clients in German”

At Wonderful Copenhagen, part of the organisation’s mission is to encourage more international companies to choose Copenhagen as the destination for their next conference. Søren Langberg Simonsen works as Senior Sales Manager with responsibility for the German-speaking markets. In his role, it is essential to be able to ‘break the ice’ right away and build good relationships. Søren decided to take tailor-made German lessons at Studieskolen – a decision that turned out to be an excellent one.

“I already knew a little German, but unfortunately I never had formal lessons in school, so my German was quite limited. I was also unsure whether I would come across as professional enough,” Søren explains.

Søren attended German classes at Studieskolen together with two colleagues from Wonderful Copenhagen. Being in a small group instead of a large class offers clear advantages. Each participant gets more speaking time and therefore benefits more from the lessons. Participants also do not have to be at exactly the same level, as small groups make it possible for the teacher to adapt the lessons to individual needs.

It is clear that the course has made a real difference. Søren has become more confident and proficient when speaking German.

“For instance, I recently used my German when a group of German clients visited Copenhagen to meet with Danish partners. I welcomed them in German, and it went really well!” says Søren. That would have been much more difficult before the course.

German language helps build relationships

Søren is in no doubt that the German is particularly important when it comes to building relationships and strengthening cooperation in German-speaking markets. “Even though presentations are held in English, it is important to be able to continue the conversation in German in networking situations. It really makes a big difference,” he says.

Søren has not only improved his spoken German but also his understanding of the language. “If I sense that a partner or client is struggling to express something in English, I now suggest that they say it in German instead. I can usually understand them,” he explains.

A tailor-made German course focused on participants’ needs

The customised course gave Søren exactly what he needed to take his skills to the next level and start using the language actively. “The course has given me a deeper understanding of German and ideas for how to maintain the language myself. For example, our teacher shared a link to German news with both text and audio. That way I have learnt a lot about relevant topics, so I can make small talk with Germans about things like the Fehmarnbelt tunnel,” Søren says.

“I usually practise a few phrases before I travel on business, so I can show my German partners that I do speak a little German. I have realised that practice really does make perfect,” he concludes.

 

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You can read much more about tailor-made language courses for businesses here.