| Pages in topic: < [1 2] | Rates for large volume of work Thread poster: Norskpro
|
|---|
564354352 (X) 
Denmark
Local time: 03:14
Danish to English
+ ...
| We're in a marketplace | Mar 6, 2013 |
And in marketplaces you haggle about rates, discounts, 5 for the price of 4 etc., don't you?
As Sheila says, sometimes it's worth agreeing to a discount to pull home a big order that will put bread on your table for a couple of months instead of the usual stream of smaller jobs interspersed with days where you sit and twiddle your thumbs and wonder whether you are ever going to get another order. Or maybe I'm the only one who experiences fluctuations in the number and sizes of incom... See more And in marketplaces you haggle about rates, discounts, 5 for the price of 4 etc., don't you?
As Sheila says, sometimes it's worth agreeing to a discount to pull home a big order that will put bread on your table for a couple of months instead of the usual stream of smaller jobs interspersed with days where you sit and twiddle your thumbs and wonder whether you are ever going to get another order. Or maybe I'm the only one who experiences fluctuations in the number and sizes of incoming orders?
There's no need to lock yourself away in a cupboard with your computer for a month to work on just one translation, the fine art of negotiating decent terms should always be exercised to ensure that you don't damage your business with other clients by taking on huge jobs from just one client from time to time.
From my years as an in-house translator for a translation agency I know that clients will try to negotiate discounts on big jobs, and that it is customary for regularly returning clients to get discounts depending on the accumulating number of words translated. I guess that in a sense you could say that this is the agencies' headache and that they can afford to give generous discounts on big jobs, because often they don't get the extra amount of actual work, as all they do is shuffle texts between translators and end clients, whereas the translators have to do all the extra work. And there is some reason in this. Even so, for large, regular clients, I am willing to contribute 'something' to hauling home the big fish. ▲ Collapse
| | | | riafontes
Spain
Local time: 02:14
Portuguese to English
+ ...
| Competition is the prime objective. | Mar 6, 2013 |
The major issue in this global environment when you are competing with translators living in very different parts of the world, where the cost of living in some places may be several times higher than other places, the prime objective is to secure the job. Of course one should not lower the rates in such a way that will have to work day and night and reach the end of the month without enough money to eat and pay the rent. So, on one hand I do agree with the approach from Alexander Onishko, no d... See more The major issue in this global environment when you are competing with translators living in very different parts of the world, where the cost of living in some places may be several times higher than other places, the prime objective is to secure the job. Of course one should not lower the rates in such a way that will have to work day and night and reach the end of the month without enough money to eat and pay the rent. So, on one hand I do agree with the approach from Alexander Onishko, no discount whatsoever, on the other I think one has to remain flexible. In general, to start, I give my normal rate but I request to see the files in order to provide a more fair quote and this would depend first on the size of the job. This is where the subject of a discount comes into play for the simple reason that a large job will cut a lot of idle time, as it is not the same trying to get 10 jobs of 10,000 or one of 100,000, not to mention the time spent in administration, such as invoicing, keeping track of payments, accounting, etc. The other considerations are complexity, delivery time and need to convert files specially PDF into Word, as some being image only are a nightmare.
In conclusion everyone mentioned specific and relevant points and I think they are all right as the common denominator is what you can afford to do. ▲ Collapse
| | | | LEXpert
United States
Local time: 20:14
Member (2008)
Croatian to English
+ ...
| Contrarian approach | Mar 6, 2013 |
Logically, you should discount smaller jobs, and stand firm - or charge extra - on larger jobs. After all, an X% discount on $50 or $100 is probably only a few dollars, which, unless your pricing is already at the margin (in which case you should re-think it) is usually not worth the trouble and aggravation of continued time and effort to negotiate. However, on e.g. a $10k job, X% is real money, even if X is itself a small number.
There are no real economies of scale for the transla... See more Logically, you should discount smaller jobs, and stand firm - or charge extra - on larger jobs. After all, an X% discount on $50 or $100 is probably only a few dollars, which, unless your pricing is already at the margin (in which case you should re-think it) is usually not worth the trouble and aggravation of continued time and effort to negotiate. However, on e.g. a $10k job, X% is real money, even if X is itself a small number.
