1) Differentiate or Die ) Differentiation Framework for Translators ) Translation Product Differentiation... 15

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2 Table of Contents 1) Differentiate or Die...2 2) Differentiation Framework for Translators...9 3) Translation Product Differentiation ) Translation Pricing Differentiation ) Translation Place (Channel) Differentiation ) Translation Promotion Differentiation ) Miscellaneous Differentiators for Translators ) Making Decisions Putting Differentiation to Work for You ) Closing Message Copyright 2018 by Ron McCoy Page 1 55

3 1) DIFFERENTIATE OR DIE Translator Profile #1: Alberto Alberto is a professional translator. He's at the beginning of his career. He has strong language skills in the English-Spanish pair. He has a university degree, technical proficiency with industry-standard translation tools, and the potential for an interesting career ahead working in the field of translation services. He's also struggling. He's becoming somewhat discouraged about his prospects as a professional translator in the field of language services. He's unsure of how to prioritize his efforts to promote his translation services and get his career going on a more stable basis. The Compelling Case for Differentiation Differentiation defined: In marketing, product differentiation (or just differentiation) is a conscious effort to distinguish a product or service from other competing products/services. Effective differentiation has the effect of advantaging the appeal of a product/service in the eyes of a target market. Page 2 55

4 Please pay particular attention to the statement that appears next. Effective differentiation may be the single most important factor (aside from language skills) in determining the success of your career as a professional translator. It s a strong statement to be sure. You might be skeptical of its truth (and that s fair at this stage). Still in this course I will provide you with some things to consider that will lead you in the direction of realizing the immense power of the principle of differentiation. It s something every professional marketer already knows about. You as a professional freelance translator can use it to your advantage too. If you stick with the course, I'll provide you with a framework that will allow you to determine the best differentiation strategy for you as a freelance translator. No one can do this entirely for you, but I can help guide your thinking, so you can draw your own conclusions and ultimately reach some important decisions. You can also use this framework throughout your career since changes in the marketplace may necessitate adjustments along the way. The title of this lesson, "Differentiate or Die" may be hyperbole to an extent, although it's only somewhat so. Translators who do not successfully differentiate themselves and their services in the marketplace are likely to struggle. As a result, they might eventually conclude that the field of language services is not for them. What a shame! Page 3 55

5 There is a virtual sea of translators living around the world and working in the language services industry (or aspiring to). They often promote themselves as native speakers, talented, having a passion for language, and in the process do virtually nothing to separate themselves from other translators in the field. What translators are not these things? Professional translators are highly skilled with language. Their services are in demand. They're typically exceptionally intelligent. Most are also awful at marketing and lack awareness of the fundamentally essential principle of differentiation. They take marketing advice from other translators (What?!). Would a professional marketer look to another marketer for translation services? It's unlikely. And if they did they'd surely be disappointed. When results don't come they're encouraged with glib, hollow statements like be persistent and it takes time. Persistence and patience may be good personal attributes, but persistently and patiently doing ineffective things (and potentially even stupid things) isn't a path to advance one's professional prospects. Sadly, what holds many professional translators back in their profession has nothing to do with their ability to perform their core skill of professional translation work. Symptoms of Poor Differentiation Here s some of what you re likely to experience if you fail to differentiate yourself and your translation services in the marketplace. Your services will become commodity-like. That is, your translation services will be differentiated mainly (or only, even worse) by the price. As a result of being a commodity you ll get project work mainly when your rates are lower than other competing and available translators. This outcome follows since the only differentiation in your services is the price. There will be no reason for a client to pay even a slight premium for your services. Your resume, qualifications, experience, will not stand out in any significant way in comparison with other translators. Your resume/cv for will be less likely to be retained by prospective clients for future project work. It will be difficult for you to gain traction on an ongoing basis with new translation clients. Your client interactions will be more likely to be transactional rather than relational. You won't become the go-to translator for project types that you re especially qualified to perform. Do any of the above list items sound encouraging or inspirational? No of course not. Page 4 55

6 Attributes of Effective Differentiation By successfully differentiating yourself and your translation services you can expect more of the following. You'll be recognized as a go-to specialist translator. You'll immediately come to mind among customers when projects in your area (or areas) of differentiated specialization come up. For some projects you'll be able to charge a premium rate. The more important your differentiated strengths are to a project, the stronger your position will be to charge a rate above established market rates. Your resume, qualifications, and experience will stand out in comparison with other translators. You'll command more attention. Your resume, CV, and profile documents will be more likely to be retained when received by prospective clients. Even if an immediate project need isn't present, clients will be inclined to keep your contact information and credentials on hand for anticipated future projects. Client relationships will be easier for you to develop. Regular interaction with clients builds relationships over time in the course of ongoing project work. Page 5 55

7 Weak Differentiators Just today our agency received an from a translator who in the subject title identified themselves as a "Quality-Driven French Native Translator." Is the phrase Quality-Drive French Native Translator a strong basis of differentiation? No, it isn't. Would any translator represent themselves as "Low-Quality Driven? There are many native French speaking translators. Such representations don t effectively differentiate this translator from other translators. Here are some additional items we see coming from translators that also do not effectively differentiate themselves or their skills: Native Spanish (or other language) speaking o Comment: Everyone that speaks a language is native speaking in something. It s relevant information for clients to know, but it s not a strong differentiator. Can handle texts of all subject domains o Comment: For some translators this might be an accurate statement but it s of little value in differentiating translation services. Trados Studio (or other CAT tools) familiarity o Comment: CAT tools are standard for professional translators. Again, this may be relevant information to mention to a client but it s not a strong differentiator by itself. Page 6 55

8 Strict attention to deadlines o Comment: Attention to deadlines is important but it s expected of all translators. Statements like this don t differentiate your translation services 10 years experience o Comment: Is 20 years experience better? Is 5 years experience worse? 24/7 availability o Comment: Really? You never sleep? Passion for language o Comment: Many people have a passion for language but are not qualified to perform translation services. Summary (Takeaways) Effective differentiation is essential for you to compete successfully in the market/business of translation services. Identified differentiators for you and your translation services can range from strong to weak (and somewhere in between). There is a difference between information about your translation services and a differentiator. Certain information may be important and necessary to communicate about your services, but the information might not necessarily be an effective differentiator. What This Course Will Teach You This course will give you an understanding of the essential principle of differentiation and how you can use this principle to your advantage and attract more business from your current customers and attract new customers. You ll learn a basic framework of marketing structure that will allow you to better organize your own thoughts and make decisions about how to effectively differentiate yourself and your translation services in the competitive market of language services. For you as a professional translator, I cannot overstate the importance of you becoming knowledgeable about the principle of differentiation and then putting it to work in furthering your career. Page 7 55

9 Next Up In the next lesson I'll introduce you to one of the most established marketing models used over the course of the last several decades. This model will provide you with a visual/mental framework so that you can systematically consider possible differentiation approaches. You will of course do this to further your career in the translation industry and make your services more commercially viable. Page 8 55