5 stupid things I did to get clients when I started my consulting business
We all make stupid mistakes, and few “gurus” and self-proclaimed “experts” talk about their failures. Why not? Well, who cares whether an “expert” talks about their failures? What you care about is how YOU can achieve your dreams, your goals, your “secret plan”. (Yes, I bet you have a secret plan. For many of you, that may be quitting your day job.)
I’m not afraid to talk about how I’ve failed, because I know that many of you have experienced the same things. Yes, it can be embarrassing. But it’s also liberating, because we ALL fail sometimes.
And failure is actually a step toward success.
So long as you don’t crawl under a rock in abject shame after failing, you dust yourself off, and figure out what the lesson was. Then you go out and do things a bit better.
5 stupid things I did to get clients when I started my consulting business
Yes, there were a lot more than just 5 stupid things I did when starting out, but I’ll limit this post to the top 5.
Here they are:
Stupid thing #1: wasting time on marketing materials
I had some pretty novice ideas about how to get clients when I started out, and I pursued them in earnest.
I created a brochure, a business card, and a website. But I didn’t draft anything quick and start getting feedback. Nope.
Instead, I spent about 3 MONTHS drafting copy for them, and hired a graphic designer to help with the layout. I revised the copy, the wording, the layout, the fonts, the colors, even what the bullet points looked like.
I showed it to handful of close friends, got feedback, and kept revising and tweaking. (Never mind the fact that no one who I showed these things to were in my market, and therefore had no idea what my prospects cared about).
So, yes, I spent a solid 3 months on these things.
And those brochures? I only sent out a couple dozen, and of those, I never called to follow up.
Completely stupid.
I had no idea about marketing channels when I started out.
Now that I’ve learned from my mistakes, I’d ask my newbie self questions like:
- Where were my prospects?
- How can I systematically reach them?
- Which are the most promising channels?
- Which have the best likelihood of sourcing high-value clients?
- What do my prospects actually care about? What value can I provide them right now?
Stupid thing #2: building a list of prospects, but taking virtually no action
Building a list of prospects sounds like a good idea, and it is. But I actually did 2 stupid things here:
- I spent a shit ton of time building this list. I’m talking somewhere in the neighborhood of 40-60 hours over a period of months.
- I didn’t DO anything with this list–except to delude myself into thinking I was working on my business.
Yes, a prospect list is a great idea, but not when you spend all your free time doing it, and especially not if you don’t do anything with it.
How many prospects did that list include? About 70.
How many did I actually contact? 4.
Stupid.
How did I expect to get results?
And yet when I sat down to “work on my business,” I gravitated to that damn spreadsheet, adding new prospects, and adding details for each.
Why didn’t I call more prospects? Because it was hard.
Calling prospects made me anxious, and I didn’t want to get rejected. Besides, I wasn’t sure what to say, how to have a conversation with them.
And I certainly didn’t think of myself as a salesperson. I had no idea how to sell.
So, the thought of calling prospects (even though I actually knew many of them) was scary. And instead of doing something outside my comfort zone, I stuck with something that felt safe.
Stupid thing #3: creating a menu of services
You might think that drafting a list of services you can offer is actually a good idea. It can be, but again, I spent an enormous amount of time on this task. I’m talking 20-30 hours. And this was while working the day job, being married, and having kids, so I already didn’t have a lot of free time.
And yet I chose to spend a crapload of hours and weeks on this thing.
Wasting time was the first stupid thing about this.
The second stupid thing about this was that I was focused on my SKILLS instead of what prospects and clients would be interested in.
It was an example of “look at all the cool stuff I can do!” without thinking what my market desperately WANTED.
Look at it this way: Imagine you’re walking down the street, hungry, and see 2 restaurants. One has a chef who’s telling you all about how they can chop, filet, sautee, broil, season, marinade, and julienne the food. From the other restaurant, your mouth literally waters from the smell of juicy grilled meat (apologizes to the vegans out there). You’d think, “Fancy chef or not, I want a friggin burger.” And you’d go to the burger place.
Give your market what they desperately want, not a boring CV or resume.
Stupid thing #4: agonizing over which business entity to choose
Yes, this was another thing that consumed far too much time when I first started. I read damn near every article I could find online, weighed the pros & cons of each for my situation and where I thought I might be 5 years down the road, then re-read all the advice, bookmarked sites, took notes, and agonized some more.
So what kind of business entity did I eventually choose? It doesn’t matter!
