By Jithan Raj CK

Building a reputation as a freelance translator isn’t done overnight. It requires commitment, hard work, experience and dedication. Successfully marketing oneself as a freelance translator in the language industry is far from simple. It’s a challenge to get ahead of others with polishing ones skills every now and then, also establishing oneself as a brand. But it’s obtainable. One of the key factors that help to retain clients is trust. In a business relationship, trust keeps both employer and freelancer on the same ground despite distance, time, and language barriers, among other things. Trust is built through several actions irrespective of its importance. Many factors contribute together in establishing oneself as a freelancer. First of all freelancing is difficult than being a part of organization and working under its label. When building oneself as a freelance translator he/she has to start from the scratch. One must be ready to multitask, spend a lot of time in analyzing, doing research and finding clients. A freelancer should arrange his own equipments as no organization is taking care of us. There won’t be constant income until one has achieved a considerable number of clients. There are different pros and cons of being a freelance translator when compared to an in-house translator. When an in-house translator doesn’t have any worries, as he gets everything at his disposal and has a constant income too, a freelancer needs to take care everything on his own, managing the clients, building one’s own equipments, branding oneself etc. But when looked upon the pros a freelancer has a flexible schedule, has the choice to accept and reject tasks.

                         The first and foremost thing to do as a freelancer is to know your language and language pair in which you desire to translate. It is always good to get certified as a translator. The sad part of it is that though translation is an integral part of our government system there is no certifying agency of government. There are associations such as ITA (Indian Translators Association) who conduct seminars and workshops for the translators. Another new venture called Modlingua which has been successful in mentoring more than 500 translators in its journey as a translation industry. Modlingua provides internships for the language aspirants in establishing themselves as a translator. It is also starting certificate course in Translation management. Thus agencies and associations like these help the aspirants to get recognition as a translator. Another important thing to be kept in mind is quality. This is the primary need for any profession. One might have experience the field but if quality doesn’t match with the experience it’s always a drawback. It should always be kept in mind that quality should not be compromised on any circumstances, one can always ask for extensions in the deadline but if the work is not of the standard it will come back for corrections.
                         Another important aspect is communication with the client; it must be clear and consistent. It is always advisable to update the client regarding the status of the project and always keep them well informed about the blocks and difficulties that one encounters rather than solving it yourself. Integrity and honesty are other two pillars of client relationships. Inform clients what you can and can't do.  If you think that their demand something that you cannot deliver discusses it with them in order to create a solution. If it's absolutely out of scope, decline politely, no matter how big is at stake. Be open to the idea that clients can get the right services they need elsewhere rather than doing it yourself and risking your hard-earned reputation. One must be honest about mistakes done, clients will always appreciate the effort on our side to rectify and counter the mistake in future.
It is always good to be polite to the clients build a constant and consistent relation with the client is advisable.   Sending a handwritten note after receiving the paycheck doesn’t cost much and asking feedback for the works done is also good for your branding as well as correcting the mistakes.  Sending some good notes or wishes during any kind of occasion also strengthens the bond between you and the client. Although you do not want them to get irritated as well. Doing favors for some small tasks is also good. If the client requests you to do ny small assignment doing it without charging also creates a good impression on the client.
                        Being active in social media is very necessary in client handling, being dynamic on social medias like Twitter and Facebook, Keeping your LinkedIn account up-to-date and start a personal blog, this gives you the platform you need to share your body of work, it might give you a better chance of being seen and considered for future projects. Furthermore, following the clients on social media and interacting with them online. Agencies tend to communicate with freelancers via social media on a regular basis. Keeping up with the developments in your field is necessary. This will help you to appear reliable and equipped to do the job.  Getting equipped with the latest technology is also very essential. Though every client doesn’t insist on these it is always better to be on the safer side. Starting with the basics of Computer Assisted Translation (CAT) tools would do a great help, it delivers a range of refined features to help in completing tasks more speedily and effortlessly. Clients often throw networking events for freelancers to attend, events like these are great ways to meet new people and create new and exciting opportunities.
                         To conclude, expose your strengths, but acknowledge your weaknesses and be open about them. Market yourself as an expert in a specific field, if you specialize in something in particular talk to them about it. Let the agency or client you’re working with know what you can offer in your marketing strategy. Building solid and genuine trust results in repeated works and more referrals. One always feels confident about their work knowing that they have met and even surpassed the clients' expectations.
  
Profile Link of writer Jithin Raj CK http://www.modlingua.com/interns/327-jithin-raj-ck-hindi-to-english-translator-kerala.html