| Pages in topic: < [1 2 3] > | Why do clients turn to big translation companies rather than individual translators? Thread poster: LilianNekipelov
|
|---|
LilianNekipelov 
United States
Local time: 10:02
Russian to English
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER | The big companies | Jul 22, 2014 |
jyuan_us wrote: LilianNekipelov wrote:
I have been wondering recently why many clients decide to give translation work to big, faceless translation companies, which charge them at least twice as much, and then give out the work to the most economically desirable translators, instead of contacting qualified translators directly.
Not from their own pocket. Why should they care that much economically?
should pay translators with the corporate pocket as well, then. Not 0.10/word. (More like $0.15-0.25/word)
[Edited at 2014-07-22 20:01 GMT]
| | | | LilianNekipelov
United States
Local time: 10:02
Russian to English
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER | Interpreting agency | Jul 22, 2014 |
Lincoln Hui wrote:
Musicians are used for a lot of purposes and in many cases you can find something broadly comparable to a freelancer-agency relationship.
Not a mass production translation agency
| | | | | large companies - purchase department | Jul 22, 2014 |
hello
In a previous life I worked in a large IT company.
Anytime we needed to buy something, we had to contact the purchase dept and if they had a vendor in the right category, we had to purchase to this vendor. There was a corporate contract with this vendor, discounts, terms and condiions..
This applied also to translations agencies. That is why a small freelance translator had very little chance to sell his translation services services to large companie... See more hello
In a previous life I worked in a large IT company.
Anytime we needed to buy something, we had to contact the purchase dept and if they had a vendor in the right category, we had to purchase to this vendor. There was a corporate contract with this vendor, discounts, terms and condiions..
This applied also to translations agencies. That is why a small freelance translator had very little chance to sell his translation services services to large companies.
Madeleine ▲ Collapse
| | | | jyuan_us
United States
Local time: 10:02
Member (2005)
English to Chinese
+ ...
| It doesn't make sense to pay $0.15-0.25/word to an individual | Jul 22, 2014 |
LilianNekipelov wrote: jyuan_us wrote: LilianNekipelov wrote:
I have been wondering recently why many clients decide to give translation work to big, faceless translation companies, which charge them at least twice as much, and then give out the work to the most economically desirable translators, instead of contacting qualified translators directly.
Not from their own pocket. Why should they care that much economically? should pay translators with the corporate pocket as well, then. Not 0.10/word. (More like $0.15-0.25/word) [Edited at 2014-07-22 20:01 GMT]
It does make sense to pay that amount to an organization. Keep in mind they have to report to their supervisors what they do in their work. They will easily justify their work behavior if they contract their translation projects to an agency instead of many individuals.
Try not to think about the issue from the translators' point of view. Put yourself in the shoes of someone in charge of translation work in an large organization.
[Edited at 2014-07-22 22:23 GMT]
[Edited at 2014-07-22 22:29 GMT]
| | |
|
|
|
| Too many amateurs practicing in a deregulated profession | Jul 22, 2014 |
If the client knew anything about translation, the target language, etc. they would hire freelancers. As they don't, it's not usually part of their core business, and the hiring process is carried out by an employee who has a job (or at least an upcoming performance appraisal) at stake there, they want to play it safe.
Imagine if they hire an "amatuer translater", whose web site was thoroughly proofread (if not entirely written) by a pro, and s/he flops as we - translators - would e... See more If the client knew anything about translation, the target language, etc. they would hire freelancers. As they don't, it's not usually part of their core business, and the hiring process is carried out by an employee who has a job (or at least an upcoming performance appraisal) at stake there, they want to play it safe.
Imagine if they hire an "amatuer translater", whose web site was thoroughly proofread (if not entirely written) by a pro, and s/he flops as we - translators - would expect. All that poor jerk can do is say "I'm sorry, I tried my best", which was obviously not enough.
So they hire a company, which at least is LIABLE. If the translation job goes south, the case is shifted from the client's purchasing to their legal department. The purchasing agent did their job, hired a large, traditionally established translation agency. If they goofed, the agency will receive the treatment prescribed by the company policies for "vendors who delivered defective goods".