Did it get clients? Of course not.
No client cares whether you’re an LLC, s-corp, c-corp, or sole proprietor.
When you start consulting, keep in mind that you need clients to be a consultant and have a real business that brings in cash to your bank account.
No clients = no cash and no real business.
The stupid thing was again spending way too much time on something inconsequential.
LLC or s-corp, talk to an accountant for 30 minutes about your specific situation, make a decision, and move on.
Stupid thing #5: targeting ineffective marketing channels
Truth be told, I had no idea about marketing channels when I first started out. I meticulously:
- made my prospect list,
- called virtually none of those prospects,
- spent 40-60 hours on brochures and business cards,
- then was discouraged that I had no clients.
For the few prospects I called and, later, some additional prospects I called and/or emailed, who did I target? Decision makers who could green-light consulting projects?
No.
I talked to lower-level people and ineffective “consultants” who were struggling to get work themselves.
Stupid…
Why didn’t I talk to the kinds of people who could actually sign off on projects or refer business to me? Frankly, I was intimidated, and didn’t know how to talk to these people. Again, I didn’t think of myself as a salesperson, and hated the idea of selling, and it felt safer to talk to lower-level people.
Key takeaways
What was going on here? I was wasting time, getting no results, and feeling discouraged and anxious.
TRUTH #1: What feels safe won’t move you forward: Basically, I was doing what felt safe instead of pushing myself outside my comfort zone. Creating the prospect spreadsheet felt safe. So did drafting the copy for my brochure. To get beyond my current situation (day job + desire + secret plan to do consulting), it required doing things that, at least for a few moments, felt scary. Not scary like BASE jumping, but scary like calling a prospect.
TRUTH #2: Finding the shortest path to your goal maximizes your chances of success. Yes, I eventually figured out how to get clients, and built a profitable consulting business, but it took a long time. I was discouraged and frustrated a lot, and there were lots of times I didn’t think it was realistic, like it was just stuff I was doing that wouldn’t amount to anything. I’ve seen lots of people give up on consulting because they couldn’t get clients. They did some of the same stupid things I did when I started out, got discouraged, and went back to their day job.
All these stupid mistakes were like a long, winding road instead of a straight-line path. Would you rather take 2 years, 3 years, or 5 years to be able to quit your day job, and likely get frustrated, discouraged, and give up along the way? Or would you rather reach your goal in 6 months, 9 months, or 12 months, steadily building your orchard of clients along the way (where each client is a pipeline of consulting work)?
TRUTH #3: Getting help from experienced mentors puts you in the fastlane. For nearly every stupid mistake I made, I didn’t seek out help. Can you imagine if you had someone in your corner giving you guidance and coaching me along the way? How much faster and easier would it be? Even Michael Jordan had a coach. We ALL need help.
When I started, I was like a typical guy who got lost on a road trip: I didn’t bother looking at a map or getting directions. I tried getting useful info about starting a consulting business, but it was so generic, and nearly always by some “expert” who hadn’t actually struggled and created their own thriving consulting business. Those “experts” couldn’t tell me, step-by-step, what I needed to do to get clients. And they couldn’t tell me I was wasting my time on busywork.
I’m giving away something a lot of you have been asking for
A lot of you have asked me for proposal samples, examples, and templates. For those of you who attend Tuesday’s free webcast, you’ll get access to a proposal that I used which allowed me to earn over $300/hour. This template will ONLY be available to webcast attendees, and I won’t post the download on the blog.
FREE: Mini-course this Tuesday (4/1/2014):
Creating a Consistent Pipeline of Clients (even if you have limited time)
This Tuesday, 4/1/2014, at 9 p.m. Eastern, I’m going pull back the curtain on my own consulting business like I’ve never done before.
A consistent pipeline of clients is possible, even if, like most of us, you’ve got a busy life: family and friends, a full-time job, or other responsibilities.
During Tuesday’s live webcast, I’ll show you how, including:
- The “expert” advice you can skip.
- How to create systems that bring clients TO YOU, even if you don’t have a single client right now, and have no idea where to start.
- I’ll reveal the exact strategies I use to get consulting clients (and my specific revenue numbers) that bring me clients worth $1,000, $10,000, and even $100,000.
This is info I DON’T share on the blog, and I’ll reveal specific details of my consulting business that I’ve never discussed before.
This is FREE, live, and starts at 9 p.m. Eastern. You can watch from anywhere.
