Thursday, October 27, 2011

11 Something is wrong with this translator

Click image to enlarge

Based on an idea by Mykhailo Voloshko. Do you stare at the computer for hours every day? Read this trick to avoid neck pain.

11 comments:

  1. Too funny and TOO REAL.

    Something similar happened to me. Well, in fact, it was quite the opposite.

    I was once asked for a quote by an end client but those days I was on vacation and I didn't want to take any work, so I sent a quote for 0.20 (much much higher than my usual rates at the time).

    The client replied that it was the most expensive rate they had received and that they chose me because they looked for quality. That day I suddenly moved to the higher-end rate segment and my professional life changed forever.

    Mox, you can do it! Awake yourself and start charging decent rates!

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  2. Good job, Isabel! You are my hero.

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  3. @Isabel.

    Good for you.

    Remember that a direct customer wants quality at all costs (within reason), while an LSP will also be driven by additional considerations within its grand business plan.

    By quoting to a direct client, you will probably be talking the kind of figure that an LSP would, if not less.

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  4. Thanks Angela. No one ever told me before that I'm a hero :)

    Chris, I couldn't agree more with you. The best part is that now I'm a much better professional. In the old times, I had to translate 4000-5000+ words per day, including weekends, otherwise my income was not worth it. Now I translate on average between 2000 and 3000, a much more comfortable figure. The impact on the quality of my work is flagrant (shame on the old me).

    Mox, I thought about what I said before. Please, do NOT change, I think you're charming and cute like you are :)

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  5. This is a wonderful cartoon! So true! Thank you, Mox!

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  6. I also learned to quote high prices for the quality work I do, after hearing from a good friend that someone chose her to do a translating job based on her price quote, which was higher than all the others the client received. Others will only respect us as much as we respect ourselves.

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  7. This cartoon is so funny. From my experience managing translations, low bids mostly meant bad quality work, and a huge headache for the editing and proofreading department.

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  8. Nice to be able to come back & enjoy Mox, Alejandro!

    I agree with all the previous comments. When a customer sees low rates, he automatically assumes low quality. Since I provide high quality, I also charge high rates. Not yet 0.20€ (that's an idea...), but quite close in $...

    Keep on the good work, Alejandro, you really illuminate our life with the adventures of poor Mox, which is so real to all of us...

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  9. We love @Isabel's story! And this is our favorite topic -- high rates and direct clients (we are in favor of both). We many, many times hear back from potential clients that our rates are the highest they have ever seen, and we cheerfully thank them for their time and move on to the next one. Luckily, there are plenty of direct clients who really value quality and understand that top-notch translation services cannot be purchased for peanuts.

    Go Mox! Everyone loved you at the ATA conference in Boston last week -- you were shown during mine (Judy's) presentations on many slides and got a lot of laughs. We love Mox and especially that cute little Mina.

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  10. Hi, here some more food for thought for your new scenario:

    http://www.proz.com/forum/business_issues/211312-wow_outsourcer_clauses_just_get_better_and_better.html

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  11. Great post! (the one before was excellent as well, by the way) Thanks for keeping me smiling, Mox.

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