60 ways to promote your freelance translation business to win and keep the clients you want with work you enjoy

Jubileumcongres NGTV 2016

Doug Lawrencedouglawrence.com

6 areasA. Have a basic strategyB. CommunicateC. Maximize your existing clients D. Improve your online presenceE. Win new clientsF. Invest in yourself

A. Have a basic strategy

Ask yourself 3 questions…

1. Where do I want to be?2. Where am I now?3. What will I do to make this happen?

A. Have a basic strategy4 Don’t be afraid of formal tools

• SWOT• STEPLE• PPPPP• SMART(I)

4.1 SWOT

Strengths Weaknesses

Opportunities Threats

4.2 STEEPLE (external factors)

Social Technical

Economic Ethical Political

Legal Environmental

4.3 PPPPP (Marketing mix)Examples

Product Translation, interpreting, cultural adaption, SEO

Place At home, at client offices

Promotion Telephone calls, speaking at events

Price Value, market, different by sector

People You (and your partners?)

4.4 SMART(I) Goals•Specific•Measureable•Achievable•Realistic•Time bound•In harmony!

B. Communicate

Decide

Describe

Deliver

Decide

• Preferred projects

• Preferred industries

• Ideal company profile

• Typical contact personas

• Priority clients

Describe

• Services• Client benefits• Client language

Deliver

• Best channels for your client

• Website• Social media• Letter• Brochure

5 Decide what are your preferred projects

6 Decide what are your preferred industries

7 Decide what is your ideal client ‘company’ profile• Sector / Industry• Size • Revenue• Services needed• Location

8 Decide what is your typical contact’s persona• Job title/role• Experience• Aspirations• Challenges

9 Decide who are your priority clients• Type of client or ‘actual’ companies• Existing clients• New clients

10 Describe your services using…• Client language• Client benefits…

11.Ask your ‘favorite’ clients why they use you12.The ‘So what test’

Deliver your message

Because…

If they don’t know who you are they can’t buy from you

C. Maximize your existing clients 13. More than one client14. More than one contact15. Customers are people and organizations16. Use a database17. Set up Google (or other) alerts18. Create organization charts19. Talk about your client’s business more than yours

18. Create an organization chart for important clients

D Improve your online presence

Be found – web presence20. Buy yourname.com (if it is avaible) 21. Have a website22. Use social media (as much as you need to)23. Be on other websites (eg directories)24. Understand and use basic Search Engine Optimization

25. Have good content of various types (blog posts, videos, images)26. Search for you (and your services) as your clients would search

27.

What does your website look like to those

who don’t know you?

Be social27. Social is different in different locales28. Translate your profiles

4 Be professional29. All social is business30. Professional images and consistent profile

31. What do your clients expect to see?

Be nice to the platforms32. Search engines33. Social media34. Filters and the ‘bubble’35. Technical clues: Locale, hreflang, geo-target

Be analytical36. Google Analytics, Facebook Insights… 37. Know if it’s worth all the effort - Return on investment

35

38. For advice go to the source first…• Google Webmaster videos on YouTube • Matt Cutts • “How search works”• http://googlewebmastercentral.blogspot.co.uk/2013/11/video-creati

ng-seo-strategy-with.html• https://support.google.com/webmasters/answer/35291?hl=en

E. Win new clients

Promote in ways you enjoy39. Speaking40. Online posts41. ’Real’ letters!42. Use your profiles, personas, and targets43. Ask for referrals 44. Ask for testimonials

45. Show them what they want

46. Sell them what they need

Price too high?

• I’m the best• This is medical, legal, CEO’s

address etc...• If my price appears higher

than my competitors there is a good reason

2 responses

Of course it is!• Never happened before!• Maybe there has been a

mistake?• Just how far out am I?

Disagree / act surprised!

47. Have your answers ready

F Invest in yourself

48.

Die kochen auch nur mit Wasser

Copyright © Amicus TransTec Limited 2007-2012 43

49. Celebrate your successes!

50. It’s not personal!

51. Reward yourself

Invest in yourself52. Training and professional development53. Personal development training54. Physical activity55. Great working environment56. Software and other professional tools57. Talk with and learn from your peers58. Use processes and templates59. Outsource more

60.

You are a business and

you are the boss!

Dank u wel!

Doug Lawrencedouglawrence.com