It’s very difficult, almost impossible, to proofread your own work, but sometimes it has to be done. If you’re working for direct clients it’s really handy if you can have a cross editing partner. On the other hand, if you work for agencies and there’s no extra money for hiring a proof-reader, then you have to do the best possible job you can.
Do your proofreading on paper! Proofread in a different format, font, and color than the original and you’ll find that errors will show up easier - anything that makes the target text look different so that you’re forced to pay attention to it. Check every letter in every place and every name, and check every digit in every number.
Anyone who’s done editing work for other translators will confirm that probably three-quarters of today’s translators are not proofing their work at all, which means that the completed document is delivered with errors. In addition, there’s a percentage of translators who are proofing on their computer screen, meaning that there are errors that the spellchecker has missed but someone reading a hard copy would have picked up on. And finally there’s around 10% of translators who actually complete the full three-step process - doing the translation, proofreading the draft copies on paper, implementing the changes, then rechecking the amended target document. Your aim should be to become one of that 10% because your potential high-quality clients will expect this from you.
Are You the Best Writer You Can Be in Your Target Language?
A really good investment for translators is to enroll in English language writing and editing courses and become a better writer in your target language. This should become part of your professional development, and let’s face it, it’s having excellent writing skills that set an ordinary translator apart from a really good translator.
Excellent Customer Service Is Key
The words ‘excellent customer service’ have become a catchphrase that many people in business don’t seem to take any notice of. There certainly are some businesses out there that give wonderful customer service, and these are the businesses that we frequent all the time because we enjoy a great customer experience. Unfortunately, there are more businesses out there who give terrible or even no customer service at all, which seems surprising because, as consumers, we all know how amazing we feel when we’re treated as someone special, with courtesy and respect. Ensure that your high-quality translation clients are receiving your best customer service.
Go the Extra Mile!
Make sure you’re a business who goes that extra mile and gives amazing customer service. Always be pleasant, and always be easy to work with. If you can help your client out of a bind, fix something that someone else broke, sort out their documentation, and so on, just do it – and do it with a smile! Of course, your time is valuable and you should charge what your time is worth. This is probably the difference between working for an agency and working for direct clients, because with direct clients you can take that extra step and make yourself indispensable to your translation clients. And when you ask yourself the question: ‘Am I being paid enough to deal with these matters’, the answer should always be: ‘Yes, I am!’
