| Pages in topic: < [1 2] | Soliciting direct clients - source or target language? Thread poster: Joseph Schreiner
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jyuan_us wrote:
unless you want to develop into a translation agency. An end client usually expects you to have the capacity to handle many language pairs, and in each language pair, their needs are much more than just translation.
If it works, none of us here would have worked with translation agencies.
Believe it or not, targeting end clients as an individual linguist has repeatedly proven itself to be an unsuccessful tactics.
[Edited at 2014-06-01 17:58 GMT]
Most business people should have the IQ to realize that translators typically work with one or two foreign languages and not all of them, and that just because they translate doesn't mean they also need to mediate the translation services of other people or companies.
They may prefer to have one destination for all their translation needs, but that's not the same.
And handing texts out to translators according to the language they work in is not much more than just translation, no matter what agencies say to justify their added value. Rather, translation is much more than managing translation projects.
| | | | | A question of politness | Jun 2, 2014 |
I think for quite a few Germans it's not polite if you write them in English although you also speak German...
| | | | | This is true in my experience | Jun 3, 2014 |
[quote]jyuan_us wrote:
[quote]Cossyc wrote:
jyuan_us wrote:
but I think these direct clients are most likely aiming at lowering their costs - they are aware that using individual translators is much more economical than working with agencies. They have established a language service division or an internal project management department. In a sense, these direct clients are not substantially different to a translation agency.
I think it is becoming a trend for large companies to establish a language service division or an internal project management department.
Does anyone else have the same observation?
[Edited at 2014-06-01 17:57 GMT]
[Edited at 2014-06-01 18:15 GMT]
I have seen this with some giant companies, at least here in Japan. One of them has an established translation department which actually takes translation jobs from other companies in related fields, in addition to handling its own internal technical manuals. We are talking about one of the largest tech companies in the world, though.
But there are many direct clients other than these multinational mega-corporations. Government agencies, for example, can be a good source of work in almost any field (most governments have their hands in a little bit of everything). Then there are NPOs and places like privately-funded research organizations, etc. I'm not saying that landing these direct clients is easy though - it isn't.
[Edited at 2014-06-03 00:50 GMT]
| | | | Joseph Schreiner
United States
Local time: 02:39
German to English
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TOPIC STARTER | 2 possible muddle-through compromises? | Jun 3, 2014 |
May I suggest two compromises that may not please anybody?
What if I (or any other translator like me) write in my source language, but also acknowledge upfront that my source language writing is not as good as a native speaker of that language? Can I make a case, in the source language, that I can deliver a valuable service in the target language? Would acknowledging this hopefully minor deficiency allow me to make m... See more May I suggest two compromises that may not please anybody?
What if I (or any other translator like me) write in my source language, but also acknowledge upfront that my source language writing is not as good as a native speaker of that language? Can I make a case, in the source language, that I can deliver a valuable service in the target language? Would acknowledging this hopefully minor deficiency allow me to make my case, to sell myself to the prospective client?
Or would it be worthwhile to write the same text twice in the same email, once in the source language, and again in the target language? Hopefully, the recipient would see that I can write fluently in the target language, yet understand what I wrote in the source language, and not be turned off by the impoliteness implicit in target-language only correspondence.
Or would I appear foolish in either of the above scenarios?
I think that I can write decent, understandable German or French. But I also think that it will not read like a native speaker. Nor can I write such text effortlessly.
Joseph ▲ Collapse
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xxLecraxx (X)
Germany
Local time: 09:39
French to German
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Joseph Schreiner wrote:
What if I (or any other translator like me) write in my source language, but also acknowledge upfront that my source language writing is not as good as a native speaker of that language?
I wouldn't do that. They should be aware that you're not German and not living in Germany. Apologizing for weak language skills doesn't come across very professional.
Or would it be worthwhile to write the same text twice in the same email, once in the source language, and again in the target language? Hopefully, the recipient would see that I can write fluently in the target language, yet understand what I wrote in the source language, and not be turned off by the impoliteness implicit in target-language only correspondence.
I wouldn't do that, either. That seems a bit over the top. It should be sufficient to send some samples of your work.
I think that I can write decent, understandable German or French. But I also think that it will not read like a native speaker. Nor can I write such text effortlessly.
Your marketing material (website, brochure etc.) should be flawless (and hence translated by a native speaker*), but your communication via eMail or on the phone in German doesn't have to be impeccable imo. Things would be different if you were an interpreter, though. At any rate, I would write in German/French, not in English.
*I know there are exceptions.
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