| Pages in topic: [1 2] > | Have you written a brochure to promote your freelance translation business? Thread poster: Michael Farrell
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Afternoon folks,
I hope to speak about brochures for promoting freelance translation businesses at a conference later this year. Since there seem to be no statistics out there on the use of brochures among freelance translators, I wonder if you would mind helping me by completing this quick anonymous survey (freelance translators only): https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/L7GM6PQ
Plea... See more Afternoon folks,
I hope to speak about brochures for promoting freelance translation businesses at a conference later this year. Since there seem to be no statistics out there on the use of brochures among freelance translators, I wonder if you would mind helping me by completing this quick anonymous survey (freelance translators only): https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/L7GM6PQ
Please answer even if you have no brochure and/or have never considered writing one and/or have no intention of writing one: these are among the statistics I am interested in.
There are only three questions if you have never written a brochure and seven if you have.
I will publish the raw survey data *after the conference* (or earlier if my proposal is not accepted) and write to this forum to let you know where you can read them.
In addition, if you already have a brochure, I wonder if you would mind sending it to me ([email protected]). I would like to analyse the kinds of brochure around and the type of content. Please also let me know if you authorize me to use parts of your brochure on my slides. People who do so will receive a copy of the slides *after the conference* regardless of whether I actually use their brochures in the presentation. Obviously if my proposal is not accepted, the slides will never exist.
Thanks in advance to anyone who lends a hand.
Regards
Mike ▲ Collapse
| | | | Sheila Wilson 
Spain
Local time: 13:35
Member (2007)
English
+ ...
| Please define brochure | Apr 2, 2015 |
What exactly does it mean to you? I have a single-page marketing document that I tend to call a CV, though it doesn't have the format of a job-seeker's CV/resume. Is it a brochure? Search me .
| | | | Peter Linton (X)
Local time: 13:35
Swedish to English
+ ...
| CV is your brochure | Apr 2, 2015 |
I fully agree with Sheila. A CV for freelance translators ought to be very different from one for a full-time job. It should be brief, punchy, eye-catching - just like a brochure.
| | | | | What is a brochure? | Apr 2, 2015 |
Sheila Wilson wrote:
What exactly does it mean to you?
By brochure I mean a flyer or booklet (possibly an electronic file) that promotes your services.
Wikipedia says a CV is "typically the first item that a potential employer encounters regarding the job seeker and is typically used to screen applicants, often followed by an interview."
Which category does your "single-page marketing document" fit into?
Regards
Mike
[Edited at 2015-04-02 15:33 GMT]
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Sheila Wilson
Spain
Local time: 13:35
Member (2007)
English
+ ...
| But Wikipedia doesn't think in terms of freelancers | Apr 2, 2015 |
Michael Farrell wrote: Sheila Wilson wrote:
What exactly does it mean to you? By brochure I mean a flyer or booklet (possibly an electronic file) that promotes your services. Wikipedia says a CV is "typically the first item that a potential employer encounters regarding the job seeker and is typically used to screen applicants, often followed by an interview." What category does your "single-page marketing document" fit into?
We tend to fall between job-seekers on the one hand and registered companies on the other, and I don't think Wikipedia have thought of us at all. I acknowledge that our documents probably shouldn't be called CVs. But if your clients (both agencies and direct clients) ask for a CV, is it good business practice to say "I don't have one" ?
What category is the most suitable for your own "professional profile" here http://www.transcreate.it/professional-profile/? That seems very similar to most of the good "CVs" that freelancers have. It certainly seems to contain all the same information as mine, but mine's just boring text on an old-fashioned page of PDF. What do you think? It's on my profile here.
| | | | | Has a direct client ever asked you for a CV? | Apr 2, 2015 |
Sheila Wilson wrote:
But if your clients (both agencies and direct clients) ask for a CV, is it good business practice to say "I don't have one"
Has a direct client ever asked you for a CV?
I have been working as a freelance translator for about 25 years now, and I can safely say that it has never happened. Not even once. And almost all my work in the last decade or so has come from direct clients. That's why I no longer have a CV as such.
Although, as you say, a professional profile has something in common with a CV
However, if you look around on the website, you will also find my brochure, which looks quite different.
Regards
Mike
| | | | | Professional profile, not a brochure | Apr 2, 2015 |
Sheila Wilson wrote:
[Your professional profile] certainly seems to contain all the same information as mine, but mine's just boring text on an old-fashioned page of PDF. What do you think? It's on my profile here.
Yes, it looks more like a "professional profile" than a "job seeker's CV", but it is not a brochure.
I hope you don't mind me saying so but, in my opinion, it doesn't promote your services, like a brochure should. In fact I wouldn't even describe it as a marketing document.