Translating between EN-PT was my professional decision, made four decades ago. If I wanted, there would be nothing to prevent me from selling translation services in IT and FR. In fact, I often see people translating in my pair with a lesser knowledge than I have of these two other languages.
Hence it is safe to conclude that, in fact, I'd be able to fool a few clients if I tried. However these clients expect an established translation agency to detect frauds like this, if I tried to pull a fast one on them with my lame IT/FR. This is the reason why.
Little do they know about some agencies' actual practices. ▲ Collapse
| | | | Diana Obermeyer
United Kingdom
Local time: 15:02
Member (2013)
German to English
+ ...
| Availability is a huge factor | Jul 23, 2014 |
I mainly work with direct clients.
For these clients I am the only translator for my language combination. That means that there can NEVER be a question of whether or not I can accept an assignment. If the client needs something done, I have to do it - no matter what. This can get very stressful at times, as typically, everyone needs things at the same time.
Thus, we usually work with a lead time of 4 working days + 1 working day per 2000 words. They don't ask if I'm available. They... See more I mainly work with direct clients.
For these clients I am the only translator for my language combination. That means that there can NEVER be a question of whether or not I can accept an assignment. If the client needs something done, I have to do it - no matter what. This can get very stressful at times, as typically, everyone needs things at the same time.
Thus, we usually work with a lead time of 4 working days + 1 working day per 2000 words. They don't ask if I'm available. They place an order with a note of either "regular", i.e. in line with the above schedule, or "rush", i.e. faster than the above schedule at a different higher rate. I believe most agencies would scream if I told them that 800 words in 3 days time is a rush job.
Yet, with this delivery schedule, I often have several weeks of weekend work and 10 hour shifts - because the option of passing on an assignment does not exist in an exclusive working relationship.
Many clients are not able to wait that amount of time for a translation and they are better served by an agency that is able to find a translator at short notice at all times.
An end client has no interest or time to search for a new translator every time, they want to know that they can just place an order. They don't want to negotiate for every little transaction, they want one agreement they can rely on.
I like working direct, as I find it more rewarding, but agency work is far more convenient. I don't think many of the people who have issues with the "middle man" realise what a luxury it is to be able to say "I'm not available". ▲ Collapse
| | | |
The only thing I would add to this list is marketing (specifically a marketing budget). I have an app that I built and am trying to sell to potential clients, but actually selling my service costs a lot of money. There's travel, food, printing, seminars, trade shows, websites and tons of other things that have to be done so that I can make a return on my investment. Larger agencies can pay for these huge marketing campaigns, where as our typical translator will have a profile here, and maybe a w... See more The only thing I would add to this list is marketing (specifically a marketing budget). I have an app that I built and am trying to sell to potential clients, but actually selling my service costs a lot of money. There's travel, food, printing, seminars, trade shows, websites and tons of other things that have to be done so that I can make a return on my investment. Larger agencies can pay for these huge marketing campaigns, where as our typical translator will have a profile here, and maybe a website (which hasn't been set up for any kind of SEO). Then, if you look at the number of translators out there, we find that we are lost among a sea of CVs.
I have found that my greatest tools for finding new and direct clients have been facebook and my humble blog. It takes time, but I would bet that those monster agencies are spending much more time worrying about marketing than we are... But it sure does feel good to snatch one of those big projects. ▲ Collapse
| | | | Kay Denney
France
Local time: 16:02
French to English
LilianNekipelov wrote:
They also make the translators work under tight deadlines, which is very destructive to the translation process.
The tight deadlines are mostly dictated by the end client rather than the agency. Believe me, some agencies do all they can to educate their clients to factor a decent amount of translation time into their schedule. And when this doesn't work, they'll try to split the job up so that no one translator gets overloaded. Not ideal of course, and the client may just learn from the experience, or they may just move on to the next big faceless agency, there are plenty of them around after all.