There are no real economies of scale for the translator. Any reduced administrative burden is easily outweighed by the added complexity of managing a large job. ▲ Collapse
| | | | Daniel Bird
United Kingdom
Local time: 02:14
German to English
| Does anyone... | Mar 6, 2013 |
...have a truly fixed rate that's non-negotiable? If you are one of those who says "no discounts" would you by the same token say "no premiums"?
I agree that the economies of scale in translating are slim, but continuity and stability can be priceless at certain times in any year.
Negotiating does not mean always settling for the lowest feasible rate. Far from it.
| | |
|
|
|
Samuel Murray
Netherlands
Local time: 03:14
Member (2006)
English to Afrikaans
+ ...
Daniel Bird wrote:
Does anyone have a truly fixed rate that's non-negotiable?
I don't. So my comments about discounts for large jobs is essentially theoretical. I evaluate each large job based on the circumstances, and I may settle for lower amounts if it is advantageous. I don't have a set rate on which I then apply either a discount or a surcharge.
I find it a little ironic that it is actually somewhat contradictory to say that discounts do not apply to translation because translation is not a commodity, because the only way discounts can *not* apply is when the translator maintains a fixed per-unit rate, which virtually makes it... a commodity.
While it is true that one can't apply the same principles to translations as one might apply to mass produced consumer products, I think it is also true that a large job can offer significant time and money savings for the translator, which would more than compensate for a discount. Not all large jobs save the translator time and money, but some do.
| | | | Phil Hand
China
Local time: 09:14
Chinese to English
| There's always room for adjusting rates | Mar 6, 2013 |
Daniel Bird wrote:
...have a truly fixed rate that's non-negotiable? If you are one of those who says "no discounts" would you by the same token say "no premiums"?
I agree that the economies of scale in translating are slim, but continuity and stability can be priceless at certain times in any year.
Negotiating does not mean always settling for the lowest feasible rate. Far from it.
I completely agree with that. I vary my rates depending on a few factors - difficulty of the text, how booked up I am, whether I really want the client, etc. There's always wiggle room.
And I accept that guaranteed work for a period of weeks or months is worth something to a translator, so one could choose to offer a discount for that certainty.
But it's not a factor that enters into my personal calculations. Demand in my pair is enormous; I've scarecely had an idle day in the last three years, so for me, the additional certainty of ongoing work isn't worth much.
| | | | LEXpert
United States
Local time: 20:14
Member (2008)
Croatian to English
+ ...
| Value of long-term engagement | Mar 7, 2013 |
Phil Hand wrote:
But it's not a factor that enters into my personal calculations. Demand in my pair is enormous; I've scarcely had an idle day in the last three years, so for me, the additional certainty of ongoing work isn't worth much.
I agree, my situation is quite similar. Certainly a state of affairs for which I'm thankful.
Speaking of idle time - the surest way to ensure that your prime client, the one who pays high rates, has interesting projects, and never complicates things, will have a heaven-sent project for you, is to - just prior - accept some huge discounted or otherwise PITA job just because you haven't had any decent inquiries in a few hours.
Never fails. Ever. You can take that to the bank.
| | | | Richard Hill
Mexico
Local time: 20:14
Member (2011)
Spanish to English
Samuel Murray wrote:
While you are occupied with the 50 000 word job, you can't accept any other jobs from other clients, which means that the time and money spent on marketing so that you can get those other clients were wasted. Shouldn't the client who sends you the 50 000 word job compensate you for that loss? Or am I just playing devil's advocate?
I agree. Perhaps the client shouldn't compensate you for the loss, but it should appreciate the fact that you're giving it all your availability, plus the fact that a large job done by one translator will result in a better quality product than if it's split among several translators.
Tom in London wrote:
Why should you charge less for doing more work? I don't understand the logic.
