| Număr de pagini: [1 2] > | Poll: How often do you usually receive job enquiries from potential new clients? Inițiatorul discuției: ProZ.com Staff
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This forum topic is for the discussion of the poll question "How often do you usually receive job enquiries from potential new clients?".
View the poll results »
| | | | | How often is "Often"? | Nov 19, 2013 |
Once a week? Once a day? Once an hour? Once a month?
Without any specific figures/terms, this poll is a totally senseless waste of time, I'm afraid.
[Edited at 2013-11-19 13:32 GMT]
| | | | Michael Harris 
Germania
Local time: 22:30
Membru (2006)
din germană în engleză
| Fairly often | Nov 19, 2013 |
But with Alexander, how often is often.
Over the past six months, I have been receiving 3 to 4 requests / month (direct) from new customers, but have just had far too much to do to actually start working with them
[Edited at 2013-11-19 13:15 GMT]
| | | | Koen Speetjens (X)
Local time: 22:30
din engleză în olandeză
+ ...
without a definition of the different terms.
But one alternative is missing: "not often enough"...
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Julian Holmes
Japonia
Local time: 05:30
Membru (2011)
din japoneză în engleză
| Occasionally | Nov 19, 2013 |
Is how I'd put it. Frequency is such a subjective thing. If you live like a hermit on an island -- which lots of translators like myself do (I like my peace and solitude  ) -- then once every other month would be 'often.'
And, more 'often' than not, they ask me for a CV and my rates. At which point, I initiate my 'weeding out the men from the boys' process.
I counter and ask them for their maximum outs... See more Is how I'd put it. Frequency is such a subjective thing. If you live like a hermit on an island -- which lots of translators like myself do (I like my peace and solitude ) -- then once every other month would be 'often.'
And, more 'often' than not, they ask me for a CV and my rates. At which point, I initiate my 'weeding out the men from the boys' process.
I counter and ask them for their maximum outsourcing rate. If they provide this rate (it's always lower than the 'real' rate and negotiable) and it's close to or -- touch wood -- higher than mine, then I can assume they're serious, and we can skip formalities and get down to chatting amicably about working together. ▲ Collapse
| | | | Tim Drayton
Cipru
Local time: 23:30
din turcă în engleză
+ ...
| Fairly often | Nov 19, 2013 |
On average, about once a week, I suppose, which I would consider to be fairly often.
| | | | | Excluding timewasters via ProZ, very rarely! | Nov 19, 2013 |
It depends on what kind of customers you work for and whether/how you promote yourself.
If you're in the Yellow Pages and happy to do one-off jobs for Joe Public, I imagine you could be approached almost daily.
Most of my work is for a handful of customers I've worked with for years, I do zero promotion and we're not in the phone book, so I just get the occasional word-of-mouth referral.
This does exclude silly 2-cents-a-word offers via ProZ, which come qui... See more It depends on what kind of customers you work for and whether/how you promote yourself.
If you're in the Yellow Pages and happy to do one-off jobs for Joe Public, I imagine you could be approached almost daily.
Most of my work is for a handful of customers I've worked with for years, I do zero promotion and we're not in the phone book, so I just get the occasional word-of-mouth referral.
This does exclude silly 2-cents-a-word offers via ProZ, which come quite regularly. Is it possible to turn those off? ▲ Collapse
| | | | | Several times a month | Nov 19, 2013 |
... if you include all enquiries.
When we have finished defining 'often', we can start defining potential new clients as opposed to hopefuls sending ridiculous offers. I do not seriously regard them as potential clients! However, I do consider most of the enquiries I get.
I used to get as far as invoicing roughly one new client a month for a long time. Now there are two or three in some months, but I don't keep statistics, as they are too irregular to be useful.
<... See more ... if you include all enquiries.
When we have finished defining 'often', we can start defining potential new clients as opposed to hopefuls sending ridiculous offers. I do not seriously regard them as potential clients! However, I do consider most of the enquiries I get.
I used to get as far as invoicing roughly one new client a month for a long time. Now there are two or three in some months, but I don't keep statistics, as they are too irregular to be useful.
Many clients send two or three jobs, pay and then disappear, possibly to return months later. Others do send work more regularly, but they all come and go. ▲ Collapse
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| Set a minimum rate, hidden if you like, in your profile | Nov 19, 2013 |
Chris S wrote:
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This does exclude silly 2-cents-a-word offers via ProZ, which come quite regularly. Is it possible to turn those off?
If you set a minimum rate in your profile, anything below that will be filtered out. You can only set one rate, but you do not have to show it, if you charge a range of rates want to keep your options open.
You tick in a box that you only want to use the rate you stated for filtering purposes. I can't remember what level I have set mine at, but I only get a few offers via Proz.com, and they are normally reasonable.
| | | | | Thanks Christine | Nov 19, 2013 |
Christine Andersen wrote:
If you set a minimum rate in your profile, anything below that will be filtered out. You can only set one rate, but you do not have to show it, if you charge a range of rates want to keep your options open.
I've entered prices per word/hour/job that are the minimum I'm willing to get out of bed for - is that what you mean, or is there something else too, because it doesn't seem to stop them!
Perhaps I should just select the blanket "leave me in peace" option...
[Edited at 2013-11-19 10:22 GMT]
| | | | | Enquiries? Very often. | Nov 19, 2013 |
Thanks to my web site, I get an average of 5 enquiries per day from new clients.
No! Please don't drop that urgent job you are doing now for your longest-standing client, to build your web site immediately.