There will NOT be a recording available (all my premium course material is recorded so you can watch it at your convenience).
Yes, I’ll be re-opening my Client Pipeline Mastery course, and I’ll briefly tell you how you can get access to this premium course. But I’ll spend the majority of the live presentation revealing my exact strategies and actual revenue numbers so you can start getting results in your own business.
Bonus: I’m giving away a special bonus during the presentation, but you need to attend the presentation to get access to the bonus.
Reserve your spot in 15 seconds (required).
See you on Tuesday!
– See more at: http://startmyconsultingbusiness.com/5-stupid-things-i-did-to-get-clients-when-i-started-my-consulting-business/#sthash.j4xqWIJ5.dpuf
Tag: business
Frozen: Sing-along (multilingual session)
Watch “Let It Go” From Disney’s ‘Frozen’
Performed In 25 Different Languages
JAN. 22, 2014
How they managed to get the tones so similar and so lovely is pretty impressive (it almost sounds like they’re all performed by the same girl) — which one is your favorite singer? 
Errori di adattamento, traduzione e doppiaggio (I)
Il post di oggi è un po’ più leggero rispetto a quelli dei giorni scorsi. [ ndr: ma estremamente più lungo AHAHAHAHAH -.- ]
Nel titolo ho addirittura messo tra parentesi un “I” per darmi un tono. (O tirarmi un po’ su di morale…! Onestamente non ne ho idea!) 😀 😀 😀
Non so se farò altri interventi del genere, ma mi piace pensare che avrò tempo e modo di scrivere anche post divertenti e inserire altre chicche del mondo del cinema, dei telefilm o della letteratura straniera.
[NB: uno l’ho già pronto, forse lo lascerò nelle bozze ancora per un po’…]
Non tutti sanno che sono particolarmente fissata con la saga “Pirati dei Caraibi“. Infatti, ai tempi dell’Università (*sigh* come passa il tempo…) volevo inserire la trilogia (nel frattempo mutata in tetralogia) nel comparto scientifico che avrei utilizzato per l’analisi della mia tesi di laurea triennale sugli errori di traduzione ed adattamento degli script originali nel cinema e nelle serie tv. Purtroppo, l’argomento era troppo vasto e riguardava una materia non curriculare (ndt: “traduzione audiovisiva” era una materia della specialistica e quindi non era attinente al mio piano di studi della triennale), perciò la Professoressa dirottò il mio diabolico piano su altro.
Infatti, qualche anno dopo, ho “ripiegato” su una tematica diversa. {però questo ve lo racconto un’altra volta…}
Nonostante ciò, non mi sono arresa e ho continuato imperterrita a seguire le mirabolanti peripezie di Captain Jack Sparrow e di quei poveri adattatori che non hanno saputo proprio rendere giustizia alla saga.
La cosa che maggiormente mi ha perplessa e sconcertata – presumibilmente prima sconcertata e poi perplessa – è stata la scelta dei titoli dei vari film che, fin dal primo (datato 2003), ha puntualmente lasciato intendere che NESSUNO si fosse preso il gusto di visionare la pellicola prima di fare l’adattamento.
Ma andiamo con ordine.
Ora, capisco che il genere possa non piacere a tutti e che magari Johnny Depp o Orlando Bloom non siano il prototipo del vostro uomo ideale, così come Keira (biondina e segaligna) non lo sia della vostra “immortale amatissima”; posso anche passare sopra al fatto che, non sapendo dell’avvento del “2” e del “3” (e poi anche del “4” a cui, si vocifera, dovrebbe fare seguito un “5”), per il primo film sia stato omesso il riferimento alla serie “Pirati dei Caraibi”, MA (c’è sempre un ‘ma’) non si può tradurre “[Pirates of the Caribbean:] The Curse of the Black Pearl” (chiarissimo!) con un raffazzonato “La maledizione della prima luna“. Cosa c’era di difficile nel tradurre con un semplice “La maledizione della Perla Nera“? Perla Nera sapeva troppo di soap opera? Lo so, non era abbastanza EPICO. Just for the record: è il nome della nave.
Qui, si potrebbe aprire una parentesi di una 20ina d’anni in cui riprendere concetti trattati e stratrattati sul perché e per come si debba scegliere di tradurre letteralmente un testo oppure cercare di mantenere il senso di ciò che si intendeva nella lingua di partenza, portando il messaggio sullo stesso livello cognitivo dell’audience della lingua di arrivo con scelte linguistiche parzialmente o completamente differenti da quelle di partenza.