Clients seem to think they're doing you a favor by covering any possible pauses between small jobs, but they "forget" to take into account that big jobs often mean late nights, apart from the fact that it's in their interest to use the least number of translators as possible.
| | |
|
|
|
Thayenga
Germany
Local time: 03:14
Member (2009)
English to German
+ ...
Daniel Bird wrote:
...have a truly fixed rate that's non-negotiable? If you are one of those who says "no discounts" would you by the same token say "no premiums"?
I agree that the economies of scale in translating are slim, but continuity and stability can be priceless at certain times in any year.
Negotiating does not mean always settling for the lowest feasible rate. Far from it.
I have a basic rate, but am willing to egotiate under certain circumstances.
Having a few regular clients ensures that I always have work. Consequently, I don't have to lower my rates just for the promise of a possible long-term collaboration.
Let's say I'd agree on a lower rate for a large volume project and the promise of long-term collaboration, then this new client discovers that it was a one-time thing. For whatever reason. This means I would have worked for a lower rate for a week or two or longer, possibly having had to turn down other jobs. Then I've ended up with the short end of the stick, which did in fact happened once.
I agree that it is a plus for the client to have the project translated by only one translator; someone who dedicates her/his entire working time to just one project. And having sewcured a long-time collaboration is a definite plus for the translator. But is this bilateral benefit truly "justifying" a lower rate?
| | | |
]... If a poster has a text of 50 000 words, should a translator give a discount on the regular per word rate?
Would anyone work for half of a normal salary against a promise (sic!) to be continuously employed for 30 years & till his/her retirement?
[Edited at 2013-03-07 15:08 GMT]
| | | | Mark Hamlen
France
Local time: 03:14
French to English
+ ...
| Big jobs are a risk | Mar 9, 2013 |
I often get large jobs with tight deadlines. It means my other clients get a "sorry not available" and they go elsewhere. It's a big risk for me because what if they don't come back after the big job is done? I cannot see any good reason to take a lower rate for a large job. Maybe if I was starving, but I'm not. Agencies seem to believe that we are though....
| | | | LEXpert
United States
Local time: 20:14
Member (2008)
Croatian to English
+ ...
| Another point about risk... | Mar 9, 2013 |
Mark Hamlen wrote:
I often get large jobs with tight deadlines. It means my other clients get a "sorry not available" and they go elsewhere. It's a big risk for me because what if they don't come back after the big job is done? I cannot see any good reason to take a lower rate for a large job. Maybe if I was starving, but I'm not. Agencies seem to believe that we are though....
Good point, Mark. In addition, one should consider the payment-related risk of having such a large receivable concentrated in one job/client.
[Edited at 2013-03-09 18:41 GMT]
| | |
|
|
|
| Discount on actual volume | Mar 10, 2013 |
Sheila Wilson wrote:
But one thing is for sure: NEVER offer a volume discount until that volume is shown to be real. Far too many translators have embarked on a 50,000-word job, offering a large volume discount, only to find that the job fizzles out for some reason after 5,000 words. I've only ever offered a volume discount once, and it kicked in on the 10,001st word.
Indeed. Many agencies are a bit overoptimistic when they give the figures, and once you offer the discount you only get a fraction of the expected work.
If the job at hand is not one single set of files, immediately available for translation, and with a PO for the total amount from the very beginning, it is best to start working at the regular rate and agree to apply a discount on the last set of files if the amount of translated words really reach the agreed quantitity.
As for the amount of the discount, it is best never to reduce your rate by more than 10%.
| | | | | 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 » Rates for large volume of work | Trados Studio 2022 Freelance | The leading translation software used by over 270,000 translators.
Designed with your feedback in mind, Trados Studio 2022 delivers an unrivalled, powerful desktop
and cloud solution, empowering you to work in the most efficient and cost-effective way.
More info » |
| | Anycount & Translation Office 3000 | Translation Office 3000
Translation Office 3000 is an advanced accounting tool for freelance translators and small agencies. TO3000 easily and seamlessly integrates with the business life of professional freelance translators.
More info » |
|
| | | | X Sign in to your ProZ.com account... | | | | | |
Login to reply/comment 
Translation news
