Ask for Discounts
July 14, 2022
Finding ways to save costs and ensure money is spent effectively is no doubt one of the top priorities for all firms. How can you reach this goal for your translation projects? Here are some tips to help bring your costs down before your projects even get off the ground.
Translation memory comes to the rescue
Translation memory (TM) is a database that stores text segments (source) and their translations (target) for reuse in future projects. Translation of a word, sentence, or paragraph can be retrieved from the memory when it appears again in another document. It is not only a source of great help for translators, but it can also considerably reduce the time needed for the entire job. Most agencies offer a discount on repeated translations, so make sure your service provider keeps a professionally managed memory of your projects to save the most money over time!
Don’t leave it last minute
As the sayings go, “time is money”. Time is precious indeed, but when it comes to translation services, the quicker the turnaround time, the more a project will cost you. When you send a project to your agency, keep in mind that it is not just the actual translation that needs to be done; it requires other work procedures as well, such as quality checking, proofreading and formatting. The cost of rushing projects with tight deadlines will be higher and most importantly, the work quality might suffer too. Good translation takes time, so do plan ahead to avoid time crunches and allow enough time for delivery!
Ask for Discounts
Most service providers are willing to provide discounts in exchange for long term partnership. If you are a new customer of an agency, don’t hesitate to ask for a discount. Just as you are looking for a trustworthy and long-term partner, translation companies are longing for loyal customers too!
Not a first-timer? No worries! There are still many factors that go into getting an accurate quote and volume is definitely one of them. If you have a significant volume of words to translate, it is always advisable to let your agency know that you’ve got plenty of work for them, and don’t be afraid to ask for a discount for a bulk project. There is no harm in requesting a discount, and you won’t get any if you don’t even ask, so go ahead!
Cheaper is not always better
Just like any other product, prices can vary significantly when you shop around. While it is natural to want to save money, sometimes it could cost you even more if you decide to go the cheap route. Choosing a provider who provides considerably cheaper quotes than the others may result in a bad translation which can damage your company’s image and in worst case, you may have to spend even more to have it corrected!
Have you heard of how the famous KFC slogan of “Finger Lickin’ Good” was mistranslated in Chinese as “We’ll eat your fingers off” in the 1980s? This had a serious impact on the brand image that KFC had maintained globally. Although price and quality are not in absolute positive relationship, they are often related. As attractive as low bids may seem, sacrificing quality for a lower price isn’t worth it!