| | |
|
|
|
LilianNekipelov
United States
Local time: 10:02
Russian to English
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER | This is exactly what is wrong with the translation "industry" | Jul 23, 2014 |
Madeleine Chevassus wrote: hello In a previous life I worked in a large IT company. Anytime we needed to buy something, we had to contact the purchase dept and if they had a vendor in the right category, we had to purchase to this vendor. There was a corporate contract with this vendor, discounts, terms and condiions.. This applied also to translations agencies. That is why a small freelance translator had very little chance to sell his translation services services to large companies. Madeleine
I think the future of translation is in small business--small companies (or medium size) dedicated to the quality rather than volume, just like some law firms or real estate companies. I don't even know where some companies got the idea from that translation is a mass production type of thing--you need people with a very high level of education and intelligence, so it is hard to really run your business as a Walm..t type of thing. I am not sure if i can mention them, but everybody mentions them as the symbol of cheap things for the people.
| | | | Shai Navé
Israel
Local time: 17:02
English to Hebrew
+ ...
| Short answer and long answer | Jul 23, 2014 |
The short answer is that translation is a commercial service (usually B2B), i.e. a business or a professional practice, but many translators think of it and act as if it is a job (and sometimes a generalized low-level type of position). People who look for business partners to provide them with skilled services or consultancy look for those who look the part, and act and conduct themselves accordingly. They don't look for semi-hidden individuals that think of themselves as (isolated) temporary w... See more The short answer is that translation is a commercial service (usually B2B), i.e. a business or a professional practice, but many translators think of it and act as if it is a job (and sometimes a generalized low-level type of position). People who look for business partners to provide them with skilled services or consultancy look for those who look the part, and act and conduct themselves accordingly. They don't look for semi-hidden individuals that think of themselves as (isolated) temporary workforce or "freelancers".
The long answer is that it is complicated and comes down to circumstances and business culture and processes. Different needs, mindsets, business processes, etc. One has to know who is one's target client base in order to know how to reach them.
Also, it is not always black and white. It is not have to be an Agency vs. an Individual. This divide and conquer is one of the successes the brokers have had in the last 10-15 years, and a trap so many translator fall into willingly. Like minded professional translation practitioners can partner up and create professional practices. The artificial perception of isolation and being little fish in the big boys pond, with their resulting feeling of almost helplessness impede many.
[Edited at 2014-07-23 09:48 GMT] ▲ Collapse
| | | | LilianNekipelov
United States
Local time: 10:02
Russian to English
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER | Too many amatours... | Jul 23, 2014 |
José Henrique Lamensdorf wrote:
If the client knew anything about translation, the target language, etc. they would hire freelancers. As they don't, it's not usually part of their core business, and the hiring process is carried out by an employee who has a job (or at least an upcoming performance appraisal) at stake there, they want to play it safe.
Imagine if they hire an "amatuer translater", whose web site was thoroughly proofread (if not entirely written) by a pro, and s/he flops as we - translators - would expect. All that poor jerk can do is say "I'm sorry, I tried my best", which was obviously not enough.
I agree that there are too many unprofessional translators--as you call them "amatours", many of whom work for big translation companies, because they are the most affordable type, and big companies have to report profit, each quarter, and growth.
| | | | | A memorable phrase | Jul 23, 2014 |
LilianNekipelov wrote:
I agree that there are too many unprofessional translators--as you call them "amatours", many of whom work for big translation companies, because they are the most affordable type, and big companies have to report profit, each quarter, and growth.
I think I saw it on LinkedIn a while ago, it was the title of a post from a professional translator. I recall something like this:
Last week I coudnt spel 'translater', now I am being one.
Part of the blame goes to some firms that advertise on the web:
"If you speak a second language, you can make a bundle translating in your spare time."
Even if the people who paid their enrollment fee don't get any assignment there, the process will spark the idea and, within a few weeks, they'll be offering their translation services.
| | |
|
|
|
| Why charge less for the same service? | Jul 23, 2014 |
LilianNekipelov wrote:
...I have been wondering recently why many clients decide to give translation work to big, faceless translation companies, which charge them at least twice as much, and then give out the work to the most economically desirable translators... (my formatting)
You MAY be a little cheaper just in order to compete more easily with agencies, but certainly not twice as cheap. Never would I charge and end customer the same as an agency.
An agency does marketing, editing, hand-holding, visiting, explaining, blah-blah'ing, CRM'ing and all this has value. If you do the job of an agency, charge like an agency. Even without shareholders.
dianaft wrote:
...If the client needs something done, I have to do it - no matter what. This can get very stressful at times, as typically, everyone needs things at the same time...
