The translation sales handbook
A roadmap to higher rates, better clients
By Luke Spear
2014 edition
A note on the online version
This version of the book, freely available for all to read in its entirety, is the 2014 edition. I must say a big thank you to those who have purchased this and the previous edition since November 2011. Your interest and feedback has been, and continues to be, much appreciated. I will continue to update the book, releasing new versions for download via the site. I have moved platforms since releasing the book online so buyers' old accounts used to download the book in the past no longer exist. I will send out a mailshot and provide instructions for creating a new account on this site when the updates are ready. New buyers will be able to access those updates automatically. New editions will not be released for public reading until at least 12 months after their initial release.
For more information on why I released the book in this way, see the blog!
Reader comments:
“A valuable addition to the literature.”
Oliver Lawrence, DipTrans, MCIL, freelance Italian translator
“A very well-written and super interesting book. I’ve read some of the popular books focused on translators but yours is clearly something that was missing from the translation publications market. A sales, marketing and pricing book appropriate (finally!) mainly for seasoned translators. Most (if not all) of the books out there focus on new translators with only a few useful parts for the experienced ones.
I particularly loved the sales and marketing parts of the book. You’d think these would be a bit boring for translators, but they are so well adapted to us and offer so much food for thought.”
Catherine Christaki, translating blogger/blogging translator, @linguagreca
“[...] I would also just like to say that your book was probably one of the most practically useful of all the translation/business books I have read, and I now have so many ideas to revamp my site content, restructure my rates and have more confidence to go out there and hook some direct clients.”
Nicola Hawkesford, Awendan Translation Services , @awendantrans
“The book is written in a very practical, no-nonsense way and includes a lot of practical advice that’s easy to relate to and use right away. Many of the tips were new to me, and I have read quite a few business books and translator books already. I highly recommend all translators to take a look at it.”
Tess Whitty, Swedish Translation Services, from this book review
"I downloaded your sales handbook yesterday and have read through it twice since then. I’ve read many of the books available on freelance translation from a business perspective, and yours is by far the best that I have come across. I feel that many of the others out there offer basic start up information which is easily accessible elsewhere. Yours has a completely different take on approaching the industry, and I found that your book came up with some really interesting sales and marketing techniques. I completely buy into the majority of your techniques for enhancing business and rates.
I have a degree in Business and a few years’ experience in sales account management. When I set out to start up as a translator, I had a certain level of background knowledge on sales and marketing and spent quite a bit of time researching and reading business start-up books, marketing books, social media, SEO etc. to try and prepare for setting up a business. I felt that the translation books which I read before the translation sales handbook were essentially a really basic guide for readers who had done very little research into the industry. They had some useful elements, but on the whole there is a lot of information in them which is easily accessible on-line or which highlight basic business principles. Your book on the other hand offered a completely different insight into how to conduct your business as a translator/consultant and was very specific to the sales process of translation, linking it to good practice in similar professions."
Liam Curley, TradeTechTranslations.com
“The interviews [..] are lively and illuminating, not least about the sheer variety of career paths for translators […] CIoL members will wholeheartedly agree with the key theme […] a helpful input to research”
The Linguist issue 52.1, Chartered Institute of Linguists
Contents
Introduction
Welcome
Updates for 2014
Earning potential in freelance translation
Thinking laterally: how other professions can help
Sales and marketing overhaul
New perspective: a case for value pricing
Boost your income immediately – with direct clients
Boost your income immediately – with agencies
A freelancer’s approach to health and wealth
A general approach to selling
Positioning your business for the best clients
The client cycle – lowering risk, raising rates
Gain direct clients online
Gain direct clients offline
Repeat business – lest we forget
Tools for growth
Translation tools
Productivity tools
Backing up
A note on business security practices
Passwords
Protecting sensitive information
Using public networks
Optimising your website
Websites and their basic structure
Basic SEO (for initial traffic)
Advanced SEO (for long-term traffic)
Copywriting to convert those new visitors
Testimonials and case-studies
How to do A/B testing
Measuring website success
Building a client mailing list
A note on Adwords
From inspiration to action
Interviews
Lucy Brooks - eCPD Webinars, CIoL Fellow
Michael Roberts – Vivtek: translation, programming
Céline Graciet - Naked Translations: no ordinary blogger
Gaetano Fabozzi – Video-games FTW
Oliver Lawrence – Efficiency in Italian
Anne Diamantidis – #Marketer, client educator
Catherine Christaki – Influential blogger, translator
Elaine Farrell – Networking legal translator
Marta Stelmaszak – Social medialite
Erik Hansson – Technical freelancer and outsourcer
Eric Bullington – Medical, code translator
Corinne McKay, ATA Director, author, translator
The calculator
Signing off
The roadmap
Appendix
Translation brief
Terms of business
Resources
Thanks
About the author