Poll: On a scale of 1 (low) to 5 (high), how would you rate your difficulty in landing new clients? Thread poster: ProZ.com Staff
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This forum topic is for the discussion of the poll question "On a scale of 1 (low) to 5 (high), how would you rate your difficulty in landing new clients?".
View the poll results »
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I haven’t been looking for new customers for a while as I have enough steady clients and I want to retain them. That being said, I am always happy to meet a new client…
| | | | | Oversimplified | Sep 17, 2020 |
If I was less picky and dropped my prices, I’m sure I could land crappy little one-off clients on here almost daily.
As it is, I’m very picky and relatively expensive, so it can be very difficult.
I concentrate instead on making sure my existing clients keep on coming back.
Why waste time on marketing when quality sells itself?
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I find landing new clients highly difficult. So keeping them is what I strive for.
I am not actively looking for new business, be the savior of all souls be thanked profusely for that, but I reply to whatever offer I feel is potentially worthwhile. My success rate is very low, but higher than zero.
Get new clients, invoice them once and never hear from them again is not my idea of my job. But you never know until you get the second job. I've had a few one-night stands, but the... See more I find landing new clients highly difficult. So keeping them is what I strive for.
I am not actively looking for new business, be the savior of all souls be thanked profusely for that, but I reply to whatever offer I feel is potentially worthwhile. My success rate is very low, but higher than zero.
Get new clients, invoice them once and never hear from them again is not my idea of my job. But you never know until you get the second job. I've had a few one-night stands, but they're a negligible minority in my earnings. I am much more interested in issuing 4-digit invoices to a handful of loyal clients each month. Long-term relationship and all that, like an old couple.
Two new agency clients in 2019 (both returning, but not each week yet) and one in August 2020 (loyalty grade pending).
17 jobs in total so far.
Overall business from them in 2019: EUR3400; 2020: EUR2300. Certainly not enough if I relied on new business to pay the bills.
All three contacted me privately through my proz.com profile:
"A ProZ.com user visited your ProZ.com profile and sent the following message."
Paid test if any, straightforward, quick "on-boarding" and low overhead.
The Job board is now dead to get work at attractive, or merely decent conditions.
Philippe
[Edited at 2020-09-17 09:20 GMT] ▲ Collapse
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neilmac
Spain
Local time: 20:41
Spanish to English
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I'm not really looking for new clients nowadays, but if I were, it would probably between 4 and 5. Finding new clients is never easy. Most of my current direct (non-agency) clients came to me by word-of-mouth recommendation.
I have no advice to offer on how to get new clients, other than to always do the best you can in every job you do manage to get.
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I am nearly unable to land clients, so that would be a 5. On the other hand, clients are able to land me, and do it frequently enough, which would be a 1. That would be an average of 3, which I entered into this poll. I just hope I did not mess up.
| | | | KHALDUN ALQAYSI
United Arab Emirates
Local time: 23:41
English to Arabic
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| It is difficult | Sep 17, 2020 |
It is very difficult even before Corona. Some clients have their own freelancers, others hire based on connections ... etc.
The country (Jordan) where I relocated does not need freelance Translators because most transactions are done in English where the majority of residents speak English.
Finding a virtual translation or Interpreting job has become almost impossible.
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I’ve found that more than the client, the customer can be a problem. A work order may be cancelled at the last moment, for example or job requirements/directives are unclear or problematic.
I’m happy with the high quality client base I’ve accumulated over the past 10 years. They usually contact me, which makes life easier. Still, I take on new clients. The onboarding process is more or less an issue of papirology which just takes a little patience to resolve.
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Peter Simon 
Netherlands
Local time: 20:41
English to Hungarian
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| With those not looking for new but low-quality clients | Sep 17, 2020 |
I don't actively look for new clients but am happy to meet new ones if they pay what I ask for. Retaining old, valuable and reliable clients is my priority.
| | | | Mr. Satan (X)
English to Indonesian
For me the difficulty is high. Probably because I'm just starting out. The cut-throat business nature feels alive and strong ever since I attempted to get my first client.
[Edited at 2020-09-18 08:12 GMT]
| | | | Siba Helal (X)
Syria
Local time: 22:41
English to Arabic
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| New and scared! | Sep 20, 2020 |
I am new to this website ,I have only started a week ago.I am still figuring out proz . Although I have a good experience in translation, I am a bit scared!
| | | | Cmilja Milosevic
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Local time: 20:41
English to Serbian
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| In the middle - 3 | Sep 20, 2020 |
Being "in the middle" situation is not that bad, but the instability and fluctuations on the market can be frustrating. It is not easy to keep regular clients nowadays, but there is always hope that there will be new ones.
There are no rules, only dedication, work and a bit of good luck.
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