Training for Translators

Classes for translators and interpreters

Marketing


Corinne McKay

Really short marketing e-mails: don’t overthink it

Many freelance translators are overthinkers. Wanting to get it just right turns into lots of obsessing over 37 ways the idea could go wrong, soliciting the opinions of 93 colleagues, burning the project to the ground and starting from scratch, etc. Overthinking gets in the way of lots of things, but most of all it hinders effective marketing. Why? Because one of the keys to effective marketing is simply to market. Many freelancers are failing at marketing. Not (not) because they market in ineffective ways, but because they don’t market at all.

Here’s one way around the overthinking trap. Note that I said “one way.” Not “the best way” or “the only way,” but one way. Write really short marketing e-mails that leave very little room for overthinking. Like this:

“Dear Mr. Lewis, I am a German to English medical translator and recently came across your website while researching medical device companies. Would you be the right person to speak to about offering my translation services?”

“Dear Ms. Thomas, I am an Italian to English medical translator and recently came across your agency’s website. I live in the San Diego area and enjoy working with local agencies. Are you currently recruiting translators in my language and specialization?”

“Dear Ms. Phillips, I am an English to Spanish translator specializing in education. I’m interested in offering my translation services to your textbook company. Would you be the right person to speak to about that?”

These e-mails are not:

  • warm
  • intended to create a connection with the recipient
  • intended to show that you researched the potential client, other than their basic line of business

However, they have a few advantages:

  • They’re short, to the point, and they respect the recipient’s time. When you write a) a long e-mail, to b) someone you don’t know, and you’re c) trying to sell something, the chances of the recipient reading to the end are near zero. This kind of e-mail avoids that problem.
  • They take very little time to write, but they show that you know something about the potential client; they’re much better than a “Dear Sir or Madam” e-mail.
  • They don’t demand an extensive response from the recipient. Again, a “can you please give me your take on my life story” e-mail will almost certainly be deleted by anyone who doesn’t know you. But this type of e-mail invites the recipient to respond in a similarly concise way. “Sure!” “Try contacting the marketing department at…” or “We have someone right now, but I’ll save your contact info” would all be acceptable responses, and all take about 30 seconds to write.

So again, this is not an artisanal approach to marketing. It’s kind of the antithesis of the free sample translation pitch, where you’re investing a lot of time before you even contact the client. But if you just need to do something to avoid overthinking your marketing efforts, you could try this.


Corinne McKay

Selling the result

Here’s a basic but critical mistake that lots of freelancers make when marketing to direct clients. When the client asks, for example, “Why should we hire you?,” the freelancer’s answer promotes a) their life story, or b) their process. Don’t do this (we’ll talk about why). Instead, sell the result of your services, so that the client clearly sees what’s in it for them.

Let’s take a closer look. Back to the question from our prospective client. “We’re looking at a few different translators. Maybe we don’t even need this translated. Why should we hire you?” Here’s how many freelance translators would respond:

“Because I’ve been a translator for over 10 years and I specialize in your industry. I have a Master’s in Translation and I’m certified.”

OR

“Because I translate over 3,000 words a day and I have all the latest software. I use the market leader translation memory tools. I’ve been building up my glossaries for the last 10 years, and I use many specialized dictionaries as well.”

What’s wrong with these kinds of pitches? Well, a few things. For example, many direct clients may not know (or, for that matter, care) what translation memory software is. But the root of the problem is that these pitches fail to show the client what’s in it for them. The client might extrapolate those advantages. Using a certified translator with 10 years’ experience should mean that the person is competent. The fact that the translator’s software is up to date is impressive. But that’s counting on a client to make connections that they shouldn’t have to make. What if our translator answered the client’s question like this:

“Why work with me? Because I help you market with confidence in Latin America.”

“Because I help you feel confident when you walk into a meeting with foreign investors.”

“Because I keep your social media presence engaging and consistent across languages.”

“Because content marketing is the new advertising, and I help you do that effectively in English.”

“Because I help Spanish speakers find you instead of your competition.”

