“Can you give us a quote and a turnaround time?” As freelancers, we hear or read those words a lot: a client, or prospective client, has a document that they need translated, and they want to know about how long it’s going to take, and about how much it’s going to cost. So, when you’re on the receiving end of that request, what’s the best way to proceed? Let’s look at a few options.
You could pick up the phone. If you have a confident but non-pushy phone manner, a phone call makes an immediate personal connection. “Just wanted to touch base about your document and ask you a few questions that will help me get a better sense of what you’re looking for. What’s the purpose of the translation? What’s the deadline?” On the plus side, you’re making the effort to make this personal connection, and you’re getting a better sense of what the client is actually looking for (which may be different from what they think or say that they’re looking for). On the minus side, the potential client might view the call as mildly invasive (if they’re thinking “just tell me how long it’s going to take and how much it’s going to cost”). You also need to make sure that you don’t sound awkward or overly salesy on the phone.
You could give them a brief and direct answer. It’s going to cost X, and it’s going to take X business days from your go-ahead. On the plus side, this is easy for the client to digest and respects the client’s time. On the minus side, there is no engagement here: the interaction is purely transactional (price and speed), and in a sense, encourages the client to select a translator based simply on those transactional factors. As an aside, *never* give a hard deadline (“next Tuesday”), because you don’t know when the client is going to respond. Always frame it as “X days from your go-ahead.”
You could give them a less brief, but still direct answer. In my unscientific tests, I think that most clients respond better to multiple pricing options, even if the “options” are a bit of a stretch. For example if a client asks for a quote for a 10,000 word document, I’ll often say, “My normally turnaround time for 10,000 words is five business days, and the cost would be X. However I could potentially translate this in four business days, for which the cost would be X. And if you’re not on a tight deadline and you have eight business days, the cost would be X.” I think that simply seeing multiple options makes the client feel that you’re flexible (even if the prices are not wildly different), and avoids a “take it or leave it” feeling.
You could give a ballpark answer. It’s generally accepted in the negotiating world that the first person to say an actual number (“it’s going to cost…”) is at a disadvantage. Because if you quote less than what the client was willing to pay, you’ve left money on the table. This is tricky: while it’s certainly possible to ask the client, “What’s your budget?” or “If you work with translators now, what are you paying them?,” it’s generally the service-provider who is expected to say a number first. I like the “what’s your budget” approach in theory, but I’d be very turned off if I wanted to hire a new accountant, asked about her/his rates, and was then asked, “What were you planning on paying to get your taxes done?” It’s a little odd.
Leave a little wiggle room if you want to. When I give a quote to a new client who looks promising (meaning that I’m very interested in their work), I always include phrasing such as, “If this is outside your budget, just let me know and we can talk further.” I’m not saying, “If this is too expensive, just say the word and I’ll charge less.” I’m just saying that we can talk about it. Maybe I can negotiate a longer deadline; or maybe I can ask about their budget and suggest what I could do for that amount of money. You’re not required to leave wiggle room, but it’s an option.
Readers, any other thoughts on requests for quotes?
Hi Corinne,
I definitely agree on the multiple pricing options approach. Sometimes I give my clients a quote followed by another option if the deadline could be extended by X days. Other times I quote both per word rate and a flat rate, and let them choose. Not sure about the phone calls though — I tried a few times with different clients when I needed certain questions answered, and they were always either not available or annoyed when I called. Since then I decided that if the client likes to talk over the phone, they would be giving me a call first.
Thank you! Great examples!
I’m also one who thinks people who want to talk on the phone will either call directly in the first place or say it explicitly they contact you. “Call me at XXX” is something I’ve seen a few times.
On a different topic, I used to give clients pricing options, but stopped doing that.
I always quote with deadlines that allow me to fit other projects in my schedule. Otherwise I’m busy pretty much all the time, so a longer deadline doesn’t really add value to me, which is why I’m not a big fan of giving discounts for that. If my client needs their translation urgently, they’ll mention it and we can negociate a rush fee from there, if necessary.
Same thing goes for the “If this is outside your budget…”-type phrasing. Some people will see it, rightly or not, as a hint that you are willing to offer them a discount, and they’ll harass you until they get what they want.
Also, it might because it reminds me of my humble beginnings, but when people offer me their services and use that sort of phrasing, it makes feel like they’re a bit desperate. It doesn’t really encourage me to mail them back.
Clients who really are on a tight budget will generally mention it anyway, and it puts you in a stronger position if you need/want to.
Thanks, Anthony!
I classify these enquiries by the chances of my quote being accepted. In the past, I’ve spent hours preparing well-written quotes with carefully calculated costs and different options, only to receive a short: “sorry, you’re more expensive than the other quotes I’ve received”.
So now if I think there’s little chance of my quote being accepted, I shoot back a quick “it’ll cost you X and I’ll deliver by Y days after receiving your confirmation”.
If I think there’s more of a chance, then I’ll engage first with the potential client about the target audience, ask if there are any house style requirements, publishing guidelines, etc. to show I mean business. Then, depending on the response, I’ll take time to draw up a quote with options, and probably deliver it as a PDF, not in the email itself.
My second tactic is equivalent to your picking up the phone, Corinne, and I think that’s a good approach, too.
Thanks, Emma! I agree that (anecdotally), when a new client’s first question is “how much will it cost,” they’re generally pretty price-sensitive. I agree that if you have a sense that they are looking for something quick and inexpensive, it’s best not to sink tons of time into the quote.
Good post, as always.
Sometimes, I think that some clients are only “fishing” for quote so they do not have to spend the time and effort doing it, without any promise that the translator who helps them figure out the word count will be the one to get the job if approved. My experience is that a red flag for this is when clients push for “exact word count” and refuse to accept a straightforward quote.
Any other thoughts?
Thanks, Ying. Hmm, not sure; I had never really thought about that. The kinds of things I translate don’t generally require complicated word counts (Word documents or pretty straightforward PDFs), but I agree that I would not sink an enormous amount of time into a quote without knowing the client’s level of seriousness.
Hi Corinne,
Thank you for these hands-on tips. I like the less brief but still direct option. The thing with writing medium-sized messages is that it helps show concern and professionalism. I also like the idea of giving a call. Although It may display a needy and pushy character, talking to the client on the phone can be reassuring especially in first deal cases.
My recipe will be to combine some of these options to give leeway to the client to choose. We always have a menu to choose from in the restaurant, don’t we ? 😉
Cheers,
Thierry B.
Thanks, Thierry! Yes, very good point!
I am new in this industry. Yes exactly the phrase “Can you give us a quote and a turnaround time? is the classic clients’s request. I used to give a price for standard translation and urgent translation per example 30%. And i avoid phones call, is this good? Thank you Corrine
Thanks, Nikolaos! The answer to almost any pricing/client relations question is, “it depends on your clients and your own preferences.” Some clients would never pay a rush charge; some will pay huge rush charges because they really want you to work on their documents. Some clients want to talk on the phone and some don’t; I think it’s more a matter of actively looking for clients who “click” with the way you want to work.