The following article is a preview of the Spring 2010 ITI Scottish Network Newsletter
ITI ScotNet Autumn 2009 Workshop: Attracting Direct Clients
Saturday, 24 October 2009 was your typical gloomy, dreich Scottish autumn day. A big bunch of ScotNetters headed to a beautiful University building at 19 George Square (Edinburgh) for the customary 9.30 am foregather, only to find out that not only was there no coffee to fight off the Saturday morning laziness, but the room our Convenor had booked was locked! Thankfully, Angelika, our Event Coordinator (East), was her usual resourceful self and quickly found us a different venue.
Despite the difficult start, Helen Robertson (FITI) didn’t lose her nerve and launched into her much-awaited talk on how to attract direct clients by telling us about her background in translation, marketing and management. We couldn’t have found anybody better to explain the pros and cons of working for direct clients rather than agencies and to discuss how to find and approach new clients.
We started off debating our current situation and whether direct clients really are better than agencies. It is true that agencies can easily be identified as work providers, they offer variety, they may handle the tricky technology for you and they might offer some sort of security because they are members of well-known associations but, in most cases, they also pay much less than a direct client. Direct clients, on the other hand, usually pay more, have a more personal contact with you and find it harder to replace you. Unfortunately, they are harder to find and keep and, if they know nothing about our business, we need to spend some time educating them. The truth is that a bad customer could equally be an agency or a direct client. Both can be chaotic, ignore your questions, be demanding and pay late. So why not look for direct clients and enjoy all the associated benefits?
So what’s in it for the end-clients? Well, it’s true that translation agencies can handle a bigger volume of work, different languages, etc. However, individual freelancers have more to offer to a direct client: a more personal touch, potentially more interest in quality and a guarantee of expertise, especially if working on a niche area. So don’t be afraid and look for direct clients among small companies, publishers, charities, professionals and even individuals. They want you!
When it comes to client-seeking, you can either take an active approach by checking newspaper ads, going to meetings in your subject or more general business meetings, networking with colleagues and keeping in touch with all these contacts; or you can adopt a more passive approach and advertise your services in directories, professional registers and through your own website. The latter might look less rewarding, but they are necessary so the client can find you years down the line.
In terms of practical tips for active marketing, Helen recommended several sources such as trade fairs, student placements, chambers of commerce, trade associations, etc. As regards passive marketing, the usual suspects were mentioned: your own website, the Yellow Pages, the websites for ITI, CIOL, ProZ and Translator's Cafe, etc.
Since the audience was eager to take part, this made for an informative and interesting opportunity to share ideas, but it also meant that Helen barely had time to discuss how one should approach direct clients (by letter, email, phone call…). However, she did mention that most direct clients come from personal contacts and the ones who don’t, you don’t find them, they find you.
So, to put it in a nutshell, it is feasible to attract direct clients, especially through networking with other translators and outside our industry, so we should work hard on making and keeping contacts. And, because in our profession we can’t create a need but have to wait for clients to need us, we must maintain a high profile and visibility and make ourselves easy to find. This takes time, so be patient and never give up! You never know when you will reap the benefits!
After a packed morning, ScotNetters started networking straight away over a nice dish of pasta and a few glasses of red wine. Thanks to Helen, the organisers at ScotNet and all the participants who actively contributed to the talk.
