Poll: Most of my new clients come from: Thread poster: ProZ.com Staff
|
|---|
This forum topic is for the discussion of the poll question "Most of my new clients come from:".
View the poll results »
| | | |
| Other: a mix | Jan 20, 2020 |
I did engage in active marketing and contacted a good number of potential clients (translation agencies, European Community Institutions, chambers of commerce, public and private companies) at the very beginning (1986) and that’s how I built my customer base. Over the years some have left me and I have “divorced” a few others, one has stayed with me since then (I’m particularly proud of that) and fortunately others have emerged, mostly through word-of-mouth, my website, translators assoc... See more I did engage in active marketing and contacted a good number of potential clients (translation agencies, European Community Institutions, chambers of commerce, public and private companies) at the very beginning (1986) and that’s how I built my customer base. Over the years some have left me and I have “divorced” a few others, one has stayed with me since then (I’m particularly proud of that) and fortunately others have emerged, mostly through word-of-mouth, my website, translators associations I belong to and Proz. Self-promotion makes me terribly uncomfortable… ▲ Collapse
| | | |
I was contacted via my profile on ProzCom.
| | | |
Kay Denney 
France
Local time: 16:44
French to English
| Active marketing | Jan 20, 2020 |
If active marketing includes contacting former colleagues now working in other agencies, that's how I got most of my clients (12).
I have had a fair number of clients further to referrals (8).
If passive marketing includes mentioning in passing that I'm a translator and getting jobs from people who overhear me saying it, that accounts for at least four clients.
My favourite client came across my LinkedIn profile while looking for translators with one of my specialist subjects... See more If active marketing includes contacting former colleagues now working in other agencies, that's how I got most of my clients (12).
I have had a fair number of clients further to referrals (8).
If passive marketing includes mentioning in passing that I'm a translator and getting jobs from people who overhear me saying it, that accounts for at least four clients.
My favourite client came across my LinkedIn profile while looking for translators with one of my specialist subjects. ▲ Collapse
| | |
|
|
|
neilmac
Spain
Local time: 16:44
Spanish to English
+ ...
Word of mouth, thanks to satisfied clients.
| | | |
Angus Stewart
United Kingdom
Local time: 15:44
Member (2011)
French to English
+ ...
Most of my clients have come to my via my profile here on proz.com. Like Theresa I feel uneasy about self-promotion and hence active marketing is something I seek to avoid.
| | | |
| ProZ.com has been my meal ticket for 20 years :) | Jan 20, 2020 |
Hat tip to ProZ.com which accounts for ~90% of my client base -- translation agencies and direct clients, one-time jobs and long-term ongoing projects.
Different pathways to initial contact:
• Responding to job postings
• Profile page visitors seeking translators
• Sending out my resume, credentials, and proposals to the ProZ corporate members
• Referrals by fellow translators registered on ProZ.com
The remaining 10% of my clients:... See more Hat tip to ProZ.com which accounts for ~90% of my client base -- translation agencies and direct clients, one-time jobs and long-term ongoing projects.
Different pathways to initial contact:
• Responding to job postings
• Profile page visitors seeking translators
• Sending out my resume, credentials, and proposals to the ProZ corporate members
• Referrals by fellow translators registered on ProZ.com
The remaining 10% of my clients:
• are my former employers;
• come through referrals by my former colleagues in the (non-translation) companies I worked for (some of them have moved on to other positions with other companies);
• find me through other translator directories;
• find me through Google searches. ▲ Collapse
| | | |
People find me when they look on ProZ for translators in my language combinations.
When I started freelancing I already had a client base, starting with my previous employer and contacts I had made while working in house as a full-time translator. So I never went through an active marketing phase. My best client found me through my website.
| | |
|
|
|
Mario Freitas
Brazil
Local time: 11:44
Member (2014)
English to Portuguese
+ ...
| Active networking, not marketing | Jan 20, 2020 |
Mainly from ProZ, but also from other networking sources sporadically.
| | | |
LinkedIn as well as Find a Translator on the Chartered Institute of Linguists website.
ProZ is a good tool too. I try to be active when I can. At present time I am so busy I have no time to market myself.
I try to market myself by doing some networking. So, every time I see some interesting conference in London I always go and make an effort to speak to people and then add them to my LinkedIn. You never know who can introduce you to your next client ... See more LinkedIn as well as Find a Translator on the Chartered Institute of Linguists website.
ProZ is a good tool too. I try to be active when I can. At present time I am so busy I have no time to market myself.
I try to market myself by doing some networking. So, every time I see some interesting conference in London I always go and make an effort to speak to people and then add them to my LinkedIn. You never know who can introduce you to your next client . ▲ Collapse
| | | |
I don't do any active marketing, I have enough regular clients to keep me busy.
Any new ones now come from colleagues in other language pairs (that works both ways).
[Edited at 2020-01-20 20:21 GMT]
| | | |
Vanda Nissen
Australia
Local time: 00:44
Member (2008)
English to Russian
+ ...
| A mix of the above | Jan 20, 2020 |
Proz.com, word of mouth marketing, networking, community engagement, NAATI directory.
| | |
|
|
|
Michael Newton
United States
Local time: 10:44
Japanese to English
+ ...
aggressive marketing to direct clients
| | | |
Login to reply/comment 
