Finding new customers Thread poster: Marcia Nunziato
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Hi folks,
I have been working exclusively as a freelance translator since 2019 and I could build a basis of approx. 10 customers who send me a different work load with a certain regularity.
In the last weeks I have noticed a significant reduction of job offers and I am looking for new customers (of course, I keep in contact with my regular customers as well).
Probably the best thing to do is contacting the different agencies (the Blue Board is an important ... See more Hi folks,
I have been working exclusively as a freelance translator since 2019 and I could build a basis of approx. 10 customers who send me a different work load with a certain regularity.
In the last weeks I have noticed a significant reduction of job offers and I am looking for new customers (of course, I keep in contact with my regular customers as well).
Probably the best thing to do is contacting the different agencies (the Blue Board is an important tool) to offer my services. And I do that very often.
I was just wondering if you would have any other suggestion. Maybe other web sites where you also find jobs, besides proz.
Thank you!
Márcia
[Edited at 2023-03-07 22:13 GMT] ▲ Collapse
| | | | Baran Keki 
Türkiye
Local time: 14:07
Member
English to Turkish
You seem to be a paid member of this website since 2007 and your bio says you have '30 years of experience'.
I don't know what you did between 2007 and 2019, but I know what I did in those years (well, between 2007 and 2017 actually), I slaved myself away as an in-house translator in a lowly paid job. If only I'd discovered this website then (2007), I'd have got myself in a privileged position in every fabled 'boutique agency' and probably salted away a cool million in the bank by now. I ... See more You seem to be a paid member of this website since 2007 and your bio says you have '30 years of experience'.
I don't know what you did between 2007 and 2019, but I know what I did in those years (well, between 2007 and 2017 actually), I slaved myself away as an in-house translator in a lowly paid job. If only I'd discovered this website then (2007), I'd have got myself in a privileged position in every fabled 'boutique agency' and probably salted away a cool million in the bank by now. I curse myself everyday for my voluntary bondage, and I only have myself to blame. And it looks like this way for you as well. If you failed to take advantage of the 'golden years' of freelancing before the advent of MT and before the market got saturated by those trying their hands at translation by clicking on that 'join us button', you'll find that finding clients are getting more and more difficult by the year.
Sorry I haven't been helpful, but I'm sure you'll lots of good advice from certain members soon.
Happy Women's Day.
[Edited at 2023-03-08 07:40 GMT] ▲ Collapse
| | | | Mehmood Ahmad (X)
Canada
Local time: 16:07
English to Japanese
+ ...
| Finding new customers | Mar 8, 2023 |
I think you should contact different translation agencies directly and convince them to start collaboration with you. Myself I'm not that much experienced because I'm newbie since 2019 March. But last year in 2022 I made good enough revenue by working with oneforma [translation agency]
[Edited at 2023-03-08 07:34 GMT]
| | | | Zuzanna Morawka
Sweden
Local time: 13:07
Member (2022)
Swedish to Polish
+ ...
| Blue Board and maybe a database of translators | Mar 8, 2023 |
Hi!
I am a new translator trying to find my way in the translation industry so my tips might not be of much help to you. Still, what I do is applying to different agencies that have a good rating on the Blue Board. In that way I'm hoping to minimize the risk of working with unserious agencies. I don't have any direct customers at the moment and that's a challenge for me to find them.
Another tip that I have is that maybe there is some kind of database of translators in your country... See more Hi!
I am a new translator trying to find my way in the translation industry so my tips might not be of much help to you. Still, what I do is applying to different agencies that have a good rating on the Blue Board. In that way I'm hoping to minimize the risk of working with unserious agencies. I don't have any direct customers at the moment and that's a challenge for me to find them.
Another tip that I have is that maybe there is some kind of database of translators in your country? Then I guess that could help you in that people could find you easily and approach you when they need your services. Wish you luck! ▲ Collapse
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I have been translating for over 40 years and although over the years work has always been a roller coaster I’ve been noticing since Covid-19 and the war in Ukraine that the ride is even bumpier: a good month is followed by a bad one. What should we do? Just be patient is my motto.
