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tranfree issue 18 - 5th September 2000
A Serious Business - but not everyone seems to agreeby Alex Eames Just back from summer holiday and the same thing's happened again this year. Two of the jobs we turned down while we were away, from two of our regular clients have come back to us. The first one because somebody, who committed to doing the job, while we were travelling back, had missed the deadline and wouldn't be able to deliver the goods until 8pm this evening. So the client phoned us at 4pm asking if we could do it. So we said "yes we should be able to do that". So we did it for them. So the client crossed one more translator (competitor) off their books as a possible supplier. It hurts me to say that happened to a fellow translator, but that's what you get if you don't... The other client -- one of our big ones -- has just given me 14,000 words of "English" to edit by Monday (it's Friday) which I really could have done without. After spending an hour on the phone, the client was practically begging me to take it. He's committed to a contract and the translator had supplied a very poor quality product. It isn't really English at all -- it's "third language" --
definitely wasn't done by a native English person as the
translator promised. It needed a complete rewrite. Not only that
but there were at least 5 mistakes -- spelling, typos, etc. on
every page. No spell-checker used here -- perhaps they didn't
have an English one since they were obviously not native?
On top of this poor quality, the files were delivered three days late too! This is two cardinal sins compounded into one job. It looks like they were so pushed for time that they haven't even read through it after finishing. To make matters worse, the agency has been trying to reach him for the last two days to get help straightening out the shambles -- and he's not been answering the phone. What could they do? Only one option -- give it to somebody you know is reliable.
Unfortunately I don't want it! So they've offered me a small
fortune for doing it and I still don't want it. I eventually accepted the project. Not for the money -- I don't really care about that - I'm so busy writing my next book - and the deadline's looming. No I accepted it because they are a really good and long-standing client. They have been a good solid earner for us for the last six years and this is my chance to show them how much I appreciate it by getting them out of a really big... I said something about this last year in tranfree. Sometimes when you go away and your clients are forced to use other people, it can actually work in your favour because it reminds them what a breath of fresh air it is to work with you. It's a huge compliment for them to say to you when you get back... "We've missed you. The person we used while you were away was terrible. Late, rude, not properly done etc." Our strongest area is the relationship with the client. If the client feels looked after... your future as a supplier is assured. If I tell the client that the file will be delivered by 10am Monday -- it darned well will. No excuses, no exceptions! Even if I don't sleep all week-end it has to happen. If you give your word, you keep it. OR ELSE! Some people just don't get it. There's an awful lot of people out there who don't take business seriously and that's scary. I hear people bleating in newsgroups about how our profession is not treated with the respect we deserve. With individuals like the above two cases is that exactly a big surprise? In a word - NO! I'm sure you're not like this, but how can people expect to succeed in business if they behave like that? How can you expect to succeed in business if you don't treat your clients seriously? I'll answer that... If you don't treat your clients right and have a professional relationship with them, you don't deserve to succeed... and you won't! So next time you're thinking of going on holiday...
...you really have NOTHING TO FEAR from the competition. I'm probably preaching to the converted here, if so forgive me... I find it incredible that there's seemingly so few people out there who are capable of delivering the goods. It seems incomprehensible to me. I really don't understand it. As far as I can see there's nothing particularly special about what I do. I don't undersell myself -- but the quality of the translations we do are probably no better or worse than 80% of tranfree subscribers, but it's packaged differently. The packaging is a lifetime relationship built on long-term principles of business. That is my biggest secret. Every time you interact with a client they are evaluating you sub-consciously for the next assignment. If you treat all your client interactions with one eye on the next assignment, it will revolutionise the way you do business! This is the most important element of my business philosophy. To find out how to implement it the way I do, check out my e-book... How to Earn $80,000+ per Year as a Freelance Translator http://www.translatortips.net/ht50.html
Alex Eames is the founder of translatortips.com, |
...deliver on your promises!
...hole. I feel obliged to take it.