These are exaggerated examples. But the point is: sell the result. Show the client what’s in it for them, and leave your life story and the process for later in the conversation, if the client wants to hear about them.

Here’s a humorous example from another sector. A friend of mine who’s a therapist put it this way. Not many people wake up in the morning thinking, “You know what would make today great? A relationship counseling session.” But if you look at the results end of that thought, *many* people wake up in the morning, thinking, “I wish I could talk to my spouse about money without arguing. I wish we didn’t have the same disagreements over and over again. I wish we had more time to do fun things together instead of talking about the appliances and the kids’ sports schedules.” So, instead of pitching “Don’t you want to come in and pay me to listen to your relationship problems,” or “I have a Master’s degree in Counseling, come see me,” the therapist could pitch, “Have you ever wished you could talk to your spouse about money without arguing? Have you ever wished you could resolve those recurring arguments and get back to having fun together, like when you first met?” See how those two pitches, for the same service, are radically different?

So, try it. Even if one of the sample pitches I wrote feels a little salesy to you, try selling the result. “Why hire me? Because dealing with translation isn’t your job, and it can feel really stressful and confusing when you don’t know much about it. So that’s my job: doing a great translation, on time, so that you can focus on what you do best.”

Readers, over to you: any thoughts on this approach?


Corinne McKay

Finding your first translation clients: three ideas

“I know I can do this job, but clients don’t want to hire me without experience. So how do I get experience without experience?” This chicken/egg dilemma stymies many beginning freelancers, and it’s admittedly hard to find a way out. High-quality agencies often require at least three years of experience, and they’re the clients that many translators prefer to work for, so they receive lots of applications and can afford to be choosy. However, there *are* lots of other options, most involving excellent language skills, creativity, perseverance, and being able/willing to outlast the competition. Based on my own experience, and on advice that I’ve given to students over the years, here are three potential strategies:

  • Work the local market
  • Work for big agencies that base their hiring mainly on their own tests and are always looking for new translators
  • Develop a micro-niche and market yourself as *the translator* for that niche

With the caveat that all of these have their pluses and minuses, let’s take a closer look at each one.

Working the local market

Even in the online age, many clients are still more likely to take a chance on someone they’ve met in person. When I started freelancing in 2002, I knew I could do this job. I already had a Bachelor’s and a Master’s in French and had done a translation course and a translation internship during my study abroad year in France, plus some small translation jobs for friends. But I had pretty much zero real client experience. When you’re a beginner and you don’t have tons of work, one thing you do have a surplus of is time. So, I contacted every translation agency or other potential client (i.e. the local chapter of the Alliance Française) within an hour’s drive of my house and asked for an informational interview. I pitched it as, “I’m a new translator in the area and I’d love to learn a little more about your business and how I might fit in.”

Be prepared: the majority of your contacts may respond in a noncommittal or lukewarm way. “We’re not looking for additional translators in your language pair right now.” “We don’t have much work into English.” “We only use people with three years’ experience.” No problem; show up anyway if they’ll meet with you. I did this, arriving with business cards, a small gift (perhaps chocolate…now I can’t really remember) and a prop, in the form of a binder that I had loaded with printed copies of the few translations I had already done. I had a list of questions prepared, about the agency’s primary specializations, biggest growth areas, the best way to break in as a newbie, and so on. And, either surprisingly or not surprisingly, I ended up receiving work from nearly every agency I went to meet with. At some point, they landed a large project for French to English and needed to quickly add more translators. Or one of their stalwart French to English people wasn’t available, or raised their rates, or took an in-house job. Or they had a rush project on a Friday afternoon and their other regulars didn’t want it, and I was motivated (and hungry). Whatever the case, I probably visited six potential clients and ended up getting work from five of them.

If you’d like to pursue this route, look for agencies through the ATA corporate members directory, your local association directory, local cultural associations for your languages, etc.

Apply to large agencies

We all know the downsides of this one: large agencies tend to pay lower rates than smaller agencies do, they often require high-volume work with a fast turnaround, and they are often impersonal to work with. But large agencies have a few major pluses if you’re a beginner.

