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5 Things Translation Agencies Want from Translators

June 9, 2014

For translators that want to work with agencies, give them these things and you’ll gain their undying love. 1. Quick responses to emails especially when a client is involved. Project pursuits are among the highest urgencies. The difference between securing a project and not can be a matter of a few minutes. 2. Do everything you […]

A Translation Project Manager’s 4 Most Dreaded Words

June 6, 2014

Four words from a translation client that can strike fear in a project manager’s heart are: “We’re reviewing your translation.” Okay so maybe it’s five words depending on how you count contractions. Why are these words so dreaded? Well it’s not because we don’t have confidence in our translators and the processes they follow to […]

5 Things Translation Agencies Want from Translators

June 9, 2014

A Translation Project Manager’s 4 Most Dreaded Words

June 6, 2014

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5 Things Translation Agencies Want from Translators

June 9, 2014

For translators that want to work with agencies, give them these things and you’ll gain their undying love.

1. Quick responses to emails especially when a client is involved. Project pursuits are among the highest urgencies. The difference between securing a project and not can be a matter of a few minutes.

2. Do everything you say you’ll do. If a client has a special request and a translator agrees to it then make sure it gets done.

3. Ask questions mid-project when it’s necessary. Agencies don’t mind requesting clarification from clients if it means greater client satisfaction at project conclusion.

4. A professional relationship. You may never meet face to face but your agency contact still wants to know something about you. In the end they mainly want to know they can count on you.

5. Match their pricing strategy. Different agencies have different pricing structures. Up and coming agencies are often leaner operations with tighter margins. They’re either working to differentiate their services in other more sustainable ways, or still trying to identify a long term strategy. Established agencies may work with clients that have special requirements and are willing to pay a premium. Translators should do their research and align their pricing approach with target agencies.

A Translation Project Manager’s 4 Most Dreaded Words

June 6, 2014

Four words from a translation client that can strike fear in a project manager’s heart are:

“We’re reviewing your translation.”

Okay so maybe it’s five words depending on how you count contractions.

Why are these words so dreaded? Well it’s not because we don’t have confidence in our translators and the processes they follow to ensure high quality translations are consistently produced. It’s not that a client shouldn’t reasonably review our delivered translations. They really should.

The problem with customer reviews of translations are several including:

1) What are the qualifications of the reviewer? Are they a native speaker in the language, or are they just bilingual with some language facility. A bilingual person with some language skills might be considered an “expert” within their organization but their skills are not on par with a professional linguist. More importantly their language skills might not be representative of the target market.

2) Does the reviewer have an agenda (e.g., I may be low man/woman in the pecking order around here but I’ll show them I know something about language). Does the reviewer have an incentive (unconscious or otherwise) to take exception to translated terminology and mark synonymous terms as incorrect?

3) Does the reviewer understand that there are often multiple approaches to expressing meaning in a target language and that the translator’s approach may not match their personal preferences exactly?

These are among the reasons why translation project managers may dread having delivered translations scrutinized internally by clients post-delivery. What’s a project manager to do?

Half Sized Blog Element (Single Author Style)

Half Sized Blog Element (Multi Author Style)

5 Things Translation Agencies Want from Translators

A Translation Project Manager’s 4 Most Dreaded Words

5 Things Translation Agencies Want from Translators

A Translation Project Manager’s 4 Most Dreaded Words

Full Sized Blog Element (Big Preview Pic)

5 Things Translation Agencies Want from Translators

A Translation Project Manager’s 4 Most Dreaded Words

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