5 reasons why you're failing to recruit clients. No.5 is hard to spot.
October 14, 2014
by Ofer Tirosh
Recruiting clients can be a tricky business, but it’s something that every freelance professional translator must master if they are to succeed.
So why is it that some translators seem to effortlessly pick up clients whenever they need to, while others struggle with it? Here we look at five possible reasons why you might be failing to recruit new clients and provide some quick fixes to help you improve your approach.
#1 Price
The problem: If you pitch your price for new work too high, you are in danger of pricing yourself out of the market and frightening off new clients before you’ve even had a chance to show them what a good translator you are. Paradoxically, set your rate too low and potential clients might see your service as being of inferior quality.
The solution: Check your competitors’ websites and marketing materials to find out what they charge, then set your price accordingly. That way you can gauge your rate to ensure that you are charging a fair price.
#2 Lack of credibility
The problem: Most potential new clients will know nothing or little about you at the point you are trying to win them over and may be nervous about putting their work into the hands of a stranger.
The solution: Gather together a portfolio of testimonials from satisfied clients and put them on your website and other marketing materials for the world to see. After all, if you don’t shout about your own abilities and success, nobody else will either.
#3 Misdirected marketing
The problem: Being a freelance translator doesn’t automatically make you a marketing expert, so perhaps your marketing efforts are being misdirected and potential clients are not coming across you.
The solution(s):
• Again, check out the competition and take a closer look at those you find first, as clearly their marketing efforts are working the best.
• Be sure to have a website, even if it’s just a basic brochure site.
• Brush up your marketing skills by becoming familiar with social media marketing techniques.
• Use a blog on your website to boost up the search engine rankings and be keyword-savvy in what you write on it for maximum effect.
• Market yourself on relevant online forums. Look into language based forums rather than just translation ones, as it might be that a proofreading forum has translation opportunities that many of your competitors miss.
#4 Special skills
The problem: Potential clients are finding you, but turning away as they believe you don’t have the specialist skills that they are looking for.
The solution: List on your marketing materials every kind of translation that you undertake. Don’t just state that you are a translator, specify that your experience includes insurance document translation, medical translation, patent translation… whatever they may be, ensure that your special skills are highlighted on your website and other marketing materials. Use social media to further this cause by joining groups and forums specific to your translation expertise.
#5 That certain something
The problem: Potential clients are put off by your uber-professional manner, which is masking your friendly personality.
The solution: Allow your personality to shine through on your marketing collateral. Let potential clients get a feel for you and your manner, so that they can see you as someone that they want to engage with, who will do a good job and who will be a lovely person to deal with. Perhaps offer a ‘free first 100 words’ or something else to engage them, so that they can experience first-hand what a pleasure you are to work with, then keep coming back for more.
What are your tips for recruiting new clients? What do you find has worked best? Let us know your thoughts by leaving a comment in the box.
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Okay regarding 1 through 4, with a caveat on #1: Be careful on what you consider your "competitors" (I consider them my colleagues). Set your prices based only on those adopted by people who do the same work you do, with the same level of quality, customer service, reliability, timeliness, etc.
I disagree with #5 as stated here. Your personality is not as important as the attitudes behind it.
Some prospects will try to lure you into some kind of smartness wrestling, viz. which party manages to trick the other into compromising (they'll try to make you lower your rates, extend their payment term, provide faster turnaround, give freebies, etc.). Regardless of who wins, a win-lose outcome does not lead to a sustainable business relationship. As soon as I realize that this is the game being played, I simply step out. No point in wasting time.
The special something is being knowledgeable about what you do. If the client knew as much about translation as you do, they'd do it themselves. Be helpful and honest, guiding them to the best solution for their needs/wants, even if it means that you'll be making less money from this job. If you really help them, they'll keep you so busy that, at the end of the month, you'll be making much more money than otherwise.
Knowledgeability justifies assertiveness. If you know so much about your work to give them reliable and useful advice, you should know exactly how much you should charge and when. Always make your work be worth every dime they pay you, however your price should not be negotiable. If they tell you they can get it cheaper, let them do it! You don't know what the cheaper vendor actually delivers; give them a chance to find out. (From my experience, if you played it right, quite often they'll return to you; there's no free lunch.)
If you must choose, let your relentlessly uncompromising ethics show through, before you let your personality out. If that prospect doesn't like your ethics, you wouldn't like to have them as a client anyway. Strive for win-win relationships every time.