Portals and platforms: 3 rules for language professionals

23 June 2022

Today, some language professionals choose to stop using various platforms and portals where customers publish information about new projects. The reason is quite simple, due to the high competition between vendors it seems that it is almost impossible to win projects published on such resources. Dumping and the need to respond as quickly as possible also play not the last role for freelancers when they decide to leave off such websites. However, there will be always clients who will use such platforms to find freelance language professionals. And not all of them are looking for lower rates and offer unfair conditions. Cooperation with good long-term customers can start with a brief response to one of the project announcements. That is the reason why such resources should not be neglected by freelancers working in the field of translations and language services.

Still, there are three simple rules to follow:

Do not participate in the race
It is not possible to reply to new projects as soon as they appear, but it does not mean that one should not respond to job announcements published days or weeks ago. It is true that in the first hours, clients receive a major part of offers from vendors. However, it is also true, that vendors are not aware of how much time customers need to select vendors for their projects. Moreover, even if a specific project has been assigned by the time when the customer receives your offer, it does not mean that there are no chances to start cooperation. The client might have more projects and needs for language services. There is no guarantee that such customer is satisfied with the vendor selected initially. Finally, when companies and individuals order translations or language services once, more probably, they will need them again in the future.

Set your rules
Do you like discounts and sales? Naturally, almost every consumer in the world would like to buy services and products at a cheaper price but to enjoy the highest quality and earliest deliveries. Customers of language services are not exceptions. At that, language professionals should accept the fact that there will be always clients who decline their offers due to various reasons. And it is…normal.
Business is an art of negotiating, but there are no businessmen who always win. Yes, some customers will say “No”, but you can establish long-term healthy business relations with those who won’t. Make it a habit to offer your rates, deadlines, and conditions when you cannot meet the proposed ones. Your offer may not meet the terms and requirements of a specific project, but the same client may return to you later with another assignment.

Do not focus on one platform
There is no magic resource where there are only good projects and nice clients. Different customers prefer various platforms to find freelance vendors. That is why it is essential to distribute time between different professional websites for translators and interpreters. It is not possible to predict where one can find great projects. Still, the problem is that it takes time to monitor all websites and find job announcements that correspond to one’s language combinations and subject fields. Freelanly is a tool developed to solve this problem. It collects data about new projects from various resources for language professionals and presents it in one place. At that, Freelanly users can set up the tool in a way that let them see only those projects that correspond to their language combinations and services on offer. One can also choose different formats of cooperation.
To be a freelancer means to be an entrepreneur. In the same way as for any other business, automation helps to reach more with fewer efforts. Try Freelanly today and enjoy its benefits!

Pavel Elin for Freelanly