Photo by The Climate Reality Project on Unsplash
This year I attended the BP Translation Conference for the first time. It was held in Bologna, Italy, on May 1-3.
It was a fantastic experience! I especially liked the app where attendees were able to engage and create activities for everyone to join. It was a great way to get to know people before the conference. When we arrived at the conference, it was as if we were all long-time friends! It’s great not only for newbies and shy and introvert people, but also for everybody who likes networking and meeting new people.
Here is a brief overview on the sessions I attended. The post is longer than usual, but only because there were so many great presentations and insights.
May 1: Workshops
Multilingual SEO for translators, by David García Ruiz
Fresh content is king. Our website’s content should be useful, valuable, relevant (describing what we do and what our clients look for using keywords), competitive (the more specific, the better). Each page should have from 600 to 2,000 words. If your website is in more than on language, you should include language meta tags (hreflang); otherwise, Google will not recognize it as multilingual.
According to a research mentioned by David, “75% [of web visitors] prefer to buy products in their native language. In addition, 60% rarely or never buy from English-only websites.” Therefore, it is important to have a website translated into your working languages.
May 2: Long sessions
Hectic lives + happy clients: four tendencies to rule them all, by Anne-Sophie De Clerq
We develop habits to be able to deal with constraints and expectations, both useful and bad ones.
The big question we should make ourselves is: Who are you? How do you respond to internal and external expectations?
Anne-Sophie’s presentation was based on Gretchen Rubin’s The Four Tendencies framework, which helps getting people to do what you want by identifying what type of tendency they have:
- Obligers: Respond well to external expectations and like being of assistance.
- Questioners: Respond well to internal expectations and love knowledge.
- Upholders: Respond well to both internal and external expectations; their motto is “In discipline we trust.”
- Rebels: Do not respond well to neither and love freedom.
Listen to what clients have to say to understand who they are and identify their tendency in order to facilitate your selling your services to them.
Suggestions of things you can do according to their tendency:
- Upholders: Send your portfolio and let them judge, do not pressure them, and ask just the essential questions.
- Obligers: Show how much you can help them; go for the human touch.
- Questioners: Describe your process and your strengths; answer any questions thoroughly.
- Rebels: Display your identity and your passion; offer them choices.
Bottom line is: We are all different, so flexibility is paramount.
What legal clients want – As told by a former client, by Paige Dygert
According to Paige, who is a lawyer herself, most lawyers are horrible procrastinators. However, they are loyal clients. They will hang on to you. And they have the budget, so do not be afraid to charge what you are worth. You can charge for being good, and fast!
When communicating with law clients, be polished (reflect what you want from them; it is not about what you like and enjoy or not), precise (detail-oriented), concise (appreciate their time, be straightforward), and complete.
When working with them, just be the translator, know your role. When asking questions, group them, offer solutions, and know when to ask. Be succinct, reliable, and responsive. Provide excellent translations.
Law journals are the best source of reference material and the highest quality one! Their content is, most of the time, perfectly written.
Get a lawyer mentor to help you. LinkedIn and Facebook are great places to find lawyers. If you reach out to them, respect their time!
A killer marketing strategy to win your dream clients, by Sarah Silva
Persistence is key when trying to find dream clients. Be prepared to stand out and be different. Have a long-term strategy (not a one-time sales promotion).
You can use direct client marketing to keep existing clients, contact old clients, or find new ones. Examples: physical post (lumpy mail, letter, postcard), email and digital marketing, and real conversations (phone, video call, in person). Lumpy mail is comprised of a surprise and delight package in order to make a great first impression. Follow-up with a postcard, email, call, etc. People respond better to handwritten messages.
Do not be afraid to dream big. Dream as big as you like and see what happens. Start with whom you want to work with. Ask for referrals from your good existing clients. Get to know your market (better) and have fun!
Keep that in mind this question when prospecting: “So what?” What do your prospects care about? Grab their attention, talk about their problems, and how you can be the solution.
Let your dream clients know that you exist and care, and that they can trust you.
GDPR and translators: easy steps to protect your and your clients’ data, by Irene Koukia
Backup options: Dropbox, Box, OneDrive, Google Drive. Backup every day! What to backup: TMs, CAT folders, etc.
Boxcryptor: Data security across smartphones, tablets, and desktops. You can choose what to encrypt and what not.
Whisply: secure and easy file transfer.
A VPN secures your private network. Ideal if you work on the go or use a shared Wi-Fi (almost all of us, right?).
Learn what is what about terminology extraction tools, by Andriy Yasharov
Terminology extraction is like data mining, where terms are subtracted from a text. It can be helpful for creating glossaries, thesaurus, and dictionaries; extracting terminology for TMs, etc. It is important because it also extracts the context of a term. Terminology extraction tools: SDL Multiterm Extract, memoQ TE module, SynchroTerm, Sketch Engine, PlusTools for MS Word, FiveFilters, WebCorp, AntConc, Rainbow.
May 3: Short talks
The very first of the day was mine. I will try to write about it in another future post.
Strategies to get more translation clients in a non-spammy way, Olga Jeczmyk Nowak
How to increase clients and keep them coming? Study the market. Contact prospects with a personalized email. Offer them something they are looking for. Reply to them as soon as possible. Don’t spam! Avoid being spammy by personalizing your emails and writing enough professional content (spam filters dislike short emails!). Be honest. Find your identity and make some noise online.
Be online and be active: If you’re not on Google, you don’t exist. Choose the best platform(s) for you.
How to distinguish yourself? Create a brand and keep improving it. Offer something different and more elaborate. Adapt your service according to each client. Keep reinventing yourself!