First, many large agencies base their hiring primarily or even exclusively on their own tests. The three years of experience, certification, Master’s in translation-type requirements are less likely to be a factor for big agencies, depending on your languages and specializations. Second, big agencies are always looking for new translators because people tend to work for theses types of agencies for a while and then move on. Third, big agencies are good “filler” clients because you can take work from them when you’re available and decline when you’re not available. A few recent students have told me that some of their large agency clients have even moved to assigning jobs through an online portal that you log in to and browse the available projects (even less personal than the old mass e-mails!). But these factors can make large agencies a good starter client or fill-in client for someone in their first few years of freelancing, or someone who combines freelancing with another job or with going to school.

If you’d like to pursue this route, Common Sense Advisory produces a yearly report on the 100 largest language services providers (their term: I prefer “agency”). The current year’s report is available only to their paying subscribers, but you can access the 2012 report for free.

Cultivate a micro-niche and look for direct clients

The direct-to-direct client route can work. I wrote about it here, and the comments were really interesting. It’s worth noting that one of the most common comments from experienced translators was, “I started that way, and I wouldn’t do it again, but it worked” (kind of how I feel about our fixer-upper house: never again, but it worked!).

But here’s my suggestion: if you’re a beginner, you can increase your chances of success and decrease your learning curve by targeting the direct client market in a micro-niche. Pick a topic you know a lot about, and/or that you love to research. Then, instead of “translator with minimal experience, now serving Fortune 500 clients with an enormous risk of failure,” you’re:

  • “Helping German companies craft outstanding press releases in English”
  • “Helping ski resorts welcome Latin American tourists with outstanding Spanish web copy”
  • “Helping US-based Airbnb hosts appeal to Japanese guests with engaging property descriptions in Japanese”
  • “Helping French universities expand their international programs with marketing materials in English”
  • “Helping Italian cooking schools attract English-speaking participants with YouTube videos in English”

By targeting a micro-niche, you do a few things. First, you cut down on analysis paralysis because you know who to market to. Rather than wondering where to start with companies that need pharmaceutical translation, you make a list of cooking schools in Italy, or hot spring resorts in Japan, or horse breeders in Kentucky, or whatever your niche is, and you contact them directly. Second, your translations will be better because you’re working in a small niche in which you can become an expert (and don’t forget to work with an editor for direct client work!). Third, it’s easier to market a niche business through techniques that pull clients to you, such as an SEO-optimized website, Google or Facebook ads, attending trade fairs for that industry, and so on. It’s almost impossible for a freelancer to budget for keywords like “German translator,” but niche keywords are a lot more affordable.

I’ve been thinking a lot about micro-niches lately, because one of my own micro-niches is helping French universities market their international programs in English. At the ATA conference, I was interested to see a few presentations on micro-niches (I went to an excellent one on translating for the cruise industry by Jeana Clark and Esma Gregor). Micro-niches can work well for experienced translators too, but I think that they are an especially appealing option for beginners who have some knowledge of, or interest in, a specific subject area.

I used all of these techniques (to a greater or lesser extent) when I launched my freelance business in 2002. But I’m also interested to hear from readers who have tried these techniques, or who have other creative suggestions for getting around the chicken/egg issue.


Corinne McKay

Speaking of Translation: translating outside the box

Eve Bodeux and I just released a new episode of our podcast, Speaking of Translation; here it is! We are also on iTunes if you’d like to subscribe to us there.

In this episode, Eve and Corinne discuss how to identify, market to, and successfully work in non-traditional translation specializations. Drawing on their own experiences translating children’s books, personality tests, university marketing materials, and zombie role-playing games (really!), Eve and Corinne offer ideas of other non-traditional specializations that translators might want to pursue, along with some pluses and minuses of working in the non-traditional market.

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Translating outside the box


Corinne McKay

Six figures as a translator: how to get there?

