Poll: Do you ever follow up with clients who have not contacted you for work in a while? Thread poster: ProZ.com Staff
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This forum topic is for the discussion of the poll question "Do you ever follow up with clients who have not contacted you for work in a while?".
View the poll results »
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Teresa Borges
Portugal
Local time: 22:36
 Member (2007)
English to Portuguese
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No, in general, but with one exception: when I moved from Brussels to Lisbon in 2015 I did contact all my clients (new and old) to give them my new coordinates. Some thank me, a very small number (1 or 2?) came back later with work…
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Amir Arzani
Iran
Local time: 02:06
English to Farsi (Persian)
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I do follow up on the few ones who still haven't paid, just to annoy them for not having paid. I know they're not gonna pay me for my services cause that's just the kind of people they are, but at least I'll make their day a little less pleasant.
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Edwige Thomas 
Germany
Local time: 23:36
 Member (2014)
English to French
+ ...
If they don't, it means they have found cheaper translators. So I would never follow up as I'm not that desperate.
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Jack Doughty
United Kingdom
Local time: 22:36
Member (2000)
Russian to English
+ ...
| Never? Well, hardly ever! | May 5 |
As the song from "Pirates of Penzance says
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DZiW
Ukraine
English to Russian
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Every project--as well as a contract--has the beginning and ending, so it's ok to fall apart.
However, occasionally I say Happy birthday and wish Happy NY)
[Edited at 2018-05-05 15:29 GMT]
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Sheila Wilson
Spain
Local time: 22:36
Member (2007)
English
+ ...
Well, only if I've been away for a while, or had email account problems, or have moved. If their silence is for any other reason, I leave them be. They know where I am if they want to do business, but they're under no obligation.
Goodness, Jack, that has brought back some distant memories. A local theatre often put on Gilbert and Sullivan operettas when I was a kid.
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neilmac
Spain
Local time: 23:36
Spanish to English
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You mean chase them up? Not usually, I'd consider that pestering. Maybe if one of my best clients disappeared I might make enquiries after a while.
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Mario Freitas
Brazil
Local time: 18:36
Member (2014)
English to Portuguese
+ ...
| No. It doesn't work anyway | May 5 |
I've tried it before, many years ago. It has never led to a new job from any of these clients. Nevertheless, many of them reappeared after a while, disappeared again, and reappeared again later. So, it's virtually useless to go after former clients begging. It simply will not lead to any work.
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Only if I've been away for an extended period, and then only a few of my top-tier clients.
The head of a translation service once told me, "It doesn't hurt to check back with us if you haven't heard from us." Sometimes it happens that other people's names rise to the top of the list for no particular reason. You will definitely go to the bottom of the list if you weren't available the last time we contacted you."
Ever since I heard that, if I have to turn down a job, I make a point of sounding very regretful and closing with the line "Please keep me in mind for the future."
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