Have at-hand a document describing you and your services, for anyone who requests information about your translation business.

As translators we’re always considering the best way to cold-contact potential clients (because it can be a nerve-racking experience) but how do we handle it when a potential client contacts us? If you’ve been marketing yourself well, this is bound to happen at some time; particularly if you have a great website, a cleverly written profile in your local or national translators association directory, and/or you’ve been very busy networking.

So, out-of-the-blue you receive a phone call or email from a potential client asking for a quote for their translation project. Obviously, this is a business relationship you’d like to succeed, so below we’ve listed some basic steps that will ensure that this experience will be profitable for both of you.

The first step is to establish exactly who this potential client is. Is this client a company, or an individual? Where did this client get your information from? Where are they based – in your own country, or somewhere else? Is this client an established going concern or a start-up? The answers to the above questions are very important because they will determine whether you decide to work for this client, or not, and at what rate.

The next step is to do your research on this client. You could start by searching for them online or ask for references from other freelancers. Of course, the other alternative is to search for them on Payment Practices.

Does this client require information regarding your services and/or a quote for a specific translation project – or both? Our suggestion is that you have at hand a document describing you and your services, for anyone who requests information about your translation business. In this document, you might include information about the services you provide, your specializations, and perhaps some recent projects you’ve completed. It’s also a good idea at this point to explain the services that you don’t offer. We suggest that you don’t mention your translation rates in this information document.

Don’t forget to ask questions. Questions such as: Has the document in question already been written, or is it still being worked on? How many words or pages is the document, and what is the deadline for this work? Will the client be able to provide you with reference materials or a glossary for this translation? Will the document be used for publication or internal use? Yes, it does sound like a lot of questions, but your client needs to be assured that you know what you’re doing; and for your own sake you need to be sure of what you’re agreeing to.

Don’t commit to a turnaround time or a rate for your work until you have inspected the document. You could always agree to sign an NDA in advance, but you must be able to peruse the document in question before you agree to the translation.

Advise your potential client of your terms of service. It doesn’t really matter what sort of document this is, but the client must be advised and agree to your rate, your payment terms, the deadline, and any other policies; such as confidentiality agreement, dispute resolution procedure, and so on.

If the translation project should not go ahead, remain polite, and try and stay in touch with the client. Not all projects work out, and this is not a reflection on either you or your work: ask this potential client to keep you in mind for any future translation projects.