Io, personalmente, il film l’ho visto almeno 200 volte e di quella “prima luna” non c’è traccia. Barbossa dice “La luce della luna ci rivela per ciò che siamo in realtà. Siamo uomini maledetti: non possiamo morire, per cui non siamo morti, ma non siamo nemmeno vivi“. Eh. La ‘luna’ c’è (e non ci piove). E la ‘prima’? Mistero!
Nel 2006, la storia si ripete. Qui un po’ mi ha pianto il cuore, lo ammetto. Il titolo originale è struggente e al tempo stesso epico nella sua semplicità (once again). Il secondo capitolo della saga, infatti, si intitola “Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead man’s chest“. L’adattamento italiano non è riuscito nuovamente a rendere giustizia all’originale. Il film da noi è uscito con il titolo “Pirati dei Caraibi: la maledizione del forziere fantasma“.
Ovvio.
Perché cercare di riprendersi un minimo dal precedente scivolone? Giammai! Meglio continuare con ‘sta storia della ‘maledizione’ che ci piace assai! 😀 E va bene… Dietro a quel “chest” c’è un bellissimo gioco di parole volutamente scelto in inglese per collegare il fantomatico “uomo morto” al “forziere” (e/o al suo “petto”). Nonostante l’adattamento non mi piaccia tantissimo, devo ammettere che il senso della storyline è mantenuto. Il forziere c’è, non è proprio ‘fantasma’, ma Jack Sparrow è alla sua ricerca, perciò lui non sa dove sia e questo è grosso modo il plot del secondo film.
Una chicca estratta da questo capitolo è un errore di adattamento (e doppiaggio). Da quando l’ho individuato, lo posto ovunque.
Errori di (traduzione e) doppiaggio:
[eng/orig. version] Hammer-head shark Pirate: Five men still alive, the rest have moved on.
[trad/doppiaggio] Pirata Squalo Martello: 15 rimasti vivi, il resto è trapassato.
La domanda sorge spontanea: se sullo schermo ci sono 5 attori pronti per essere giustiziati, un dubbio non ti viene?
No, evidentemente no. 😀
Devo dire che della [vera] trilogia questo è il capitolo che mi è piaciuto meno, forse perché lascia lo spettatore con moltissimi buchi temporali nella storia, molti interrogativi, qualche intuizione abbozzata a causa dei nuovi personaggi introdotti e, in più, non ha una vera e propria conclusione. [ndr: doveva essere un film “ponte”; un collegamento tra il primo film, di cui non ci si aspettava un così grande successo, e il successivo, la conclusione della saga, su cui c’erano altissime aspettative. Effettivamente è così ‘ponte’ che quando appaiono i titoli di coda non riesci ad alzarti in piedi perché pensi ci sia ancora altro da vedere.]
Veniam perciò al III capitolo uscito nel 2007. L’unico che EFFETTIVAMENTE non ha subito grossi sconvolgimenti a livello di adattamento. Voci che erano trapelate prima della sua uscita avevano dato, come probabili, due titoli differenti, cioè “At World’s End” e “At Worlds End“. Non proprio lievissima la differenza tra le due opzioni. La prima si presta ad un più sottile gioco di parole, mentre la seconda lascia solamente intendere che il capitolo finale vede la fine dei “mondi” [ndr: quali mondi?]. La scelta è poi ricaduta sul primo titolo, che gioca sulla fine del mondo intesa come atto finale di un’Opera, quindi una sorta di resa dei conti, ma anche come luogo ben preciso dove REALMENTE i protagonisti si recano durante il film. [WARNING: major spoiler!!!]
La traduzione in italiano è abbastanza fedele ed infatti il film esce in Italia con il titolo “Pirati dei Caraibi: Ai confini del mondo” che riesce a mantenere parzialmente intatto il messaggio voluto con il titolo inglese. Potrei stare a parlare per dieci ore solo di questo film. E’ in assoluto il mio preferito. 🙂
[*FANGIRLING TIME*]
A distanza di 4 anni (è il 2011), esce nelle sale italiane, poi in quelle americane, “Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides“. Il film è liberamente tratto dall’omonimo romanzo di Tim Powers noto in Italia con il titolo “Mari stregati“. Un lettore/Uno spettatore attento a questo punto ha già fatto 2+2, vero? Il titolo italiano è quindi “Pirati dei Caraibi: Mari stregati“.