Even though I have never had periodically returning end customers, I have always thought that they demand much more availability than agencies. This comes at a price too. The luxury of being able to turn down jobs with agencies with no hard feelings is a real benefit.
Despite agencies efforts to consolidate and grow bigger, the market is still highly fragmented, and freelancers who want to work with end customers probably can with companies operating at a smaller scale (city tourist offices, specialised SMB manufacturers, small law firms, independent hotels...).
Large corporations go towards industrial translation manufacturers for convenience reasons, but the smaller Father and Sons Ltd making custom tools for mining machinery would likely be better off dealing going to a freelancer with a personalised service. The thing is, they usually don't know how and where to find them.
Philippe
| | | | Giles Watson
Italy
Local time: 16:02
Italian to English
In memoriam | Fishing for work | Jul 23, 2014 |
Some of the best gigs around are with top business execs who need a personal service from a reliably excellent translator. Even companies the bulk of whose translation needs are catered for by agencies may be willing to pay considerably more for certain kinds of work. The problem is how to get in touch with the person who can swing it for you (often a PA).
It's a bit like fishing. You can lob a stick of dynamite into the water by spamming every name in the phone book, which is not ... See more Some of the best gigs around are with top business execs who need a personal service from a reliably excellent translator. Even companies the bulk of whose translation needs are catered for by agencies may be willing to pay considerably more for certain kinds of work. The problem is how to get in touch with the person who can swing it for you (often a PA).
It's a bit like fishing. You can lob a stick of dynamite into the water by spamming every name in the phone book, which is not very satisfying and in any case tends to ruin the market, at least for the lobber. Or you can go rod fishing. Study your prey, prepare your lures and be patient. It might take time but there's nothing wrong with having a long-term objective. And before you land the big one, you'll probably catch some other interesting fish along the way. ▲ Collapse
| | | | | That is what some smaller agencies are good at | Jul 23, 2014 |
Philippe Etienne wrote:
...
Despite agencies efforts to consolidate and grow bigger, the market is still highly fragmented, and freelancers who want to work with end customers probably can with companies operating at a smaller scale (city tourist offices, specialised SMB manufacturers, small law firms, independent hotels...).
Large corporations go towards industrial translation manufacturers for convenience reasons, but the smaller Father and Sons Ltd making custom tools for mining machinery would likely be better off dealing going to a freelancer with a personalised service. The thing is, they usually don't know how and where to find them.
Philippe
Some medium-sized, specialist agencies are finding big clients who are tired of the facelessness of big agencies. By offering them tailored- all-round service they give value for money, and can be more flexible than individual translators.
They can take on the big clients' multi-language jobs, DTP and so on. The successful ones are also good at finding the Father and Sons Ltd clients - who in a couple of generations may be big world names ... but in any case are good clients here and now - if they get the service they need at a reasonable rate, they don't waste time looking for this week's cheap offer elsewhere.
Consistency and terminology management are keywords among some of these agencies - and they really work at keeping the glossaries and TMs up to date - which is often important to clients with technical products and/or distinctive corporate images. There is far more to translation than people see on the surface.
And that is where good agencies win over individuals, but can work with them as business partners.
| | | | | Pages in topic: < [1 2 3] > | To report site rules violations or get help, contact a site moderator: You can also contact site staff by submitting a support request » Why do clients turn to big translation companies rather than individual translators? | Wordfast Pro | Translation Memory Software for Any Platform
Exclusive discount for ProZ.com users!
Save over 13% when purchasing Wordfast Pro through ProZ.com. Wordfast is the world's #1 provider of platform-independent Translation Memory software. Consistently ranked the most user-friendly and highest value
Buy now! » |
| | Trados Business Manager Lite | Create customer quotes and invoices from within Trados Studio
Trados Business Manager Lite helps to simplify and speed up some of the daily tasks, such as invoicing and reporting, associated with running your freelance translation business.
More info » |
|
| | | | X Sign in to your ProZ.com account... | | | | | |
Login to reply/comment 
Translation news
