How translation companies can make freelance translators love them
by Anna Porta, 1st October, 2007
What can an agency do to make sure it maintains a healthy pool of good, professional, freelance translators?
It’s a fact of life that successful translators, as they advance in their career, will try to go directly to the client and avoid working for intermediary translation agencies. Still, it doesn’t have to be like that. Working for an agency is the ideal solution for those of us who just want to spend time translating and do not want to deal with other aspects of the job such as, for instance, getting involved with PR and Project Management. So what can an agency do to make sure it maintains a healthy pool of good, professional, freelance translators? Like in many other aspects of life, first impressions do count. When a potential new freelance translator first approaches you, please send a feedback, even if it is a negative one! When you initially make contact with a new translator about a potential new project to test him/her out, please do let them know if you decide to allocate the project to somebody else or if the project is cancelled! Communication is the key and translators who are just starting out value it very much, it may be because, having just started out, they are of a slightly more sensitive disposition! We all know it is easier to communicate when there is an urgent need but we should not forget the importance of a polite form of communication that is not originating from an immediate need. If translators write to you to let you know they are going on holiday (or that they are back from holidays), please acknowledge their message with a quick reply! I know it costs time and time is a precious resource, but these little gestures can go a long way in making sure that your agency stands out and gets preferential treatment even once the former unknown translator has become established and has a substantial level of business coming through regularly. After all, looking after your young ones is a sound business principle; that’s why talent scouts for football clubs, for instance, get paid a fortune! And as we talk about money, let’s not forget about dirty cash! As you would expect your professional translators to return their work within agreed deadlines, it is only fair that they should receive their due reward without having to chase it up with your accounts department! These are simple and cost-free steps that require a minimum investment of time and that can lead to an improved understanding and ultimately a mutually beneficial, long lasting relationship between professional translators and translation agencies. Anna Porta, English - Italian free lance translator
porta.anna@googlemail.com
© Anna Porta
Back to the Inside the Translation Industry