"Dating" tips for translators

Plenty of fish

Not all translators are the same, not only because they use different tools in the work they do, but also because they wrap their niche around specific subject matters perhaps not everyone likes or resonates with. Just because Tom likes neuroscience, it does not mean Kelly should. Perhaps Kelly finds culinary art more appealing. And that is OK, as there is plenty of fish to chose from and enough water for everyone in freelance translation business out there. But you may wonder where am I going with this?

Here is where...

Although freelancers work with specific language pairs, perhaps speak the same mother tongues and learn translation business through both; education and their unique experiences, their work is very different in the sense of subject matters. We have the those fresh out of school, we have seasoned linguists who have been in the industry for ages knowing the value of their experience and the undecided ones (with freelancing being their second gig) who are still trying to test the waters to decide whether it is truly for them with all the competition and the amount of effort it requires to be able to swim or if it is time to drift away and do something new.

Freelancers work either alone or in groups depending on the arrangements that work for them specifically, just like some fish is better off swimming alone.There is one commonality of them all: the marketing piece they need to embrace in order to have a strong presence on the competitive market. But this is where the nightmare begins...

Am I really dreaming?

Freelancers consider marketing and branding piece as one of the most important topics of all as this is what helps their business grow, determines how many clients after seeing their portfolio will decide to work with them, how competitive they will be and how freelancers can really expand their clientele to be successful and profitable.

Easier said than done, right?

Freelancers often fail at marketing their work properly, as they perceive the branding piece as a nightmare they want to wake up from, but not necessarily know how to do it. They keep dreaming the same dream over and over with each rejection email they receive or a call they place just to reach the voicemail. There are several reasons why they feel this way. And there are even more solutions that can actually be a life changing for freelancers, if they are only willing to consider them and give them a try.

Don't we all care about providing value to the customers? Many translators just sell themselves short in doing quite ineffective marketing and following weak branding. Poor efforts equal undesirable results.

The "WHY"

Would you like to know the big "why" behind it?

It is quite common among translators not having a clear understanding of who their clients are and what expectations they actually have when it comes to deliverables. Freelancers often think that clients are all the same as they all look for translators to get their "word" understood. Often they do not ask about the target audience. Texts, for example, get localized by French speakers from France in order to fit the Canadian markets clients tap into ( we all know Canadians are French speakers, therefore there is not difference, right?) That is a huge misconception! Often, neither the client nor the translator discusses the specialty in depths beforehand and this leads to ineffective or even worse, poor results and weakening of the branding component.

Essentially knowing the client you target well either through asking questions and seeking clarification, outlining the specifics of the project, the target audience or any additional details will contribute to and ultimately define your success as a reputable freelancer among great competition out there.

It is very easy to put this particular nightmare to rest, one just needs to remember to customize the reach out to adhere to the specific industry standards. Knowing "the why" behind the need of the client is like having half of the work done properly even before touching the texts that need translation. If the industry aligns with either your hobbies or your background , that is even better as you will truly enjoy the work you do for that particular client and results will be even more satisfactory both for parties involved.

There are no "know it all" experts who can tackle every single task given across the specialties. If you are good at medical texts, why would you jump to work on engineering project or market research study about beer? Just like Tom and Kelly. know what you are good at, otherwise it is time to wake up.

Touching the soul

Any branding or marketing material translators decide to use you use when approaching potential clients determine their future success, as well as the relationship building component that has an effect on creating a referral net moving forward. To be recognized and picked from the crowd by the client, any freelancer not only should use well written templates, but also be concise in them . Short and sweet message introducing yourself goes a long way, it is not a shortcut; as many may think.

Sell your story and touch the soul. Put a "bonding knot", your story and theirs, how can you tie them up together? You can highlight your accomplishments and experience first, but make sure you are not writing a novel just yet. Also, do not throw the rate in the subject line. Money talk is not necessary unless the client you are reaching out to shows a true interest in your skills and sees a good match to the projects waiting in the production phase to be assigned. Then , you can find some leverage to negotiate using your charm.

Fear of rejection

The first contact with the client seems to go well and then there is silence....No emails, no follow up calls. Don't be the anxious creep lurking from the corner, perhaps there is a reason why they are not gettign back to you. Politely inquire. Communication is a two way street. If the client does not like you and gives you the reasons, never take it personally. They are not rejecting you, they just simply often cannot agree on the given offer. It is just like dating, sometimes we just do not click while other times we give second chances only to discover how much we have missed in the first place...Letting go is OK. Move to the next client, perhaps an old referral worth revisiting and make sure to readjust the bow tie in case it came loose and smile, as smile does wonders...

Rejection will happen, it is a natural course in the freelance business. This should not stop you from continuing to market yourself and building new business opportunities for yourself.

Doing business is just like dating

Always remember that any reach out to a potential client is just like the first date, you need to leave a good impression in order to score the second date. You cannot be too pushy. Remember that your logo does not matter as much as you think, just like the color of your tie when you go on your first date. The quality and depth of a conversation in addition to the understanding of your client's unique needs are what will carry you above others. You may want to consider offering a free gift in the form of a small sample of your work in order to get the smile you want and attention you seek for your freelance business development. Build trust as a foundation of your business. Be generous to set the brand for yourself.

Knowing the proper marketing manners will go a long way. Efforts you put in will eventually get noticed and even before you know it, the data base of the clients you were trying to build while promoting your brand and marketing yourself out there, will pay off. You will gain clients only if you can put enough emphasis on their needs while being responsive and knowledgeable about the subject matter dear to their business. A happy date is going to talk to their friends about you...And this is where the magic will start happening for you, my dear freelancer.

Get on the wagon and enjoy the ride!