Ways to Find and Keep Well-Paying Clients
When yo
u work in the translation industry it is best if you can find clients that will always have translation assignments for you and better yet, to have the ones that will keep coming back to you for the outstanding quality of your translation. To help you find and keep your most valuable customers, we suggest these simple to follow strategies:• Prioritize the deadline – Always have in mind that your clients also have a deadline too. Besides producing an exceptional translation, you should also precisely meet these deadlines.
• Be available to your clients – make your contact information accessible to a client, if they can easily reach you, they’ll keep coming back to you for more projects. (E.g. remember to set up your e-mail signature with your fast response phone number, correct e-mail address and even a fax number. Thus, any time a client needs your help with any project, they will know how and where to find you).
• Following instructions – No matter how challenging keeping up with a client’s instructions can be, you must be capable to follow them. Do things exactly the way they have asked you to do, even if you consider them unnecessary. Paying attention to little details such as adding your initials in the file name can save your client’s time and avoid needless misunderstandings.
• Providing referrals – You should not worry about providing referrals to your clients of other translators who work with the same language combination as you do. Instead, provide any information necessary to make your client trust in you. In case you cannot accomplish the work in time, let your client be aware of that ahead of time, and help them find another translator to have the job completed. After all a client’s work needs to be done even if you’re not available to accomplish it.
• Ask for Feedback – Asking for a constructive criticism is all part of the process of a well done translation. If a client asks you to make changes or corrections in your translation, do it respectfully and instantly. Remember to always ask a client what is really important for them and what best meet their needs.
• Show appreciation to your clients – They are the ones that keep you making your flexible and self-sustained life style. Remember to demonstrate your gratitude to them by sending holiday cards for example. They will certainly think of that as a respectful way of being thankful for their partnership with you.
• Earn what you’re worth – Don’t bargain your rates with clients, instead prove to them that they will get a high level of service for the money they have paid for.
By following these tips the CTP team believes that you can find and maintain respectable clients and develop a long-term and honest partnership with them.
By Vanessa Greenway, CTP Associate
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Tags: Ways to find and keep well-Paying Clients, Translation Clients, Translator Training, Translation Career Tips, Translation Resources, Translation, Successful Translator.
