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Poll: What has been your most effective way to get new clients? Thread poster: ProZ.com Staff
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This forum topic is for the discussion of the poll question "What has been your most effective way to get new clients?".
This poll was originally submitted by Ana P D Carvalho
View the poll here
A forum topic will appear each time a new poll is run. For more information, s... See more This forum topic is for the discussion of the poll question "What has been your most effective way to get new clients?".
This poll was originally submitted by Ana P D Carvalho
View the poll here
A forum topic will appear each time a new poll is run. For more information, see: http://proz.com/topic/33629 ▲ Collapse
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Heinrich Pesch 
Finland
Local time: 22:29
Member (2003)
Finnish to German
+ ...
| Being registered at the right place | Mar 9, 2009 |
In my case this was not proz.com.
Cheers
Heinrich
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Sandrine Rizzo (X)
France
Local time: 21:29
Spanish to French
+ ...
| my friend's friends are my friends | Mar 9, 2009 |
Hello !
As far as I am concerned, the best (i.e = long-term) customers I have, contacted me on recommendation.
However, most customers I get are the fruit of prospection.
Sandrine
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I joined the American Translators Association and it was the best thing I ever did for my business.
Have a good one!
Marie
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As far as my experience is concerned, getting good clients, well-paying jobs as well as other good things in life has been mostly a matter of luck.
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Interlangue (X)
Angola
Local time: 21:29
English to French
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| Word of mouth | Mar 9, 2009 |
Achievements built my reputation, sociability does the rest. It is a small world.
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swisstell
Italy
Local time: 21:29
German to English
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| ATA membership | Mar 9, 2009 |
has resulted in a surprising amount of inquiries and actual jobs over the years. In that sense, I can only confirm what Marie-Louise Halvorsen already said. Also, Heinrich Pesch's mention of "being registered at the right place" (in my case ATA) hits the nail on the head.
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Patricia Rosas
United States
Local time: 12:29
Spanish to English
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In memoriam | word of mouth | Mar 9, 2009 |
Interlangue wrote:
Achievements built my reputation, sociability does the rest. It is a small world.
I think that my web site has brought me a few new clients, but word of mouth (recommendations) have brought me all my others. Those working in my specialty field (Latin American Studies, migration, Mexico) are a small cohort and they know each other. I feel quite friendly toward the people I work with (I see myself as lending a helping hand), and I think people respond very positively toward that.
In contrast, my membership in ATA and here at ProZ has brought me exactly $60 worth of business ...
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Amy Duncan (X)
Brazil
Local time: 16:29
Portuguese to English
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Clients finding me on ProZ.
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Alice Bootman
United States
Local time: 14:29
Spanish to English
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| Profile/job postings | Mar 9, 2009 |
So far, most of my clients come to me through my profile, and a few through job postings as well. I have had many local direct clients referred to me by word of mouth too, but the pay scale in Bolivia is completely different, and, I have decided, not really worth my time.
It is very interesting to see everyone's responses and get ideas for how to expand my customer base.
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Stephen Rifkind
Israel
Local time: 22:29
Member (2004)
French to English
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| Professional organizations | Mar 9, 2009 |
To emphasize what two others said, membership in the Israeli and American Translators Association has the been the best money spent. The clients who find me there are looking for a good translation, not an inexpensive one. Proz also brings a few long term clients, but the ratio of bids to new clients is like Israeli's chance of beating Russian in the Davis Cup quarter final.
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Heinrich Pesch wrote:
In my case this was not proz.com.
Cheers
Heinrich
Heinrich, are you not telling us where? We are in different language pairs, so you need not be concerned about us taking away your clients!
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Williamson
United Kingdom
Local time: 20:29
Flemish to English
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Using a source of jobs other than the bidding sites like Proz.com and the others whose names may not be mentioned. Cold calling that source.
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andres-larsen
Venezuela
Local time: 15:29
Spanish to English
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| strictly self-promotion | Mar 9, 2009 |
strictly self-promotion
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I assume word of mouth would mean clients recommending me to others. That's seldom the case. My clients prefer me "available" instead of overloaded with their friends' work.
In my case, fellow translators refer clients to me when it's outside their specialty area and within mine. I do the same for them. If I'm too busy, I just give the client a couple of e-mail addresses to reach colleagues that I know are competent for what they need.
Excellent customer service also he... See more I assume word of mouth would mean clients recommending me to others. That's seldom the case. My clients prefer me "available" instead of overloaded with their friends' work.
In my case, fellow translators refer clients to me when it's outside their specialty area and within mine. I do the same for them. If I'm too busy, I just give the client a couple of e-mail addresses to reach colleagues that I know are competent for what they need.
Excellent customer service also helps in two ways. Clients learn to rely on me that if I take a job I'll do it well. If I can't do it well, I'll refer them to someone else who dependably can. So they rest assured that their needs will get fulfilled either way.
I also help overloaded colleagues by taking up part of their project to translate when necessary. Now and then, if they are loaded above the lid, they dump a whole job on me. If it's a new customer, they often dump the whole client on me, as they say they won't have time neither to get all the necessary details nor to quibble about deadlines and rates.
In any case, I don't reoutsource translation. If I can't do it, I suggest someone who can, and step out. ▲ Collapse
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