Why client education is so important
We are fully aware that continuing to educate the market about professional translation services is crucial for the overall quality of our service. With rapid technological progress and a general lack of understanding regarding the translation process among clients, it’s the only way to establish good translation practices that will benefit the entire sector, including clients and buyers. We believe in transparent cooperation and always treat our clients the way we would like to be treated.
Even after many years of growth in the sector in Poland, the language industry is still witnessing a tendency among clients to focus exclusively on cost while disregarding other aspects of the translation offer. (Perhaps that’s not surprising when some clients still consider translation an easy job ‘that anyone who studied advanced English at school can do’.) To change that and help clients benefit from the full potential of a language service provider’s expertise, LSPs need to make sure that they know what to look for when buying translation services and stop going for the ‘the cheapest’ rather than ‘the best’.
It’s the client who knows best how the translated content will be used. Once this knowledge is combined with the modern expertise of an LSP, the best workflow and the most suitable resources can be employed to achieve full satisfaction at a reasonable price. In the end, it all boils down to trust, which can be gained by transparency and open communication, providing free advice, and letting the client test your quality.
In the eternal struggle between a client who wants to cut costs and the service provider who wants to provide an excellent service, it’s important to choose a translation partner carefully. If you need Polish translations, you’re probably looking to enter the Polish market and reach Polish consumers. If so, you should consider translation costs to be an investment rather than an administrative cost, and apply the same vendor-procurement processes that you use for your other professional service providers.
You can make a first impression only once, and when entering a new market, getting the language right is key. After all, it’s your image and reputation that’s at stake: getting the language right—or wrong— can determine your success or failure. (Don’t forget that language is alive and constantly evolving; each word can have many shades of meaning and there are also cultural connotations to consider.)
How can an LSP educate clients?
In order to create the best possible environment for cooperation with our clients, there are several things we need to implement:
- Firstly, we need to educate ourselves. At Aploq, we regularly participate in translation events. This year, we’ve attended several, including EUATC, GALA Conference, and Meet Central Europe. We also keep abreast with technological developments.
- Secondly, we need to reach out to our clients through online activities and face-to-face meetings. At Aploq, we take every opportunity to talk to our current and potential clients directly, to discuss their expectations and needs and determine the best solutions. If you’d like to have a chat, get in touch [link to contact form], or look for our representatives on the delegates list of the next industry event. Another communication channel we use is this blog, where we regularly publish articles and posts about important issues relating to the translation industry. Recently, we helped found POLOT, an initiative that aims to further advance good industry practices.
Let’s work together for a better translation environment
We invite individuals, companies, NGOs and institutions to follow us here and on LinkedIn. We intend to regularly tackle important industry issues. If you’re interested in promoting professional translations, this is the place for you! See our LinkedIn profile:
APLOQ Translations: https://www.linkedin.com/company/3502385/
