ProZ.com Translation Forums

Poll: Would you rather get more clients, or make more money from existing clients? | No option for a balance of both things

Mario Freitas — Fri, 07 Jul 2017 20:40:00 +0000

Forum: Poll Discussion
Topic: Poll: Would you rather get more clients, or make more money from existing clients?
Poster: Mario Freitas
Post title: No option for a balance of both things

Experience tells that making more money with a client is a good sign; it's a sign that your work has been approved and appreciated, among other things. It's a sign that the client may be growing and getting more jobs, as well as considering you as a preferential translator.
However, this is not enough for a professional translator. We all know clients disappear every now and then. I've worked for 80 clients in the past five years, and only four of them remained regular clients during this period with a decent volume of work per month. Several very good clients disappeared all of a sudden.
Adding more clients to our portfolio regularly is essential, and just as important as increasing the volume per client.
So the best answer for this poll, IMO, was not there: a well balanced blend of both things.

[Edited at 2017-07-07 20:43 GMT]

Poll: Would you rather get more clients, or make more money from existing clients? | Nothing wrong with both in theory but

Catherine De Crignis (X) — Fri, 07 Jul 2017 19:16:00 +0000

Forum: Poll Discussion
Topic: Poll: Would you rather get more clients, or make more money from existing clients?
Poster: Catherine De Crignis (X)
Post title: Nothing wrong with both in theory but

this option was of course missing (why does it seem like any odd poll get posted without any form of monitoring?).

So I put neither. More clients for me would mean turning down more work, but this is not necessarily an issue. More money from existing clients is something I make sure I obtain as regularly as possible...

Poll: Would you rather get more clients, or make more money from existing clients? | Other

Yetta Jensen Bogarde — Fri, 07 Jul 2017 18:36:00 +0000

Forum: Poll Discussion
Topic: Poll: Would you rather get more clients, or make more money from existing clients?
Poster: Yetta Jensen Bogarde
Post title: Other

I am quite happy with the current situation.

Maybe I could wish that regular clients would raise the rates just one cent per word. :-)

And I am well aware that unforeseen things can happen, such as last year when my best client was sold, and the rules of new owners are quite disagreeable.

So, I am still open to new clients.

Poll: Would you rather get more clients, or make more money from existing clients? | Why not both?

Denise DeVries — Fri, 07 Jul 2017 16:30:00 +0000

Forum: Poll Discussion
Topic: Poll: Would you rather get more clients, or make more money from existing clients?
Poster: Denise DeVries
Post title: Why not both?

If my current clients are prospering enough to pay me more, that is good for both of us. However, it's also nice to have new clients.

Poll: Would you rather get more clients, or make more money from existing clients? | Neither

Eckhard Boehle — Fri, 07 Jul 2017 14:18:00 +0000

Forum: Poll Discussion
Topic: Poll: Would you rather get more clients, or make more money from existing clients?
Poster: Eckhard Boehle
Post title: Neither

Just like Gianluca, I am happy with what I have, a reasonable number of clients who ensure a constant workflow. Others I have sorted out and they get always rejections from me when they ask again.
And, of course, I picked the ones who pay reasonable rates and who pay regularly and soon.

Poll: Would you rather get more clients, or make more money from existing clients? | Neither = Both (missing option)

José Henrique Lamensdorf — Fri, 07 Jul 2017 13:47:00 +0000

Forum: Poll Discussion
Topic: Poll: Would you rather get more clients, or make more money from existing clients?
Poster: José Henrique Lamensdorf
Post title: Neither = Both (missing option)

I'd rather have more clients like my best clients. It's relatively easy to get rid of the bad ones.

Of course, I'd like to make more money from my existing clients, but the demand I get from them is limited to theirs. I can't make any of their end-clients need or feel an urge to have more things translated.

I've had, for a long time, a small number of clients where I am the first-choice translator for my language pair, AND they pay my stated rates within two weeks at most. They are extremely demanding on quality, get royal service from me, and consequently deliver royal service to their end-clients. Making myself available for them whenever they need, usually once a week, is my problem.

And no, my rates are not outrageously high. If stripped from financial costs (viz. PayPal fees, hefty Brazilian interest rates on extended payment terms), they match the Proz Community Rates, as well as the rates adopted by local colleagues I know, and whose work I would (and sometimes do) recommend.

