What negotiation skills can you use to get clients to pay your translation rates?

Oh THE IRONY. If we knew that, we wouldn't be answering pointless AI prompts, would we? 😂 We'd be in Hawaii, drinking coconut water on the beach under a palm tree.

I employ a revolutionary method called "Cosmic Lexi-Charm." By telepathically channeling the linguistic spirits, I infuse negotiations with intergalactic syntax mojo. Clients are left in a linguistic trance, happily agreeing to my rates, oblivious to earthly concerns.

Vous devez absolument connaître votre valeur. Qu'est-ce qui vous rend différent des autres personnes offrant le même service ? Êtes-vous à la hauteur des services que vous offrez ? Avez-vous suivi une formation professionnelle en traduction ?... Voici quelques questions que vous devez vous poser. Pour conclure, si vous ne pouvez pas vous-même payer la somme que vous demandez pour le même service, il vous sera très difficile de convaincre votre prospect.

Offering top-notch services and earning positive feedback from past customers will allow you to raise your rates with ease. Make every effort to deliver excellent translation; as a result, people will view your fees as insignificant given the caliber of the work you accomplish.

Knowing the market is also about knowing one's worth as a human translator. In-depth knowledge of one's specialty field is obviously difficult to quantify - although it might be numbered in years of expérience; but the hardest thing to calculate is one's knowledge of the target market, audience, and idiolect. A translator's mandate should not be standardising language, but shaping the message so it reflects what the author means and facilitating understanding for the recipient. This kind of worth is hard to estimate.

Clearly understand that a client who wants to negotiate your translation rates is no client at all. That's all the negotiating skills you need when it comes to the rates for your translations.

👂 Understanding your client is crucial for negotiation. Engage by asking questions and listening to grasp their needs, expectations, and budget. Tailor your pitch to demonstrate how your services solve their problems, highlighting leverage points based on their priorities and pain points.

It is my experience that not all clients can afford my rates at all times. It's important to understand not only my own worth as a translator, but also the client's worth beyond their current budget. There can be future benefits that far outweigh the current "loss" if you adjust your rate to a client's current situation. It has happened to me more than once.

Understanding your client is essential for building strong and lasting relationships, as well as delivering exceptional service that meets their needs and expectations.By taking the time to understand your client's communication preferences, goals, challenges, industry context, budget constraints, feedback, and cultural sensitivities, you can build trust, rapport, and mutual respect that forms the foundation of successful client relationships.

Let your customers know how you can solve their problems and go an extra mile, offering services you are sure they will appreciate.

Tell them if they don't pay your chosen rates they're a poo. They'll be so shocked by that fearsome use of language that they'll automatically agree to whatever rates you suggest.

The one clear message that you should always communicate about your rates to everybody asking is that they are not negotiable. Never ever.

Clearly stating the amount of work a translation project entails should be the basis of communication with customers. Using metaphors and comparisons with the client's work to convey one's message is generally useful.

🗣️ Clear communication is key in rate negotiations. Explain your rates confidently, detailing their basis and inclusions. Highlight the value of your services—expertise, quality, reliability—with evidence like testimonials. Always communicate respectfully, using positive, constructive language.

O cliente deve estar ciente de que a tradução automática por si só não terá a qualidade proporcionada por um tradutor humano. É possível provar isso oferecendo exemplos a partir de trechos de texto com jargão técnico ou expressões idiomáticas, que escapam à compreensão da TA. Isso ilustra como o(a) tradutor(a) entrega um resultado superior ao da máquina, justificando o investimento em seu serviço.

When a client asks me for a big job and expects their usual price or maybe a lower "volume discount" rate, I send them a quote with 3 options. Option 1 is their regular option with regular delivery time. Option 2 is a speedier option with shortened delivery time (calculated to divide the job in 2 to share with a colleague). This carries a higher rate than Option 1, but sometimes satisfies the client's need for timely delivery. Option 3 is a rush option with extra short delivery time (calculated to divide the job among several parties), but with a clause stating that quality may/will suffer and there's a 5-10% error margin at a much higher cost than 1 and 2. Option 3 is designed to make them want to choose Options 1 or 2 - they usually do!

⚖️ In negotiations, balance flexibility with firmness. Be open to compromise but uphold your minimum rate and standards. Prepare to walk away from unfair deals, offering alternatives or incentives that benefit both you and your client.

proposer des réductions pour les étudiants par exemple, ou pour certaines catégories de clients. Sinon en leur proposant des packs, mais jamais brader son travail

Absolutely! And do not ever be self-deprecating! Know your worth and do not let people haggle all the time, so that you end up unhappy.

Une chose précieuse : penser à joindre au contrat le document de référence. REX : Le relecteur me contacte, mécontent : la traduction ne colle pas au français. En 5 minutes, nous comparons mon document de travail et son document en ligne. Ils sont très différents. Un employé avait amélioré le contenu métier. Je travaillais sur une version obsolète. One valuable thing: remember to attach the reference document to the contract. REX: The manager called me, furious: the translation is far from the original content. In 5 minutes, we compared my working document and theirs. Surprise! They were different. One employee had improved the business content; I was working on an obsolete version.

📝 Following up with a written confirmation solidifies negotiation outcomes. Include project specifics like scope, deadline, and payment details in a contract for both parties to sign, preventing future misunderstandings and ensuring payment as agreed.

Deep dive into our customer needs by actively listening, and consequently asking intelligent questions. Clarifying goals. Building and reinforcing confidence by showing with examples we are credible, relevant and can add value. Problem solving. Good communication all the way through and the power of pause, et al. Best wishes

Exactly! Everything has to be in writing. I, for one, always draw up a contract and keep record of all communication between us, parties.

Le contrat de prestation est associé à un cahier des charges succinct. Je vous suggère de clarifier : - les conditions de sortie de contrat, - la propriété intellectuelle des documents et les règles de confidentialité. The service contract is associated with succinct specifications. I invite you to clarify: - the conditions of exit from the contract, - the intellectual property of the documents and the confidentiality rules.

Undervalued negotiation skill: Wait for them to realise the poor result they got from using machine translation and a random person in their company who speaks your target language. 🙃

Rates are as they are. Can you consult your doctor and discuss their rate? Can you go to the restaurant and negotiate the check? What do you think will happen if you start negotiating prices at the supermarket checkout? Well, please think about that when you try to bargain for translations. After all, as a translation customer you probably expect a high-quality result and want to be treated as a good, valuable client.

Have vivid translation rates and be open about why the price is high (qualified workers have a lot of regalia and famous clients). Always state your famous clients on your client page.

Sending them previous work and if I have time I would give them a translation of a small paragraph from an AI app vs my own translation.

There are things I do besides translation for the translation task such as editing and polishing the work before I send you for final but I don't ask additional fees for such related tasks.