In average, 9 out of 10 such enquiries fall into one of these categories:
- Some Brazilian has a list of books in
... See more Thanks to my web site, I get an average of 5 enquiries per day from new clients.
No! Please don't drop that urgent job you are doing now for your longest-standing client, to build your web site immediately.
In average, 9 out of 10 such enquiries fall into one of these categories:
- Some Brazilian has a list of books in English to read for their graduate course, and they don't understand English;
- a cousin or in-law strongly recommended a book, only available in English;
- they downloaded an e-book in English;
- they want to learn something found on a video in English on YouTube, want it subtitled;
- they bought/received as a gift a DVD in English only;
- they got some sophisticated gizmo bought in Miami, and can't use it because the (thick!) instructions manual is in English...
I have a template reply where I explain that a publisher/producer will pulverize the translation cost among hundreds or thousands of buyers, so each of them will pay only a couple of bucks at most to get a translated copy. For an individual user, that cost is way beyond affordable. I also tell them that an ESL course will be much cheaper, and give them countless other benefits.
I mention that they may try using free online Google Translator, and try to decode the gibberish they'll get. I also warn them that using a cheap amateur translator - unless they are unusually lucky to find a high-potetial beginner - is likely to render just another variety of gibberish.
Many of them, though not most, write me back, resignedly thankful for the heads-up. They admit having no idea on translation costs. Some express their intent to study English (as my wife is an ESL teacher, I can say it's 'good for nusiness').
The remaining one out of every ten, in average, really wants my services, and we more often than not - though not always - close the deal. ▲ Collapse
| | | | Muriel Vasconcellos
Statele Unite
Local time: 13:30
Membru (2003)
din spaniolă în engleză
+ ...
| About 3 a week | Nov 19, 2013 |
Sometimes more, sometimes a less. I save the ones that might be of interest in a dry spell in a folder titled "Job inquiries," and that folder has 1,175 messages in it as of today - and that's not counting serious discussions that warrant a separate folder.
As for screening out the ones who offer insulting rates, that would only apply to jobs that are posted through the ProZ website. If a potential client finds my name on ProZ and sends me an e-mail from their computer to mine, ther... See more Sometimes more, sometimes a less. I save the ones that might be of interest in a dry spell in a folder titled "Job inquiries," and that folder has 1,175 messages in it as of today - and that's not counting serious discussions that warrant a separate folder.
As for screening out the ones who offer insulting rates, that would only apply to jobs that are posted through the ProZ website. If a potential client finds my name on ProZ and sends me an e-mail from their computer to mine, there's no conceivable way their message could be filtered out. ▲ Collapse
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Mario Chavez (X)
Local time: 16:30
din engleză în spaniolă
+ ...
| Potential new clients? | Nov 19, 2013 |
Alexander Kupriyanchuk wrote:
Once a week? Once a day? Once an hour? Once a month?
Without any specific figures/terms, this poll is a totally senseless waste of time, I'm afraid.
[Edited at 2013-11-19 08:57 GMT]
While I agree with your sentiment, I'd look at this question slightly differently.
Even if we had a range of options, such as 1-3 times a day or 1-5 times a week, what does it mean? Let's say I receive 4 inquiries from potential clients a week. Fine. How do I categorize them? Potential projects? Availability inquiries? Rate inquiries? Follow-up emails from a 'potential' client?
I tend to ignore anything with the word “potential” in it, including requests for CVs for a potential project or contract, or invitations to expand a database of freelancers, etc.
In addition, inquiries like that would only annoy me since I'm working on something that pays the bills.
| | | | Emma Goldsmith
Spania
Local time: 22:30
Membru (2004)
din spaniolă în engleză
Christine Andersen wrote:
If you set a minimum rate in your profile, anything below that will be filtered out. You can only set one rate, but you do not have to show it, if you charge a range of rates want to keep your options open.
You tick in a box that you only want to use the rate you stated for filtering purposes. I can't remember what level I have set mine at, but I only get a few offers via Proz.com, and they are normally reasonable.
Yes, but that only stops notifications of jobs that are posted here. I use the setting you describe but still get about one or two enquiries a day through people who find me in the directory.
In fact, I've just decided to post my rates publicly on my profile to see if I can cut out the dead-end enquiries. I changed it last Friday, and have only got one enquiry since then, so it seems to be working well.
I thought that you could only post a single rate (which is why I haven't published my rates before now). Then I discovered that you can still post a rate range, although the option is quite hidden away.
| | | | | Grab my attention? | Nov 19, 2013 |
Like many other translators, I get loads of "We have a potential job" and "Can you send us your CV and best rate" emails. Most of them are binned. I would suggest the following to people who wish to use my services.
1) My CV is on Proz. If you can't be bothered to read it, I can't be bothered to reply.
2) My best rate is my standard rate. This is also on the site.
3) If you have a specific job you want doing SEND THE FILE for me to inspect or at least a proper descriptio... See more Like many other translators, I get loads of "We have a potential job" and "Can you send us your CV and best rate" emails. Most of them are binned. I would suggest the following to people who wish to use my services.
1) My CV is on Proz. If you can't be bothered to read it, I can't be bothered to reply.
2) My best rate is my standard rate. This is also on the site.
3) If you have a specific job you want doing SEND THE FILE for me to inspect or at least a proper description and accurate word count.
4) If you are looking for bargain basement rates or 40% CAT discounts, please look elsewhere!
Phew, I'm glad I got that off my chest...
Steve K. ▲ Collapse
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