Becoming an expert translator is a lifelong journey. Apart from learning how to translate well, a translator must also learn how to solve their clients’ pain points if they want to provide them with the best possible service. When making the transition from translator to translation project manager, there are even more skills you must master. This shift demands not only technical expertise but also leadership, organization, and the ability to manage complex workflows.
If your client is serious about providing quality bilingual content, following the six tips in this article will make you an indispensable part of their team.
1. Properly estimate the scope of work.
It takes years to accurately estimate a turnaround time that will allow you to ensure quality work. This is compounded when you begin to subcontract to other translators because, in your role as an agency, you take on the risk of a delayed delivery by a freelancer that is out of your control. However, when you give everyone enough leeway to do their work well, your client will be happy to hand off the logistics to you.
You must also take workflow complexity into account. What is your system for managing multiple languages, files, and rounds of revisions? Over time and as you continue working with a client, you will develop an innate sense of the amount of time you will need to finalize a translation once the first draft has been completed and it has gone through the review process.
2. Get your pricing down to a T.
It is your job to always respect your original estimate and not exceed the price quoted. This skill goes hand in hand with estimating the scope of work, as you don’t want there to be any surprises if a text is longer than anticipated or if there are extra revisions. You must also ensure that you are charging appropriately for expedited services, additional formatting, or specialized content. However, you can avoid delays by matching a qualified translator to each project.
The most important thing is that everyone who is involved in the work is compensated fairly so that they feel empowered to do their best work, and the client feels that you are providing them with value that is commensurate with your prices.
3. Ensure you deliver a quality translation, every time.
In a nutshell, here are the qualities that make for a good translation:
- Accuracy: ensuring the translation conveys the original meaning without errors or misinterpretation.
- Cultural sensitivity: adapting content to suit the target audience’s cultural norms and preferences.
- Consistency: maintaining uniform terminology and style across large projects or recurring work.
- Tone and style: achieving the desired tone (e.g., formal, casual, technical).
While your freelance colleagues are the ones responsible for producing the translation, you can ensure that they are providing quality work by verifying their credentials and doing a small test before entrusting larger projects to them.
4. Understand your client’s bilingual dynamics.
To ensure that everyone’s expectations are met, you must ask yourself the following questions:
Are there bilingual employees who can answer any questions related to the translation? If not, you are the only person who can make any final decisions related to translation, style or adaptations based on the information you have at the time. Assume this role with confidence.
Conversely, if your client has bilingual employees, your must allow time for the review and approval steps. Allocating time and resources for an internal review or edits post-translation based on your client’s feedback will ensure that your client meets their internal deadline.
Close any communication gaps and avoid misunderstandings between the client and translator by establishing clear expectations on who does what. For example, will your client be responsible for proofreading the final translation and resolving any outstanding issues? If not, ensure that you include a proofreading step in your quote.
5. Know and understand the organization’s clientele.
You are not just providing your client with an accurate translation: you’re helping them reach their end clients. To adapt their message to the greatest extent possible, you need to know who the target audience is and how they will interact with the translation.
For example, where are their clients located? If they live in a region other than where the client is located, you must take their location into account with respect to dialect, regionalisms, and any references to location. If your client is located in Quebec, for example, but their end clients are spread across Canada, you must ensure that there are no references to Quebec that would alienate the target reader.
6. Anticipate issues outside the translation process itself.
Issues inevitably arise that are unrelated to the final translation, especially when it’s your first time working with a client. There are ways to mitigate potential problems, however.
For example, how are you going to ensure consistency between multiple documents? One solution is to employ translation management systems (TMS) that check for consistency and errors across documents. Another is to have all translations for a client are reviewed by the same reviser.
As you continue to work with a client, there is the issue of ongoing maintenance. How are you going to update translations as source content changes over time? Do you keep your files organized so that you can locate any reference documents or past translations quickly? Do you keep a record of the translator who worked on previous translations and assign all updates to that freelancer? Lastly, do you maintain termbases and style guides so that anyone who does work for that client in the future can get themselves oriented?
Ensuring high-quality translations is essential for clear communication, maintaining your client’s brand reputation, and avoiding costly errors. By setting clear expectations, using skilled translators, and implementing thorough quality checks, you can overcome common translation challenges. Properly localizing content also ensures that your message resonates with the target audience while respecting cultural nuances. With the right strategies, you will serve your clients with the professionalism and precision that they expect.
Would you like help addressing any of these in detail or suggestions for overcoming these challenges? Contact us today to learn how we can seamlessly help you produce effective translations.