Questa volta il titolo è stato tradotto con “Pirati dei Caraibi: Oltre i confini del mare“. Evidentemente, un più letterale “[PdC:] Verso acque straniere” o “Su maree sconosciute” avrebbe interrotto la continuità delle scelte linguistiche già applicate alla traduzione ed utilizzare lo stesso titolo del libro avrebbe implicato l’infrazione di qualche diritto d’autore (?). Dunque, la mossa più appropriata è stata – di nuovo – seguire la scia del capitolo precedente. Nasce perciò un collegamento con gli ex “confini del mondo”, con l'”Aqua de vida” segnata sulla mappa, che porterà Jack Sparrow a navigare su acque straniere, più lontane. Ok. La domanda resta: PERCHé?
Per la mia gioia – e per quella di chi come me si è appassionato alla saga non solo per gli attori e i personaggi, ma anche per le vicende linguistiche che le gravitano attorno – è in preparazione il V capitolo della serie, il cui titolo sarà “Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales“. Letteralmente possiamo tradurlo con “[PdC:] Gli uomini morti non raccontano storie” oppure, parafrasando un po’, con “[PdC:] I morti non mentono“. In verità “dead men tell no tales” è un modo di dire anglosassone che significa “dead people will not betray any secrets” e che in italiano suona più o meno come “I morti non tradiscono alcun segreto“.
Sono veramente curiosa di vedere che cosa tireranno fuori dal loro cappello gli adattatori . 😉 L’uscita è prevista per luglio 2015, manca solamente un annetto.
Vi lascio con un video STUPENDO in chiave ironica in cui vengono evidenziati, scena per scena, tutti gli errori in “POTC: The Curse of the Black Pearl“. Io sto ancora ridendo…
P.S.: grazie Wendy per avermi fatto capire che le .gif possono essere estremamente utili! 🙂
Repost: Tips for setting your translation rates, for professional translators.
Tips for setting your translation rates, for professional translators.*
PEEMPIP January 21, 2014 Articles in English, Επάγγελμα: μεταφραστής
One of the first difficulties that a professional translator has to face is deciding their rates. Personally, I started researching what the current market rates were before I even finished my studies, and I still believe it is the best strategy. I used to contact other colleagues, my professors, research any available agency website at the time, and ask around, trying to compile a list of what other translators out there were charging for their services. This has proven to be very effective, and it is the strategy I would suggest to you today. Not to mention, I’m still doing it, 10+ years later, just to have a general feeling of the market, and be able to expect client’s reactions.
Nowadays, with the extensive use of the Internet, the use of social media and the massive networks of professionals, it is much easier to do such a thing, and here are a few tips for new professionals who wish to understand better how we charge, and what we charge.
First of all, you have to think of yourself as a small business. Not only will you be charging for your professional services, but what you earn should also cover all your expenses, including living costs, taxes, accounting fees, subscriptions to professional associations, promotion and advertising of your business, computer software and hardware, etc. At the end of each month, you should be able to have something that could be considered a salary, which will cover all your needs. Find out which hourly rate would help you achieve that. Yes, it is not a steady income, being a freelance professional involves that risk unfortunately, but it is an income nevertheless, and only treating it as one will help you evolve.
Most new professionals think that offering lower rates will bring them more clients, which may be true, but what they fail to see is that offering lower rates also diminishes the value of their time and efforts. Furthermore, constantly working with a handful of clients with low rates might prevent you from finding other clients with higher rates. Not to mention that always working with lower rates will most probably make it hard for you to make ends meet. Always keep an eye in the future, and evaluate your relations with your clients based on the long-run. Is booking all your time worth what you might be losing from trying for new clients with higher rates? Are you going to burn out yourself whilst working for low rates, when you could have been working less hours and earning more money? Think about that beforehand.
In addition, do not be afraid to negotiate. Negotiating is generally expected in all types of business, and negotiating does not make you look unprofessional. Rather the opposite. You should charge what you think you are worth. Not too high to drive yourself out of the market, but not too low either. You can leave a margin, for example to be competitive, but you do not want to look cheap either. Because, let’s face it, some professionals who charge too low make most clients suspect that they do so just because their services are not good enough to justify a higher rate. Or, that they will finish the project they are assigned very quickly and sloppily, just to get more work, because their rates are so low. On the opposite side, charging too high might make your potential client think that you are over-reaching, and unless you are one hundred percent sure of your abilities, they will find some flaw in your work that will make them question you and your professionalism. Discuss with your client the rates you would like to receive and you will see that with dialogue you might earn more than you initially thought to ask for.
