TALKING THE TALK KNOWING A SECOND LANGUAGE AUGMENTS YOUR BUSINESS SKILLS AND SECURES SUCCESS.

Byline: Evan Pondel Staff Writer

When Sean Kang isn't cutting deals in English, the finance manager at Long Beach Honda is cutting deals in Korean.

``It's all about finding common ground with the customers,'' said Kang, 41, who immigrated to the U.S. from Korea more than two decades ago.

Kang's boss, Mark Niedringhaus, has a knack for attracting bilingual associates. The salesmen at Long Beach Honda speak Farsi, Russian, Vietnamese, Cambodian, Chinese and Spanish. More than 15 percent of Niedringhaus' customers would rather negotiate in one of these languages.

``It's definitely a plus if the people here can speak a different language and chew gum at the same time,'' said Niedringhaus, who gives a cue when a customer wants to negotiate in a language other than English.

A firm handshake and friendly disposition may go a long way in negotiating a sale, but speaking the customer's language is proving more powerful when doing business with those whose native tongue isn't English. From real estate agents to home furnishing stores, Southern California businesses are looking for more employees who speak different languages so that closing a deal doesn't get lost in translation.

The demand is not only coming from non-English speaking customers. Try U.S.-born 18-year-olds who want to buy a new car but their parents prefer negotiating in Korean.

``And that's when my language skills really come in handy,'' Kang said. ``The parents feel more comfortable. Their kids are happy. And we don't lose a deal.''

Of course, businesses also have a need for languages other than Korean. Approximately 25 percent of California's population 5 years old and up are speaking Spanish at home, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Chinese is next, and then Tagalog, a language from the Philippines.

The federal government recognizes this trend, earmarking $10.7 million in 2005 to support Centers for International Business Education where executives can learn different languages and business protocols. So far, several of these centers have surfaced throughout the country in an effort to improve relations among international markets. Approximately $10.8 million has been allocated to support CIBE in 2006, with plans to expand the program, according to the U.S. Department of Education.

``The mission of CIBERs (an R is added for research) is to facilitate the globalization of business school curriculum,'' said Robert Spich, faculty program director for the CIBE program at the University of California, Los Angeles. ``Our job is to codify what we know ... to improve the competitiveness of American industries through education.'' UCLA receives about $300,000 a year in CIBE funding from the federal government.

Diane Davis, who teaches a Spanish business, culture and language course at Pepperdine University in Malibu, said the federal government is just as interested as the businesses themselves in executives learning different languages. ``When you can speak a different language and speak it well enough to relate to people, business relationships work,'' she said.

Of course, there are languages in the business world that are in greater demand than others. Right now, executives who speak Spanish and Mandarin have more of a competitive edge given trade relations with Mexico and China's burgeoning economy. At the same time, more domestic customer service operations are also utilizing different languages to facilitate those who do not speak English. ``Where don't you hear 'Oprima numero uno, por favor (the Spanish equivalent for 'press number one, please')?' '' Davis said.

Naomi Johnson, 45, who speaks English and Spanish fluently, believes in a little more customer service when it comes to her job at Valley Presbyterian Hospital in Van Nuys. As the community service director, she educates people about prenatal care and senior education classes.

``My Spanish is good for the hospital and patients because they feel more at ease with me,'' said Johnson, whose ability to speak Spanish helped her land a job at the hospital 15 years ago. ``But the need is even greater now with all of the senior outreach we're doing.''

Johnson speaks Spanish about 50 percent of her workweek, the same amount that Stella Luk-Telles speaks Chinese to customers at Home Depot in Alhambra.

Luk-Telles, 36, isn't an expert in home furnishings, but her language skills certainly bode well for Home Depot. The Hong Kong native speaks Cantonese and Mandarin, an asset when it comes to her job as an operations manager.

``Lately, I've been using my Chinese more and more for all of the contractors coming in here,'' she said. ``As soon as you speak a customer's language, they feel like they can trust you.''

When Luk-Telles worked for Avis Rent A Car in the San Gabriel Valley, her ability to speak Chinese was even more helpful. ``I can't tell you how many people needed help in Chinese - a lot more there than here at Home Depot,'' she said.

The increase of language needs at local businesses is also paralleling a similar rise at state and local agencies. That's where Thousand Oaks-based Network Omni fulfills a niche. The company was recently awarded California's 911 contract for emergency calls. Covering more than 150 languages, the company works with nearly 2,500 interpreters who can speak exotic dialects.

Melanie Macaisa speaks Tagalog, a language she learned growing up in the Philippines. In addition to her job as an assistant manager, Macaisa spends most of her days wearing a headset.

``Oh, I helped this one guy with roadside assistance,'' said Macaisa, 44, who receives compliments on her soothing voice. He needed help getting home. ``And then there are the medical emergencies. The calls go from not so serious to very serious.''

Outsourcing is yet another driver of bilingual interpreters. Network Omni plans to set up a call center in Asia to accommodate China's booming economy. ``We think offering our service offshore is an opportunity to add value to our services,'' said Manny Mendonza, executive vice president of sales and marketing.

The only tongue twister: The more exotic the language, the more costly an interpreter. For $150, Network Omni will set up its basic service, with pricing a function of call volume. Then there is a fee per minute, with Spanish ranging between $1.40 and $1.50, and exotic languages registering as high as $1.70 a minute.

Despite the pricing model, demand continues to abound, Mendoza said. ``We've seen a shift in prioritization at the corporate level, and we expect growth in the U.S. immigrant population to propel this even more.''

So does business language instructor Diane Davis. But her concern is that learning to speak a different language will take the place of understanding cultural differences. ``And that can disrupt business relationships,'' she said.

For example, when doing business in Asia, it is customary to exchange business cards with two hands. And in Mexico, business partners never consummate a deal on the phone or via fax. Instead, dinner and dessert is an appropriate finish to inking a contract.

``And you can't learn this stuff by just speaking a different language,'' she said. ``You have to know more about the culture.''

Prince Sesay, 41, can certainly relate. The real estate agent from Sierra Leone is beginning to find a niche speaking Creole in San Bernardino.

When he comes across clients with West African roots, a few words in their vernacular is about as disarming as any social grace he exudes.

``You know, there aren't many people who speak Creole here, but I helped one customer who spoke the language, and they were instantly comfortable,'' said Sesay, whose accent warms every syllable. ``I spoke the same dialect, and the customer could identify with me and trust me more.''

Monte Snyder, who manages the Coldwell Banker office where Prince Sesay works, understands these nuances. ``And we are continually recruiting to get a real cross section,'' he said. ``San Bernardino is becoming increasingly socioeconomically diverse, and you have to embrace it.

``And to a certain extent, we have to even be careful about our physical gestures when dealing with people of different cultures. You have to be soft and courteous. And you must do away with the intimidation factor.''

Evan Pondel, [phone]

evan.pondel(at)dailynews.com

CAPTION(S):

2 photos

Photo:

(1 -- color) Diversity in languages is a help to sales people at Long Beach Honda in Signal Hill, including, front, Melissa Lemaster and Sean Kang, and, rear from left, Clark Bruner, Manny Santos, Marlon Ogata, Sergio Paries, Armando Casarez, Paul Dashner and Mike Niedringhaus.

Diandra Jay/Staff Photographer

(2 -- color) Realtor Prince Sesay is new to the real estate business but hopes to uses his fluency in Creole and English to help his customers.

Steven Lewis/Staff Photographer