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Kansai Meeting Report. 23 June 2002

The venue for the June 23rd Kansai meeting was the Kyoto International Community House. The meeting took place on a muggy early-summer day, but the community house was cool and spacious inside. Located near the seminar room was a wide circle of lounge chairs with a mini-theater TV in the middle showing highlights of the World Cup. A more appropriate topic might have been “The Vacations and Leisure Activities of Translators,” but instead it was “How to get new clients and how to keep them.”

About a dozen people attended, some with many years of experience and others with none or very little. The seminar room was generous in size and looked out onto a scenic Japanese garden.

The first question went straight to the heart of the matter: How do translators find new clients?

A range of answers were discussed, including:

• Being referred by colleagues (this was roundly approved of as being very effective).
• Sending resumes to or contacting agencies listed in translation industry magazines, such as Space ALC publications (アルク社) 稼げる実務翻訳ガイド and 翻訳辞典.
• Creating and keeping a “presence” on mailing lists such as those maintained by JAT, Honyaku, and SWET.
• Networking within your specialization, e.g. attending trade shows or industry events.
• Filling out online forms. Many translation agencies have their own websites. The warning here was YMMV (your mileage may vary).
• Be on the JAT directory and make sure to select effective keywords in your entry.
• Attend meetings and get to know your colleagues.
• Think about forming your own company (有限会社) as a means of getting higher-paying direct clients.
• Don’t be afraid to let your colleagues know “Hey, I’m looking for work.”

The following points were also covered at different times during the meeting:

What are the dos and don'ts for dealing with new and current clients?

• It is important to be a clear and effective communicator, especially about rates and deadlines.
• Be business-like and organized. Know what you want and want you need for each job.
• It is good to emphasize the impression that you’re not desperate for work.
• Be polite and friendly to coordinators.
• “Glenn’s Guide to Translation Agencies” was recommended as a good resource. Unfortunately, although there are many references to this on the Internet, many of the links now seem to be redirected to an online localization company.

How can you determine whether clients are suitable or not before doing work for them?

• Ask for feedback. The response is often very telling about the client’s professionalism in regard to translation.
• Warning signs include: asking you to “proofread,” pushiness, offering a first job that is very large.
• Be flexible and negotiate for what you want (“you won’t know if you don’t ask”).
• Bad sign if the client is disorganized (i.e. no guidelines for delivery or style sheets)

What makes a client remember you for follow-up jobs?

• Quality work (but this depends on what the client sees as “good work” ? it varies)
• Keeping in touch (make sure to send out New Year’s cards, consider calling and dropping in on a client when nearby, and send FYI e-mails with news that will interest the client).

Other issues covered
Pros and cons of having your own website

No one recommended this as an effective way to get work, although the point was conceded that a good website could raise your profile in your specialized field and among fellow translators. Otherwise, a site is only worth considering if creating websites is your hobby.

Pros and cons of trial translations

Depends on what stage you are at professionally. Perhaps only necessary for beginners.

Innovative ways of getting your foot in the door

• Directly contact clients who you want to work for, such as public relations and advertising firms.
• Participate in mailing lists.
• Be active in whatever you enjoy or specialize in. Find niches that you enjoy.

What to do when you miss a deadline

• Inform the client as soon as possible. Don’t leave it to the last minute.
• Offer ways to lessen the inconvenience, such as submitting completed sections.

Etiquette of referring (or being referred by) a fellow translator

• The referrer and referee need to communicate clearly with each other and with the client. Don’t make assumptions based on other clients.
• Try not to overcharge or undercut your referrer, but beware of the legal issues this involves in some jurisdictions.
  (Remember that it’s acceptable to ask a referrer or referee: “I may want to use your translation services one day - could you tell me your usual rates?”)

Two other interesting points were raised:
Manufacturers often expect decreasing costs per (translation) unit

If some of your clients are manufacturers, they may expect that your translation rates will decrease as you become accustomed to their type of work. This is probably due to the influence of the trend in manufacturing industries for the per-unit cost of products and components to decrease over time. Although economies of scale, competition, and increased efficiency will lead to reduced costs in the manufacturing sector, you may have to communicate to your client that the same dynamics do not apply to your translation rates.

A way to raise your rates

There are times when you may not want to take a job. This may be because your schedule is already tight or because you’re planning to take a few days off?there are all sorts of reasons. At those times, rather than simply declining the job, you may want to estimate the level of payment it would take for you to feel suitably compensated for accepting the unwanted job and setting your rate accordingly. You may or may not get the job, but you probably won’t be disappointed either way.

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