One more thing you can do is develop rates for each client individually. Not all clients can offer the same, and not all clients demand the same, so adjust your rates based on who your client is and how much you think they can pay. Offering discounts for steady workflows or large volumes is a good strategy too; negotiate with your client and ask them to send work exclusively to you for a lower rate, but remember that your quality must remain as high as it would be for a higher rate, otherwise you will appear unprofessional and they will not want to work with you again. Also, in that effort, try not to harm your colleagues by offering an extremely low rate, thus “breaking” the market. Even half a cent is a decent offer; think about the general conditions of the market before making your bid.
Also, remember to always ask for the details of a project. Learn before you start working on a project what it involves, try to determine the amount of effort that will be required on your part, the time you will have to spend on it, the difficulties it might present, and then you can set your rate according to what you think is fair. You can even ask for a sample, if there is one available. Remember that, most clients have a background in this industry and are well aware of how much your services will probably cost them, so do not try to be sneaky, just be honest. And, of course, negotiate!
Keep in mind that you do not have to have a set pricelist. You can increase or decrease your rates depending on the client, the project, the type of work you are required to do. But always be honest, it is the best policy. Telling a client that you can lower your rates if they send you more work is not something to be embarrassed of. It’s just good business tactics. Lowering your rates because you are simply afraid is not. Do not ask for a rate change in the middle of a project, it is unprofessional, even if you found out that the project is more difficult than expected. You can mention it to your PM, but simply asking for a higher rate is not polite. And on the flip side, do not be afraid to ask for more, from before beginning the project, if you see that it requires more than what your usual rate covers.
Finally, know that you can either charge by the hour, or the word, per source or target word, or per 16 pages or any way you want. The parameters vary, the methods vary, and the negotiations between you and your client can influence your decisions. Do some research, decide what you want, ask colleagues and professional associations (like www.peempip.gr, for example, the Panhellenic Association of Professional Translators Graduates of the Ionian University, or any other professional association in your country) about their methods, and you will find what you need.
In general, rates vary significantly. Lately I heard of agencies in Greece offering to freelancers as low as €0.015/source word to translators, which is simply ludicrous and, I dare say, unprofessional. €0.035 is a good place to start, if you are a student and need the experience. From there, you can go as high as you can convince your client to give you, based on your quality, professionalism and experience. A good translator will not easily lower their rates just for the sake of working, because they have put a lot of time and effort in becoming what they are: Good translators. In Greece and in the current market (unfortunately), €0.04 is a decent rate to start and work your way up. Anything lower than that is just a waste of time if you are a professional who values their time, and in my opinion, it only puts a crack in the foundations of what we all want and strive for: fair rates for our good work.
Some examples of methods of charging that I have seen in this industry are listed below. Note that this list is not exhaustive, nor can it be considered a standard, the volumes can vary significantly:
- Simple Translation -> Per source word, or per page (1 page ≈ 250-300 words).
- Technical Translation -> Per source word
- Technical Translation, Software strings -> Per source word or per hour
- Literary Translation -> Per 16 standard book pages
- Glossary translation -> 30-35 terms per hour (medium difficulty terminology)
- Editing (or “Review”) -> Mostly per source word (on the total of words), but sometimes per hour, at a rate of approx. 1000 source words/hour
- Proofreading -> Per hour, at a rate of approx. 2000 source words/hour
- QA checks, engineering -> Per hour
LSO (Linguistic sign-off), LQA (Linguistic Quality Assurance), FQA (Formatting Quality Assurance), etc -> Per hour, at a rate of approx. 2500 source words/hour (or 15 pages/hour)
*This is only an informative article. The writer assumes no responsibility for any misunderstandings
Popie Matsouka is currently the Senior Project Manager and Lead Medical Translator and Editor of Technografia. She also holds the position of Quality Assurance Specialist, having specialized in translation and localization QA software technology. She is the resident tech/IT expert, and after having worked as a localization tools trainer, she recently also became a beta tester for SDL Trados Studio. Her education includes being an Apple trained Support Professional, plus a PC/MAC and LAN technician, apart from being a CAT tools expert. She also volunteers for the Red Cross, and is a firm believer that if we all work together we can make a great difference in this world, combining our professional and our personal strengths.