P.S. I am a member of other platforms, but I must say that I have been less successful there…
| | | | Tom in London
United Kingdom
Local time: 12:07
Member (2008)
Italian to English
| I'd put it differently | Mar 8, 2023 |
I'd put it differently: it's the customers who should find you.
This depends on the quality and uptodateness of your profile.
Think of your profile as a shop window.
Lots of people pass by every day.
Is there anything special or out of the ordinary that might attract their attention?
That's what you need. Offer something not all translators can offer.
And then - as others have said - wait patiently. New clients don'... See more I'd put it differently: it's the customers who should find you.
This depends on the quality and uptodateness of your profile.
Think of your profile as a shop window.
Lots of people pass by every day.
Is there anything special or out of the ordinary that might attract their attention?
That's what you need. Offer something not all translators can offer.
And then - as others have said - wait patiently. New clients don't come along every day.
[Edited at 2023-03-08 13:30 GMT] ▲ Collapse
| | | | | Combination of patience, luck, searching, and being found | Mar 8, 2023 |
Tom is right: you need a good “shop window.” And that may include other platforms, like Zuzanna and Maria said, but might also include professional memberships! Perhaps Brazil has a national translators’ association? Or you could try FIT or the ATA? My experience is that there is always a steady trickle of clients who find translators through these associations.
Also, what about your own website, for example? If a client hears about you, but doesn’t find you when they searc... See more Tom is right: you need a good “shop window.” And that may include other platforms, like Zuzanna and Maria said, but might also include professional memberships! Perhaps Brazil has a national translators’ association? Or you could try FIT or the ATA? My experience is that there is always a steady trickle of clients who find translators through these associations.
Also, what about your own website, for example? If a client hears about you, but doesn’t find you when they search your name online, that may not be helpful.
In parallel, try direct acquisition: Who are the clients you have and like working with? What other companies are in the same field and may therefore also need translators? If you do it professionally, introducing yourself with a CV and a thoughtful pitch to the right person, they may remember you when they next need someone. ▲ Collapse
| | | | Lieven Malaise
Belgium
Local time: 13:07
Member (2020)
French to Dutch
+ ...
You might need some patience. You are basically only 3 years fully active as a full-time freelancer. It took me almost 15 years to double my income from an acceptable one (meaning I could make a living out of it, but not much more) to a really good one.
I read on these pages that the 'golden years' are over, but I can't relate. As far as I'm concerned my golden years begun four or five years ago and are continuing until today. From time to time I'm being contacted by a promising new... See more You might need some patience. You are basically only 3 years fully active as a full-time freelancer. It took me almost 15 years to double my income from an acceptable one (meaning I could make a living out of it, but not much more) to a really good one.
I read on these pages that the 'golden years' are over, but I can't relate. As far as I'm concerned my golden years begun four or five years ago and are continuing until today. From time to time I'm being contacted by a promising new customer (I don't talk about the spam from low-cost losers here). This doesn't happen very often (once a year or so, although exceptionally already three times this year, of which 2 are very promising), but rare cases aside that customer always becomes a regular. This is probably so because in 90% of the cases that new customer has a connecton with one of my regular or old customers (mouth-to-mouth, project managers leaving agencies for another one, etcetera).
To achieve that I think you have to deliver high quality work (stating the obvious here).
What can help to further please customers: be available. Sounds also obvious, isn't it ? But it actually isn't. If you have a low production per day, you are only moderately available. For example, if you have an output of 4500 new words per day, you can accept a lot of work. Project managers like that. If they are happy with the quality you deliver, they are even happier with the comfort of immediately sending new job offers to you. Work generates more work.
This might all sound pretty vague, but there are no fast passes here. In the end we all have to figure it out on our own. ▲ Collapse
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S_G_C
Romania
Local time: 14:07
English to Romanian
Marcia Nunziato wrote: Probably the best thing to do is contacting the different agencies (the Blue Board is an important tool) to offer my services. And I do that very often. Márcia [Edited at 2023-03-07 22:13 GMT]
I've done this several times over the years and NOTHING has come out of it. I have NEVER secured any job via proz.com despite my CV getting to numberless agencies across the globe.
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