Best way to market oneself to direct clients?

Manuela Ribecai wrote:
Why with the lower rates?
???

Samuel Murray wrote:

Well, everyone's situation is different, but here's an example of the math: A freelancer may charge 100c per unit for direct clients, and 70c per unit for agencies. The agency charges the client 140c per unit. If the direct client were to hire the freelancer at his normal for-direct-clients rate of 100c per unit, the direct client saves 28%, and the translator earns 30% extra.

This math is based on what I remember from past discussions. In general, freelancers are willing to take about a 30% cut in their direct-client rates in exchange for not having to hunt down clients themselves. In general, high-quality agencies charge their clients about double what they pay their freelancers.


[Edited at 2016-10-02 09:52 GMT]

Sheila Wilson wrote:

As with everything else in this business (and probably in any business every practised, including "the oldest one in the world"), you simply need to emphasise your advantages and play down any potential disadvantages to get the interest of potential clients. Imagine Readers A to B want translations into loads of languages, plus loads of DTP and needs subtitling, transcription and voice-overs as well as occasional in-person interpreting: they should see that many of those things are missing from your marketing, but they don't need to find "I don't do this, I don't do that" either, they'll just go elsewhere. Reader C, on the other hand, wants text translations in only one pair and only in his subject area: he should find positive answers to all his needs.

You specialise in what he wants. You'll maintain consistency and get to know exactly the way his business functions. You'll build memories, glossaries and a style guide (even if all three are just held in your head). You'll get to know the idiosyncrasies of the way he works. Communications overheads can reduce dramatically over time as you both learn to read between the lines. He won't have to explain the same thing over and over again, the way he would every time the agency changes to a different PM. Nor will he find the inconsistencies of style and quality of translation he'd get every time the PM uses a different translator.

Then all you need to convert that interest into a sale is to offer a good price too. And you have a real advantage over an agency there as you don't have the overheads, as you said. But IMHO the price should be the cherry on the cake, an afterthought almost - "and you get all this for only...!". Let the agencies position themselves on the basis of price, a.k.a.. the "best" rate.