Repost: Are you a professional translator? If so, do NOT lower your translation rates!
Are you a professional translator? If so, do NOT lower your translation rates!
By Marcela Reyes, MBA on March 7, 2010
When was the last time you asked your doctor or your lawyer to give you a discount on his/her fees? Unless your doctor or lawyer is a relative or good friend, it’s very likely you wouldn’t dare ask such a professional service provider to give you a discount, would you? So, if you consider yourself a professional translator, how come you continue to allow others to ask you to reduce your rates? But this fact is not the worst part of the situation. Many professional translators are lowering their rates in a desperate attempt to get business.
Clients are asking for discounts, and translators are honoring their requests more and more every day. When you provide a discount on your services, you are giving permission to others to think your services are not worth much. And, unfortunately, this trend is adversely affecting the entire translation and localization industry.
Price your services right. The price you set for your services must be determined by the value perception your clients are getting in return for their money. Are you meeting your clients’ expectations? What are they walking away with? Why should they buy from you and not your competitors?
Learn to say “no.” When you reduce your rates, you are sending a distress signal, not just about you but also about the entire industry. When you reduce your rates even just one time, it’s going to be very difficult to say no the next time this same client comes back. One of my dearest copywriters told me once when I asked him to come down on his price that he would feel very uncomfortable with himself if he were to reduce his rates. I loved his professional approach to standing behind his work.
Focus on your promise of value. When you know and have proof that what you are offering is of great “value” to your clients, make sure this is consistently displayed in your service delivery. Rather than discounting your rates to match competitors, focus on value-added features. Think about ways you can bundle in certain supplementary services, or create various offerings at various price levels so you can accommodate your client’s budget.
Improve your service offering. In today’s economy there are so many products and services that the market is simply oversaturated. Translation is seen by many as a commodity for the simple reason that everybody is focusing on the same “attributes.” Translation should never follow product-marketing models. In the service business it’s all about that “special touch” you add to your offering. Your clients are simply looking for someone they can trust. They want to make sure you are reliable, that you are consistently delivering good value to them, and that you are always there for them. Benefits and service features are always good selling points. But a great relationship with your client is your best selling point.
Focus on your target market. If you are continually being asked to lower your rates, it is very likely you are targeting the wrong clients. Ask yourself if you are wasting your time trying to attract clients that are not willing and able to pay what you are worth. When you decide to focus on a niche market, it is important you understand what your clients’ practices and preferences are. Furthermore, make sure you have the capabilities and competencies to do an excellent job of delivering a high-value translation offering.
Create a strong brand. Just as big corporations develop their brands, translators can also develop a strong, differentiated brand. When you concentrate on developing a strong brand, you will not only become easily recognized but also create an emotional connection with your clients. Your competitors can try to replicate your processes, business model, technology, etc., but it will be very difficult for them to reproduce those beliefs and attitudes that you have established in the minds of your clients.
Remember, when we are selling a product or service, it’s not about us. It’s about our clients. Focus on your clients’ needs and wants, and always look for ways to enhance the relationship. In the absence of value, price becomes the only decision factor. Do not reduce your rates; instead, increase your competitiveness and the value-added features to your services.
via Are you a professional translator? If so, do NOT lower your translation rates!.
L’articolo è stato tradotto da Antonella
Sei un traduttore professionista? Se lo sei, NON abbassare le tue tariffe di traduzione
— archiviato sotto: Materiali di consultazione
Questo contributo della collega Marcela Jenney spiega i motivi per cui le tariffe dei traduttori devono essere rispettate al pari di quelle di altri professionisti. La traduzione non è una merce, ma un servizio.
Quando è stata l’ultima volta che hai chiesto al tuo medico o a tuo avvocato di farti uno sconto sul loro onorario? A meno che il tuo medico o il tuo avvocato sia un parente o un ottimo amico, è molto probabile che che non oseresti chiedere a uno di questi fornitori di servizi professionali di farti uno sconto, vero? Quindi, se ti consideri un traduttore professionista, com’è che continui a permettere agli altri di chiederti di ridurre le tue tariffe? Ma questa non è la cosa peggiore della situazione. Molti traduttori professionisti abbassano le proprie tariffe nel tentativo disperato di ottenere del lavoro.
I clienti chiedono sconti e i traduttori onorano le loro richieste sempre di più ogni giorno. Quando fornite uno sconto sui vostri servizi, concedete agli altri il permesso di pensare che i vostri servizi non valgano poi così tanto. E, sfortunatamente, questo trend si ripercuote negativamente sull’intero settore della traduzione e della localizzazione.
