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Poll: When you are available for new projects, do you ever remind your (current) clients about it?
Thread poster: ProZ.com Staff
ProZ.com Staff
ProZ.com Staff
SITE STAFF
Mar 29, 2006

This forum topic is for the discussion of the poll question "When you are available for new projects, do you ever remind your (current) clients about it?".

View the poll here

A forum topic will appear each time a new poll is run. For more information, see: http://proz.com/topic/33629


 
EmmanuelleAn (X)
EmmanuelleAn (X)  Identity Verified
Local time: 01:48
English to French
+ ...
Availability Mar 29, 2006

I tend to do it if nobody has called me for a job for more than a week. It's usually worth it! Even if I am very busy with work I never forget to call clients I have not heard of for a long time (6 months).

 
Sandra C.
Sandra C.
France
Local time: 01:48
English to French
+ ...
sometimes Mar 29, 2006

especially after a vacation, for example. Just to remind the clients that I'm back and ready to work!
Or if I had to turn down a job because I was too busy with another project: I let the client know that I am now free to take on one of their own projects...


 
John Walsh
John Walsh  Identity Verified
Italy
Local time: 01:48
Italian to English
I should Mar 29, 2006

but I enjoy the breather.

 
Kirill Semenov
Kirill Semenov  Identity Verified
Ukraine
Local time: 02:48
Member (2004)
English to Russian
+ ...
No Mar 29, 2006

This is something about our ethics and self-esteem, I suppose.

If a client wants they will drop you an email. If they don't it means:

1) they don't have a proper project for you right now;

2) they found someone who's better, so why bother them?

In both cases I see no reasons to disturb them. When you time comes, they will find you, that's all.


 
Parrot
Parrot  Identity Verified
Spain
Local time: 01:48
Spanish to English
+ ...
I use the availability button Mar 29, 2006

I take it as a (precious little enough) time I can spend making contact with new clients.



 
ADSTRAD
ADSTRAD  Identity Verified
Local time: 01:48
English to French
+ ...
useful sometimes Mar 29, 2006

when you work on a big project and keep turning down faithful customers, it's sometimes a good thing to let them know they can rely on your services again

 
EmmanuelleAn (X)
EmmanuelleAn (X)  Identity Verified
Local time: 01:48
English to French
+ ...
You're right Mar 29, 2006

ADSTRAD wrote:

when you work on a big project and keep turning down faithful customers, it's sometimes a good thing to let them know they can rely on your services again


I fully agree with you. And it's always worth reminding them you are alive. It does not affect my self esteem. That' s how business works!


 
Rosa Maria Duenas Rios (X)
Rosa Maria Duenas Rios (X)  Identity Verified
Local time: 20:48
You could be surprised... Mar 29, 2006

Kirill Semenov wrote:
If a client wants they will drop you an email. If they don't it means:

1) they don't have a proper project for you right now;

2) they found someone who's better, so why bother them?

In both cases I see no reasons to disturb them. When you time comes, they will find you, that's all.


I once called a client of whom I had not heard in a while. I was quite surprised when he said something along the lines of "I am so happy you called. Telepathy must exist. I had been trying to contact you, but could not find your e-mail address because my computer crashed, and I have so many things going on at the same time that I have not had time to look up your phone number, bla, bla bla".
He immediately sent me a large project.

I do not think it hurts to call inactive clients from time to time.

P.S. To me, "from time to time" is the key word.

[Edited at 2006-03-29 17:20]


 
Christine Andersen
Christine Andersen  Identity Verified
Denmark
Local time: 01:48
Member (2003)
Danish to English
+ ...
I tidy up and enjoy the breather! Mar 29, 2006

One of my favourite clients has an intranet and asks me to report my status there, but otherwise if I get a quiet period I tidy up my desk, make out invoices ... tidy up my TMs, maybe go for a walk or ring the family... and by the time I've done that I'm usually in business again!

It doesn't happen every month!



 
Ma. Fernanda Blesa
Ma. Fernanda Blesa  Identity Verified
Argentina
Local time: 21:48
Member (2005)
English to Spanish
+ ...
same here Mar 29, 2006

Christine Andersen wrote:
if I get a quiet period I tidy up my desk, make out invoices ... tidy up my TMs, maybe go for a walk or ring the family... and by the time I've done that I'm usually in business again!

It doesn't happen every month!



yes, that's what I do too. I've worked too many weekends to worry about contacting my clients to get more work when I get a few days off... I just make sure I enjoy them and get ready for what's coming after the breather

oh! and I GO SHOPPING!!!!

[Edited at 2006-03-29 16:35]


 
Kirill Semenov
Kirill Semenov  Identity Verified
Ukraine
Local time: 02:48
Member (2004)
English to Russian
+ ...
`Once...' is the key word Mar 29, 2006

Rosa Maria Duenas Rios wrote:
I once called a client of whom I had not heard in a while. I was quite surprised when he said something along the lines of "I am so happy you called....


Yes, I believe it might happen once or twice, still if you have a regular client and they don't contact you during a year it's a sure sign they'd found someone better. There is nothing to be ahsmed of or be frustrated of, however, - most probably, during the year you've found two or three regular clients more. So this isn't a problem!


 
Wenke Geddert
Wenke Geddert
United Kingdom
Local time: 00:48
Member (2004)
English to German
+ ...
Back from hols... Mar 29, 2006

I usually send them a note to let them know that I am back from holidays.

 
Gina W
Gina W
United States
Local time: 20:48
Member (2003)
French to English
Of course Mar 29, 2006

And I often get a response with an offer for a new translation job.

I believe that someone from an agency, at a translation conference I attended some time ago, once suggested this to me, so I do this as a general practice.


 
Sophie Dzhygir
Sophie Dzhygir  Identity Verified
France
Local time: 01:48
German to French
+ ...
usual practice Mar 29, 2006

gad wrote:

I believe that someone from an agency, at a translation conference I attended some time ago, once suggested this to me, so I do this as a general practice.
Yes, this is a general practice, at least here in France. And often useful.


 
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Poll: When you are available for new projects, do you ever remind your (current) clients about it?






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