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tranfree issue 45 - 28 January 2002
Comments On Airport Marketing
By Alex Eames
The airport marketing idea (from tranfree 44) was discussed
in an online forum. Some interesting comments were made by a few
rather vocal individuals. But nobody wrote to me directly about
this 
One or two people said that they consider it unprofessional to
approach people at airports. Fair enough, if you don't like it,
don't do it! After all it's only an idea.
Other people said they'd already been doing this and that it
worked very well. 
And other people said things like...
"Hurrah for Alex for ceaselessly coming up
with ideas to help out."
Whichever camp you fit into, all ideas should be carefully
thought about before they are implemented. If you don't
like an idea, obviously you're completely free to not use it.
Clarification
Just to clarify, though. I do not suggest you take
200 brochures and business cards and...
...give them out randomly to people at
airports. That would be pointless and just annoy a bunch of
people. It might even get you in trouble with airport security.
What I do advocate though is, when you are in the departure
lounge, if you see someone who looks like a business-person, you
can...
- go over and sit near them
- strike up a conversation
- ask them if they ever need translation services
- give them a brochure and business card
...but do it sensitively. If they don't want to know, look around
for another possibility.
Unprofessional - My Foot
I don't think that kind of approach is in any way unprofessional.
But if you disagree with me, feel free not to do it
You could get a new client that may be worth thousands to you.
There are many people who would not feel comfortable doing this
because of the direct personal contact. Fair enough. I completely
understand.
I dislike phoning people 'cold', so I don't do it, even though I
know other people use this technique successfully. Perhaps you
should stick to the email approach using tranmail...
http://www.translatortips.net/tranmail.html
No Dictators
But most importantly of all. Do not be dictated to by me or
any other individual about what is and what is not professional
behaviour. Some things are obviously unprofessional e.g...
- turning in a project 3 days late
- being rude to a client
- poor quality work
Most countries have a professional association which may be
beneficial for you to join. Most of these associations have some
kind of 'code of practice'. I have yet to find an association
which forbids or even disapproves of this kind of marketing. And
why would they?
If you strike up a conversation with somebody anywhere...
- at an airport
- on the train
- on a bus
- at a party
- in the pub
...the first thing they usually ask you is what you do for a
living. So when you tell them you're a translator, if they show
any interest at all, the right thing to do is offer them a
business card. In my opinion it would be unprofessional not to
have a card with you when someone shows an interest.
In any event, most of the world's professional translators
associations do not have significant legal power to regulate the
translation industry (Canada and Germany are exceptions I
believe). I'm not sure if this is a good or bad thing.
At the end of the day, you must do what you think is right for
you, your situation and your culture. If it works for you, and if
it's legal and moral, don't let anybody tell you it's
unprofessional. We're all different after all.
So What do You Think?
If you feel one way or the other about this issue, please come
and have your say at...
http://tranfree.com/airport.html
...it only takes a few seconds. It'll be interesting to see what
the majority view is. The results will be in the next tranfree,
even if you all disagree with me
Alex Eames is the founder of translatortips.com,
editor of tranfree and author of the eBook...
How to Earn $80,000+ Per Year as a Freelance Translator
http://www.translatortips.net/ht50.html
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