Yet these clients seem unable to significantly grow their client base, as not so many end-clients seem to be interested in the high quality service they consistently deliver.

Now and then a client in that class has an assignment for me, however their demand for my language pair and specialty areas is merely occasional, like once every couple of years or so.

I've been scouting the web for years, searching for clients like these, as the concept is not farfetched, but they are extremely hard to find. Most translation agencies actively offer a similar level of service (some just offer low rates, nothing else), but I'd bet few of them actually deliver on their promise.

Anyway, I'll keep looking for them! If my preferred clients were the only ones doing this, they'd be much more famous for it than they actually are. There must be others like this hidden somewhere.

Poll: Would you rather get more clients, or make more money from existing clients? | Neither, but

Gianluca Marras — Fri, 07 Jul 2017 12:48:00 +0000

Forum: Poll Discussion
Topic: Poll: Would you rather get more clients, or make more money from existing clients?
Poster: Gianluca Marras
Post title: Neither, but

I am happy with what I have, a reasonable number of clients who ensure a constant workflow.
If I had to choose I would keep the clients I have (quality and number are definitely good) with a higher rate.

Poll: Would you rather get more clients, or make more money from existing clients? | workload/payment optimum

DZiW (X) — Fri, 07 Jul 2017 10:44:00 +0000

Forum: Poll Discussion
Topic: Poll: Would you rather get more clients, or make more money from existing clients?
Poster: DZiW (X)
Post title: workload/payment optimum

However, if it's about more money from the same clients meaning from the same workload--count me in)

Poll: Would you rather get more clients, or make more money from existing clients? | Good question

Muriel Vasconcellos (X) — Fri, 07 Jul 2017 09:17:00 +0000

Forum: Poll Discussion
Topic: Poll: Would you rather get more clients, or make more money from existing clients?
Poster: Muriel Vasconcellos (X)
Post title: Good question

It's hard to answer because I'm basically pretty satisfied. My best and most faithful clients keep me busy and pay me well; the new ones would have to match them if I were to do a lot of work from them.

On the other hand, I think I'd feel more secure if I had a couple more strong regular clients because I've gone through the trauma of losing some due to retirements, job changes, policy and program changes, etc.

Poll: Would you rather get more clients, or make more money from existing clients? | Other

Maria Teresa Borges de Almeida — Fri, 07 Jul 2017 09:14:00 +0000

Forum: Poll Discussion
Topic: Poll: Would you rather get more clients, or make more money from existing clients?
Poster: Maria Teresa Borges de Almeida
Post title: Other

Picking jut one of the above seems pretty difficult. That’s kind of a “Sophie’s Choice” for me. Can’t we have it all? As Muriel said not long ago “You can never have too many clients!”

In an ideal world, I would like:

1. To retain my client base.
2. To add a few new regular clients
3. To get a more steady workflow
4. To start charging a higher rate

Poll: Would you rather get more clients, or make more money from existing clients? | Me neither

neilmac — Fri, 07 Jul 2017 08:54:00 +0000

Forum: Poll Discussion
Topic: Poll: Would you rather get more clients, or make more money from existing clients?
Poster: neilmac
Post title: Me neither

I currently have enough clients, and they pay me enough - although some more promptly than others!

However, I would like to find some new clients for my Spanish colleague, who mainly translates into her own native tongue, but is perfectly capable of translating into English as well in collaboration with myself and her other half, who is a native EFL teacher.

PS: Good news! After a drought of a few weeks, she's suddenly got 2 translation jobs this weekend! Both into Spanish, one from a client of mine and one from an agency. The joys of freelancing, eh?
:)

[Edited at 2017-07-08 07:59 GMT]

Poll: Would you rather get more clients, or make more money from existing clients? | Neither

Michael Harris — Fri, 07 Jul 2017 08:36:00 +0000

Forum: Poll Discussion
Topic: Poll: Would you rather get more clients, or make more money from existing clients?
Poster: Michael Harris
Post title: Neither

Maybe some of us are happy how things are?

Poll: Would you rather get more clients, or make more money from existing clients?

ProZ.com Staff — Fri, 07 Jul 2017 08:10:02 +0000

Forum: Poll Discussion
Topic: Poll: Would you rather get more clients, or make more money from existing clients?
Poster: ProZ.com Staff

This forum topic is for the discussion of the poll question "Would you rather get more clients, or make more money from existing clients?".

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