Translating?Ask Yourself These 7 Key Questions. ** You have permission to publish this article electronically or in print, free of charge, as long as the by-line is included. Notification of publication would be appreciated. Please send notification to mgalindo@translationsandmore.com ** The other day, I got a phone call from someone, a nice lady who seemed to be in need of our services. Her client had one week to submit a proposal in Spanish for a multi-million dollar contract to the Mexican government. “Sure,” I said, “I would love to help you out.” Here was a great opportunity to gain a new client. So, I asked her how many words needed to be translated, and she replied, “100,000.” “In a week!,” I exclaimed... but I resisted the urge to hang up, because she seemed serious and in direct need. Here is why she almost got “cut off”: The industry standard is to complete 2,500 to 3,000 words per day per translator, and a job of this magnitude would require at least four translators and two editors to finish it in 10 to 12 business days. (The proofreading element is necessary, to build some type of glossary when several translators are working simultaneously on the same project.) When I mentioned this to her, she was shocked, astounded. "But my client got quotes from two translators on an auction web site and they said it couldbe done in a week!” This conversation gave me the inspiration for this month’s article. I wanted to share with you what you should expect from a translation service agency, and how you can find out if you will get either quality service or just a fly-by-night translation. ***Any reputable translations agency will ask you the following questions;if they don’t... hint, hint: 1. What language is required for presenting the bid, and who is the target audience? The language will tell the agency which team to refer the job to, when checking availability and translators’ industry expertise. 2. What quantity needs to be translated? The smallest unit of measure for general and technical translations in the Americasis “word count.” So, obtain it as soon as possible. The faster you need the job, the more people will need to be involved; this means a greater need for coordination of schedules, quality check-ups, consistency, and so on. 3. Do you have electronic copies of these documents? Supplying files speeds up the process. The quotes can be given faster, the assignments delivered quicker. 4. When do you need the job completed, and do you have a realistic understanding of the time required to perform the work? If the industry standard is to complete 2,500 to 3,000 words per day per translator and the ideal team should be comprised of two translators feeding one editor per day, then to complete 100,000 words, how many translators and editors do you need? 5. Don’t have much time?Here is how to buy some. Contact the appropriate authorities and offer to make partial deliveries of key sections, according to their priorities. Kindly request an extension or presenting the entire documentation, and offer to complete just the key sections by the date required. If they accept it, keep their confirmation in writing and be sure to give your translator specific instructions regarding the sections’ due dates. 6. Will your words expand? Each language has a different expansion rate, which will affect the quote and time frame. For example, 5,000 words in English may end up being 6,000 in French or Spanish. Share the information with the people responsible for the final output of the document. Upon translation, the one-column page you had in English may require the designer to resize a picture, change a font, or add more pages to your handbook. 7. Is the lowest price the right one for you? If the translation is no good, what will you lose? Company or personal reputation, a client, a million dollar contract? Like anything else, do not request a bid based only on the lowest price. Translations are not tomatoes to be bought and sold in an open market. They require grace, knowledge, and specialized skills. For your next translation project, remember to ask yourself these 7 key questions. Oh! About the lady with the “100,000” words by next week project. We’re sorry but we couldn’t accept the project, because of an unrealistic due date. Hopefully we will hear from that company again! See you next time. Martha E. P.S. Have you ever been in a situation where you had to SAY NO to a tempting contract? mgalindo@translationsandmore.com ********************************************************************** About the Author, if using, please include: Martha E. Galindo, President and CEO of Galindo Publicidad, Inc. A multilingual translations agency, selected twice as a Florida 100 company. Author of “How Do You Say…?” an eNewsletter designed to help you improve your business communications in other languages, Subscribe http://www.translationsandmore.com/subscription.html GPI, Inc. Request a free project quote- http://www.translationsandmore.com/contact.html ***********************************************************************