Earning six figures (meaning over $100,000 US dollars per year) is a significant goal for lots of freelancers. It’s an ambitious but achievable goal for most translators and interpreters who are good at their work, are ambitious, have good business skills, and are willing to work hard. One confusing thing in our industry is that there are lots of paths to six figures; if it were as simple as “raise your rates,” or “work longer hours,” the goal wouldn’t be so daunting. Let’s look at three ways you might hit the six-figure mark in the next year. If you’d like a first-person account of the six-figure journey, read this excellent post by Spanish translator Paula Arturo.

Work for agencies, and work a lot
I’m not saying this is the preferred path, but it’s a path. I know several translators who work exclusively for agencies and make six figures, because they aim for the high end of the agency market and they work a lot. To do this, you have to have a high tolerance for being in the translation trenches; you have to be willing to crank out 3,000+ words a day, every single day, and you can’t take a ton of vacation. But if you prefer working for agencies, your administrative overhead is a lot lower than someone who works with direct clients. You might only issue a few invoices a month, and you might spend little to no time marketing.

The risk here is burnout: just make sure that in your six-figure quest, you’re not sacrificing your enthusiasm for the job, the quality of your work, or your future sustainability. You also want to pay attention to your vulnerability to client vicissitudes. If you’re working for four agencies and earning 25% of your revenue from each one, think about what you’d do if a client lowered their maximum rate for your language pair, or lost the end client that you primarily work for, or stopped sending you work all together.

Work for at least some direct clients
If there’s one major downside to the “work for agencies, and work a lot” model, it’s that your options, if you choose that route, are fairly narrow. Translate, translate, and translate some more, until you reach your target income. By working for higher-paying clients, you open up various options: you can work the same amount and earn more money, or work less and earn the same amount of money, or use the higher-paying clients to “subsidize” lower-paying work that you take on just because you enjoy it.

Realistically, hitting six figures gets a lot easier if you work with at least some direct clients. Make sure to account for the fact that direct client work is often more time-consuming than agency work. You may be doing a lot more than just translating. When I entered the direct client market, I also found that I worked a lot more slowly, because more of my direct clients used my translations for publication or distribution (grant applications, program reports, etc.) rather than for in-house, informational purposes. Remember that direct clients come in many forms; for example I do a lot of work for individual clients, and I really enjoy it. Direct clients don’t have to be Fortune 500 companies, and many freelancers fail in the direct client market by aiming too high, targeting clients that need more (volume, availability, languages) than a freelancer can realistically deliver.

Another caveat here: working with direct clients isn’t an all or nothing proposition. I work with both agencies and direct clients, and I enjoy them for different reasons. But if you want to hit six figures, you’re going to have an easier time if you filter at least some direct clients into your mix.

Have multiple revenue streams
As Walt Kania says, “A few prongs is good. With twelve prongs, you have a manure fork,” and you definitely don’t want that. But multiple revenue streams can be a big boost to your six-figure goals. For example, I work for agencies and direct clients, I earn royalties from my books, and I teach classes and do consulting for other translators. Personally, I enjoy the mix. Sometimes, when one thing is down, another is up. Or when I don’t feel like sending out warm e-mails to prospective direct clients, I do feel like marketing my classes, or the other way around. Some weeks it feels great to dive into a meaty translation project, and other weeks I really enjoy making a new set of videos for one of my classes.

The key here is to find revenue streams that complement each other and don’t make you feel pulled in a million directions. It also helps to have a relatively easy time shifting gears (translate in the morning, edit in the afternoon, teach at night, or whatever your revenue streams are), and you also need to pick the right niches when you look at these multiple streams. Another aspect I enjoy is that I don’t have to worry too much if I want to take on a lower-paying or pro bono project just because I enjoy it; it’s nearly always balanced out by some higher-paying work.

Two things are true about becoming a six-figure translator: it’s doable (if anyone tells you otherwise, seek a second opinion), and it takes a lot of work and some creativity. And you need a motivation; earning more for the sake of earning more isn’t going to carry you through a whole year of hard work. My motivations are that I love to take chunks of time off to travel with my family, and that I hate worrying about money. Together, those things motivate me to keep working at all of my revenue streams so that they add up to what I want to earn.

Readers, over to you: thoughts on breaking the six-figure mark?