Regards
Mike
| | | | Jeff Whittaker
United States
Local time: 08:35
Spanish to English
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I also have a folding business brochure (created using a Word template). I haven't had a standard "resume/CV" for 15 years. I did, however, transform my brochure into a one-page document for companies that insisted on a "resume" even though I was not applying for a job, but offering to provide a service as another business.
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Sheila Wilson
Spain
Local time: 13:35
Member (2007)
English
+ ...
| To answer your two posts | Apr 3, 2015 |
Michael Farrell wrote: Sheila Wilson wrote:
But if your clients (both agencies and direct clients) ask for a CV, is it good business practice to say "I don't have one" Has a direct client ever asked you for a CV?
Good point. Now I think about it, my clients don't actually ask for anything, except my help. If I think I can help them, I send them an email with my "CV" attached.
Michael Farrell wrote:
Yes, it looks more like a "professional profile" than a "job seeker's CV", but it is not a brochure.
I hope you don't mind me saying so but, in my opinion, it doesn't promote your services, like a brochure should. In fact I wouldn't even describe it as a marketing document.
As you say, it's similar in many ways to your "professional profile", and no, it doesn't promote my services, other than by expressing everything about my experience, skills etc in the most positive way possible (I hope). It's a factual document, designed to let the client know what I've done in the past, so can do for him/her, too. The persuasive marketing is in the text of the email, that I craft individually for each new client request.
Now that I've found your brochure, I know why I haven't got one. I've been meaning to do a website for over 10 years now (actually owned a domain for most of that time). The reason I've never got round to it (apart from laziness) is that I never cold-call direct clients (or agencies, for that matter). I can see that I would need one of these brochures if I was going to offer my services to clients who don't yet have a defined need for them. As it is, my email and "CV" together do what's necessary.
I'm sure I could have done with one when I started out, going to trade fairs etc with just business cards and CVs. So I'm all for it - there's certainly a place for one when approaching clients who may or may not need our services. It's just that I have enough work from people who already have a need.
But to get back to the point - I do think that your survey needs to be far clearer, otherwise the replies will give you absolutely nothing useful.
| | | | | | | Actually very useful - Thank you | Apr 3, 2015 |
Sheila Wilson wrote:
I do think that your survey needs to be far clearer, otherwise the replies will give you absolutely nothing useful.
I appreciate your concern, but I have found the replies so far to be very useful. Please keep them coming.
And thank you very much to everyone who has answered up to now!
Regards
Mike
| | | | 564354352 (X)
Denmark
Local time: 14:35
Danish to English
+ ...
| Yes, I have, but I stopped using it | Apr 3, 2015 |
I had a nice little double-side/folded brochure made by a graphic designer when I first launched into self-employment. It was designed to match the rest of my stationery, and I was quite pleased with it. I sent it off to a lot of potential clients (cold calls), and I think each letter ended up costing something like £6, when I calculated the cost of the brochure, letterhead, business card, label and stamp.
The response I got was very limited, and no more positive than the response ... See more I had a nice little double-side/folded brochure made by a graphic designer when I first launched into self-employment. It was designed to match the rest of my stationery, and I was quite pleased with it. I sent it off to a lot of potential clients (cold calls), and I think each letter ended up costing something like £6, when I calculated the cost of the brochure, letterhead, business card, label and stamp.
The response I got was very limited, and no more positive than the response I have received from sending emails with a brief introduction and a link to my website.
I agree with Sheila, though, that if I were to attend conferences and trade fairs (which I am not opposed to in principle, it's just not something I have done so far), I would like to have some professional looking material, apart from my business card, to hand out. ▲ Collapse
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Yes, I have about 2 years ago but besides one trade faire where I introduced myself (I had an own stand), it was not very useful.
A business card and a website was really enough for me.
[Modifié le 2015-04-04 15:41 GMT]
| | | | Thayenga
Germany
Local time: 14:35
Member (2009)
English to German
+ ...
To promote my translation career, no. But I wrote a booklet to accompany my webinar here on ProZ. Does that count?
[Edited at 2015-04-04 17:46 GMT]
| | | | Richard Foulkes (X)
United Kingdom
Local time: 13:35
German to English
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| Interesting idea | Apr 4, 2015 |
I've never considered a brochure. I can see how it could look impressive but I don't envisage meeting potential clients face to face enough to justify it. I've completed the survey accordingly.
@ Andrea - 'exposed' is a 'faux ami' you may want to edit  .
[Edited at 2015-04-04 10:06 GMT]
| | | | | Pages in topic: [1 2] > | To report site rules violations or get help, contact a site moderator: You can also contact site staff by submitting a support request » Have you written a brochure to promote your freelance translation business? | Trados Business Manager Lite | Create customer quotes and invoices from within Trados Studio
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