Date il giusto prezzo ai vostri servizi. Il prezzo che impostate per i vostri servizi deve essere stabilito dalla percezione del valore che i vostri clienti hanno nel rapporto fra ciò che ottengono e ciò che pagano. Soddisfate le aspettative dei vostri clienti? Con cosa se ne tornano a casa? Perché dovrebbero acquistare da voi e non dalla concorrenza?
Imparate a dire “no”. Quando riducete le vostre tariffe, mandate un segnale di sofferenza, che non riguarda soltanto voi ma l’intero settore. Quando riducete le vostre tariffe, anche solo una volta, diventa molto difficile dire di no la volta successiva a questo stesso cliente che ritorna per un altro lavoro. Uno dei miei più cari copywriter una volta mi ha detto quando gli ho chiesto di abbassare il prezzo che si sarebbe sentito molto a disagio con se stesso se l’avesse fatto. Ho apprezzato molto il suo approccio professionale alla base del suo lavoro.
Concentratevi sul vostro impegno a fornire valore. Quando sapete e avete la prova che ciò che state offrendo è di grande “valore” per i vostri clienti, accertatevi che ciò sia chiaramente visibile nella vostra fornitura di servizi. Invece di fare sconti sulle vostre tariffe per allinearvi alla concorrenza, concentratevi sulle caratteristiche a valore aggiunto. Pensate a dei modi con cui potreste fornire un pacchetto di servizi supplementari o creare varie offerte a vari livelli di prezzo in modo da venire incontro al budget del vostro cliente.
Migliorate la vostra offerta di servizi. Nell’economia odierna, vi sono così tanti prodotti e servizi che il mercato è semplicemente saturo. La traduzione viene vista da molti come una merce per il semplice motivo che tutti si concentrano sugli stessi “attributi.” La traduzione non dovrebbe mai seguire i modelli di marketing dei prodotti. Nell’offerta di servizi, la cosa importante è il “tocco speciale” che aggiungete alla vostra offerta. I vostri clienti cercano semplicemente qualcuno di cui potersi fidare. Vogliono accertarsi che siate affidabili, che forniate un lavoro di valore in modo costante e che ci siate sempre per loro. I vantaggi e le caratteristiche del servizio sono sempre dei fattori positivi di vendita. Ma un ottimo rapporto con il vostro cliente è meglio.
Concentratevi sul mercato di destinazione. Se vi chiedono di continuo di abbassare le vostre tariffe, molto probabilmente vi state rivolgendo ai clienti sbagliati. Chiedetevi se state perdendo tempo cercando di attirare clienti che non vogliono o non sono in gradi di pagare ciò che valete. Quando decidete di concentrarvi su un mercato di nicchia, è importante comprendere quali siano le preferenze dei vostri clienti. Inoltre, accertatevi di possedere le capacità e le competenze per fare un lavoro eccellente nel fornire traduzioni ad alto valore.
Create un marchio forte. Al pari delle grandi aziende che sviluppano il proprio marchio, anche i traduttori possono sviluppare un marchio forte e distintivo. Quando vi concentrate sullo sviluppo di un marchio forte, non solo diventerete facilmente riconoscibili, ma creerete anche un collegamento emotivo con i vostri clienti. La vostra concorrenza potrà tentare di replicare i vostri processi, modelli di lavoro, tecnologia ecc., ma sarà molto difficile che riproducano le convinzioni che avete stabilito nella mente dei vostri clienti.
Ricordate, quando vendiamo un prodotto o un servizio, non riguarda noi. Riguarda i nostri clienti. Concentratevi sulle necessità e sui desideri dei clienti e cercate sempre dei modi per migliorare il rapporto. In assenza di valore, il prezzo diventa il solo fattore decisionale. Non riducete le vostre tariffe; al contrario, aumentate la vostra competitività e le caratteristiche a valore aggiunto dei vostri servizi.
Articolo in lingua inglese comparso sul blog di Marcela Jenney.
antonella. (2010, June 09). Sei un traduttore professionista? Se lo sei, NON abbassare le tue tariffe di traduzione. Retrieved January 21, 2014, from antotranslation.com Web site: http://www.antotranslation.com/materiali/sei-un-traduttore-professionista-se-lo-sei-non-abbassare-le-tue-tariffe-di-traduzione.
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