Poll: How many new client inquiries have you had so far this year?
Thread poster: ProZ.com Staff
ProZ.com Staff
ProZ.com Staff
SITE STAFF
Jun 4, 2017

This forum topic is for the discussion of the poll question "How many new client inquiries have you had so far this year?".

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Muriel Vasconcellos
Muriel Vasconcellos  Identity Verified
United States
Local time: 01:28
Member (2003)
Spanish to English
+ ...
I have no idea Jun 4, 2017

It seems like several pop up every day in my inbox. I don't keep track, but it must be way over 50.

A much more interesting statistic is how many new clients actually materialized.

[Edited at 2017-06-04 08:15 GMT]


 
Maria Teresa Borges de Almeida
Maria Teresa Borges de Almeida  Identity Verified
Portugal
Local time: 08:28
Member (2007)
English to Portuguese
+ ...
Probably more than 50... Jun 4, 2017

But I have no idea as I don’t keep track! I’d say that several turn up every day or so in my inbox, particularly during public holidays held in certain European countries but not in Portugal (Ascension Day and Whit Monday). Some of these inquiries have materialized: I’ll be translating later today an IFU of a tooth whitening kit for a new client referred to me by a Prozian colleague…

 
Steffen Walter
Steffen Walter  Identity Verified
Germany
Local time: 09:28
Member (2002)
English to German
+ ...
Actual client relationships Jun 4, 2017

I ticked 5-10, but in reference to genuine client relationships, i.e. orders that actually materialised. Other than that, I must have received dozens of enquiries so far, including from some agencies although I very clearly state in my profile that I exclusively work for direct clients.

 
EvaVer (X)
EvaVer (X)  Identity Verified
Local time: 09:28
Czech to French
+ ...
19 Jun 4, 2017

that I recorded, i.e., that looked relevant and came at a time when I wasn't too busy to record them. I do keep track of first contacts - to know what info was already exchanged when the client contacts me again. And I can thus also follow the percentage of enquiries (of these I answered and didn't immediately reject, OR my offers for jobs posted on ProZ) that result in actual work.

 
Jennifer Forbes
Jennifer Forbes  Identity Verified
Local time: 08:28
French to English
+ ...
In memoriam
Three Jun 4, 2017

I have answered "1 - 5". Since January 2017 I've had three enquiries from new clients which resulted in actual work - and were paid for.
I must have had many more enquiries which ultimately led nowhere.

[Edited at 2017-06-04 10:14 GMT]


 
Thayenga
Thayenga  Identity Verified
Germany
Local time: 09:28
Member (2009)
English to German
+ ...
Several Jun 4, 2017

Most of them were from agencies offering peanuts, but 2 actually resulted in paid projects, and 1 looks very much like a long-term business relationship.

 
neilmac
neilmac
Spain
Local time: 09:28
Spanish to English
+ ...
No idea Jun 4, 2017

I don't know... maybe none. None that I recall...

 
Sharon Toh, MITI MCIL
Sharon Toh, MITI MCIL
Singapore
Local time: 16:28
Member (2009)
Chinese to English
+ ...
Several every day Jun 5, 2017

I receive several enquiries from new clients or prospects almost every day. As five months have passed by now, it has to be more than 50...

 
Mario Chavez (X)
Mario Chavez (X)  Identity Verified
Local time: 04:28
English to Spanish
+ ...
3 out of almost 30 Jun 5, 2017

Since I work 40-50 hours a week in translation given my academic demands (PhD student here), I can only focus on a few clients, many of them having established a relationship with me for many years. Two clients stood out this year. One of them started the second paragraph of her letter to me this way:

“I am intrigued by your combination of layout skills, tools experience, and history as a translator. (...) I don't make decisions about the linguists for these jobs [explained in an
... See more
Since I work 40-50 hours a week in translation given my academic demands (PhD student here), I can only focus on a few clients, many of them having established a relationship with me for many years. Two clients stood out this year. One of them started the second paragraph of her letter to me this way:

“I am intrigued by your combination of layout skills, tools experience, and history as a translator. (...) I don't make decisions about the linguists for these jobs [explained in an omitted sentence for brevity] but I certainly find the combination of skills that you have to be very appealing for that contract in particular.”

During late March and April, I ended up working on several documents for her company doing DTP cleaning of Word documents. Now I am also part of her approved roster of translators.

But this golden client is part of a 10% return of my own efforts in reaching out to prospective clients in the months of February and March.
Collapse


 
FOUCHE1976
FOUCHE1976
South Africa
i believe we should engage in forced submission with formalities for who is an adviser really here Jun 5, 2017

Thayenga wrote:

Most of them were from agencies offering peanuts, but 2 actually resulted in paid projects, and 1 looks very much like a long-term business relationship.


 
Mario Freitas
Mario Freitas  Identity Verified
Brazil
Local time: 05:28
Member (2014)
English to Portuguese
+ ...
More than 50? Jun 7, 2017

I don't keep track of all the emails I receive with potential client inquiries. But I surely get more than 10 per month, so 50 so far this year would be a plausible number. However, I must consider that the vast majority of them are either peanuts, non-professional, people I never had contact with that send me a document to translate without any previous negotiation, etc. All these go straight to the garbage can without a reply. So, out of 50, I have probably replied 20, and only five or six bec... See more
I don't keep track of all the emails I receive with potential client inquiries. But I surely get more than 10 per month, so 50 so far this year would be a plausible number. However, I must consider that the vast majority of them are either peanuts, non-professional, people I never had contact with that send me a document to translate without any previous negotiation, etc. All these go straight to the garbage can without a reply. So, out of 50, I have probably replied 20, and only five or six became new clients.Collapse


 


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Poll: How many new client inquiries have you had so far this year?






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