August 14, 2008
Know when to say “no” — and whose fault it is when you don’t
As a freelance independent translator, I often have a hard time saying no to my clients. This is a pretty common problem with translators.
There are a lot of reasons why translators have trouble saying no to clients. One is that translators are generally on the introverted side. You kind of have to be introverted if your idea of a great career is sitting alone in your office six to eight hours a day, occasionally realizing that you haven't spoken to anyone but your family members in five days; or maybe that's just me. At any rate, we have trouble asserting ourselves.
Another reason is fear of losing work. Even when you're up to your eyeballs in work, there's that nagging worry in the back of your mind that if you disappoint this client, they may go with someone else the next time, when you're short of work.
Trying to make yourself available to clients is good business. It's very dangerous to depend too much on a single client for work, because when that client goes poof, you'll be left scrambling.
I got bitten a couple of years ago when a big client went out of business, and I had to scramble for a few months to fill in the gap. Since then, I try harder to spread my workload among several clients.
But in order to deal successfully with multiple clients, we've got to learn the fine art of saying "no." Taking work from several clients means that a lot of times two or more clients want to fill up your schedule at the same time. Assuming you're not interested in 3 hours of sleep per night (and you shouldn't be) and threats of divorce, how do you know when to say no?
From my experience, if you're worried about not getting called again, don't. Clients (at least the ones you'd like to work for) respect that you have a schedule and need to sleep occasionally. And they'd much rather have you turn down the translation than do a poor job on it or miss your deadline.
If you're getting a rush from all that money coming in, let me just say that the rush wears off. Hopefully it'll wear off before you get some nice stress-related illness. As for learning to juggle clients better, I'm still working on it :).
It's also important to learn how to tell how long a translation job is going to take. This means looking at the entire document before agreeing to the job — I've been burned a few times when looking at a "sample" of the document, only to get the whole thing and find 10 pages of complex drawings in 7 point font on a blurry fax (which leads to a related point: learn the fine art of re-negotiating deadlines).
When I started as a translator, I also tended to be a lot more optimistic about my abilities. Documents would look really simple until I actually tried to translate them, then I'd find myself out of my depth. The ability to gauge how difficult a translation will be is something that takes experience, but until you get that experience I'd advise you to avoid the trap of over-estimating your abilities.
Remember, it's your fault
Most of us translators bite off more than we can comfortably chew every once in a while. It might not be the way it has to be in this industry, but by and large it's how it is. I think it's very important, however, to take the blame when we take on too much.
It's very easy to get the attitude of poor me, all these clients keep dumping work on me, what's a solo translator like me to do? But that really gets you nowhere. Instead, I say, "Man, I was an idiot to take on this much work. Now I have to miss the Dreams Come True concert on Saturday."
Putting the blame on yourself means that there's something you can do about it. Assigning an external blame means you have no control, which can create a situation of learned helplessness.
As freelance translators, we've probably all been there on that Sunday night, with a Monday deadline looming and asking ourselves, "Why, oh I why didn't I take the blue pill?" I say we should lay the blame squarely on ourselves, and use it as a learning opportunity for the next time.
It isn’t a pretty common problem if I’m apparently the only one complaining about it
. On the other hand, I manage to meet all my deadlines, so I at least know what I can handle and what I can’t. You are totally right. It takes time for a translator to learn what you can handle and what you can’t. There’s also a fine line between too much and letting your social life suffer. One translator I know freely admits to working 20-hour days, because she wants to earn as much money as possible and retire. That’s just insane, and I’ve told her that numerous times. At least I scheduled some breaks today (one for a facial and one for a class on identity theft) in the midst of my insane schedule - and I called it a night at midnight. Thanks for the reinforcement that I’m not alone 
@Jill
You might be the only translator blogging about it (until now), but it comes up all the time when I talk to other translators.
If your friend can work 20-hour days then retire after 10 years or so, more power to her. In my experience, however, people in their 20s tend to blow all the cash; then in your 30s and 40s the physical toll grows too heavy.
I actually don’t have a problem saying No, but I’m rarely so busy that I need to (and it’s not because I’m especially fast).
I can think of one client where saying No to them one time cut me off from them permanently. The coordinator really leaned on me to take a job that was more than I could handle and out of me field. After I said No, I never heard from them again.
@Adam
I don’t like feeling pushy, and in negotiations that can be a personality flaw (it’s kind of funny, because I have a 2-dan in judo and love slamming people on the mat; just not being pushy about it :). I also hate haggling and such.
So my first reaction is always to think, “I’ll find a way to do this.” Over time, though, I’ve learned to shut my mouth and think it through. I have a job schedule, and always look at my schedule when I get a request. I make sure I can really do the job on time, adding personal/down time and a fudge factor.
As for the company that dumped you when you turned them down: in retrospect, was that the kind of client you wanted? In my experience, a company that makes one unreasonable demand will make more. They also use the foot-in-the-door technique[1]: once they’ve got you to make one concession, they’ll just pile them on (you give an inch, they take a mile…).
[1] I loved psychology class in college; they taught so many scams and cons. I think all the sleazy sales types must have also attended that class, and use it as a guide book.
>was that the kind of client you wanted?
Well, up until that point, yes. Paid well, interesting and substantial jobs, reasonable deadlines. Although I didn’t have a long track record with them at the point where I alienated them.
If a client is willing to dump me after I turn one job down after having worked well with them in the past then they are definite not a client I want to have. Stand firm, Adam! There are PLENTY of other agencies out there. Most reputable ones understand if a translator is busy. I totally agree with Ryan. Never give an inch, because some agencies will try to take a mile - and then some! I took an assertiveness class in college. Aside from typing, it was one of the best, most useful classes I ever took!
Great post Ryan. SO true about the “poor little ole translator-me” attitude, I feel like I hear far too much of that in professional circles that should know better. I think the same thing applies to people who complain that Blackberries, wireless internet, translation memory, [insert any new technological tool here] “makes” them work harder, rest less, or whatever. It drives me mad!! But then I’m appallingly impatient with the whole learned helplessness attitude generally (I should probably work on that!)