How to raise your rates (and still keep your clients), by Susanne Präsent-Winkler
Start raising your rates with new clients, especially when you are busy. Then do it with your current clients. Base your raise on your country’s inflation rate. Set your limit as to how low you can go on the rate to still make a living and stick to it. Don’t work for peanuts, for the sake of the entire industry!
Add all relevant steps of your translation process in the quote, so that the client knows what is included in the price.
Dealing with difficult customers – conflict management for translators, by Peter Oehmen
After a negative client experience, 67% of the customers buy somewhere else, only 33% of them stay. One unhappy client tells 15 other people about their negative experience. One happy client, on the other hand, tells six other people about their positive experience.
Conflicts are based on differences of perspective, so we need to understand others’ perspectives and be able to explain our own. Be clear and factual in your communication. Go for consensus and compromise.
The power of soft skills in a digital age, Jaquelina Guardamagna
We need to get better at being human. That is why soft skills have become essential nowadays. They are personal traits that enable individuals to interact effectively. They can help us win clients, when combined with hard skills.
Essential soft skills in the digital age: Empathy, decision making (decisions are part of human nature), flexibility, creativity (it’s what keep us dreaming), collaboration, self-management. If we use them effectively, we will never be replaced! Soft skills will be the difference between those who get replaced by machines, and those who succeed in a digital age.
Bucking the trend of self-promotion (and still obtain the results you want), by Magda Phili
Self-focused narratives: As translators, if we don’t talk about ourselves, who will, right? However, improve your narrative to avoid being perceived as arrogant: Rephrase it and involve other people.
Magda said that her experience showed her that translators working together and promoting each other see their business grow. Solidarity and collaboration boosts confidence, improves quality and efficiency, and helps you gain perspective.
Humility brings collaboration, collaboration brings more work and excellence, while perseverance brings results.
Are you really a professional?, by Vasiliki Prestidge
According to Vasiliki, prices don’t say anything about you and your services. We’re more than just a number!
“Every package is the golden package,” she said. Therefore, we should treat everybody with the same level of professionalism. In a hyperconnected world, one contact can change our life. Be professional in all aspects of your work. You never know who will be impressed by you and request your services. “You look like a business, you behave like a business, you get the business.”
Productivity hacks for translators, by Sherif Abuzid
Sherif talked about Can Newport’s concept of deep work, which is mastering how to focus on a single task in order to boost productivity and maximize your energy expenditure.
If your laptop battery would last for only one hour and you had to choose one app to use, which one would you choose? Your answer will show your priority. We have a limited amount of energy, like batteries. We need to make the best use if it, setting priorities.
Deep work means working in a distraction-free environment, fully focused. If you totally focus at one task at a time, you are more productive. “Focus is the new IQ.” Focused professionals stand out from others. Start with the most important tasks and keep your main goals in mind.
It’s not only about business. We can apply deep work to our personal life as well. Keep your phone away during family time!
How to follow the deep work principle: Plan for tomorrow; focus on goals, not tasks (do what makes you move forward); and set tight deadlines for all activities
Do you diversify your business?, by Francesca Manicardi
Diversification is for creative minds who can easily switch from an activity to another and who can properly manage their time.
Pros of diversifying your business: More stable source of income; creativity boost; change of perspective; and increased visibility.
Effective time management for translators, by Iwona Piatkowska
The bad news is that time flies. The good news is that you are the pilot.
The first step to greater productivity is to create a distraction-free environment, and that is something only you can do, e.g. mute your phone, close the door, have a dedicated office, switch off push/desktop notifications, etc.
Work in chunks and take cycled breaks, e.g. Pomodoro Technique. Take into account that our attention span is of 45-50 minutes. Make your breaks effective: Change constantly, go away from the computer (walk the dog, do the dishes), energize your body, etc.
Track your progress, especially in long projects. It boosts your confidence and keeps you motivated. Do 50-60% of the project as soon as possible. Be a (wo)man of action!
A balanced and healthy lifestyle is the foundation of productivity on a daily basis. Exercise frequently, eat nutritious meals, and sleep well.
Clean your desk every evening, plan your day ahead, set a timer for tasks, and invoice projects immediately.
Running a translation business as a restaurant: tips for a balanced menu, by Carlos la Orden Tovar
According to Carlos, there are four types of restaurant: 1. Just another takeaway: Unbelievably average; rat race. 2. The franchise: Generic, but familiar; safe money; average service = average clients. 3. Luxury restaurant: High-end clients, elaborate services, based on a thorough experience. 4. Classic revisited: Pick classic stuff; add a new, unique touch; charge double; focused on clients who value quality and innovation.
Make a list of your skills, things you are good at. Make a list of what is trending in the market. Score them and craft the perfect menu of your service offers.
Stretch your services by offering, for example, DTP, QA, testing, glossary & TM services, etc. But don’t stretch it too much. Focus on your strengths.
Study your ideal client, engage and find out, list your needs, plan buffer time, and consider investing in proper training.
That’s it! I hope you like my brief summary of the conference. As you can see, it was totally worth it. So if I got you into considering attending it next year, it will be held in Nürnberg, Germany, on April 24-25, 2020! Save the date and stay tuned for more information.
If you were interested in any talk in particular or in all of them, their recording are available to be purchased on demand here.
You can also find reviews by other attendees here.
Madalena Sánchez Zampaulo is a Spanish-to-English and Portuguese-to-English medical and life sciences translator. She also owns a small translation agency, Accessible Translation Solutions. She is currently a director on the American Translators Association (ATA) Board of Directors and chair of ATA’s Membership Committee. She previously served as chair of ATA’s Public Relations Committee (2014–2018) and administrator of ATA’s Medical Division (2011– 2015). She has a BA in Spanish from the University of Southern Mississippi and an MA in Spanish from the University of Louisville. She is also a consultant for the University of Louisville Graduate Certificate in Translation. You can read more of her articles on 
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