| Pages in topic: [1 2] > | Poll: Do you have a slogan or tagline for your language services? Thread poster: ProZ.com Staff
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This forum topic is for the discussion of the poll question "Do you have a slogan or tagline for your language services?".
View the poll results »
| | | | DianeGM 
Local time: 21:40
Member (2006)
Dutch to English
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But I don't have a website ... If I did I might consider thinking one up.
For now I have a CV.
| | | | | "Each translation a gem" | Dec 28, 2012 |
It's on my business cards and several other places.
| | | | | "Human translation" | Dec 28, 2012 |
on my site, Proz.com profile, business cards, etc.
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Thayenga
Germany
Local time: 20:40
Member (2009)
English to German
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| Your words are my business | Dec 28, 2012 |
and also: Literature and Poetry require the ability to read between the lines.
Says it all, no?
| | | | Theo Bernards (X)
France
Local time: 20:40
English to Dutch
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| Translation — So much more than substituting language A with language B | Dec 28, 2012 |
...and it goes underneath every email, is visible on my website, is printed on my invoices, everywhere I can possibly use it I use it  .
| | | | telefpro
Local time: 00:10
Portuguese to English
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| My punch line | Dec 28, 2012 |
'we break language barriers'
| | | | Simon Bruni
United Kingdom
Local time: 19:40
Member (2009)
Spanish to English
| Unprofessional? | Dec 28, 2012 |
I'm not sure why but slogans strike me as something not becoming of a professional. They have a certain amateurish feel to them. I've opted for a list of my 3 main credentials as a tagline.
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| "A consulting approach to translation" | Dec 28, 2012 |
I was a HRD consultant for years, parallel to my translation career. As local price-slashing competition in that was fiercer than in the international translation market, I shut that consulting operation down a while ago. Nevertheless, I still have the skills, so I use it for translation work.
Though a prospect may say they have a translation JOB, for me it might be an oversimplification unless proven otherwise. Perhaps this is what led me to expand my coverage beyond plain translat... See more I was a HRD consultant for years, parallel to my translation career. As local price-slashing competition in that was fiercer than in the international translation market, I shut that consulting operation down a while ago. Nevertheless, I still have the skills, so I use it for translation work.
Though a prospect may say they have a translation JOB, for me it might be an oversimplification unless proven otherwise. Perhaps this is what led me to expand my coverage beyond plain translation, going into into DTP, video subtitling, DVD authoring, and other translation-related services as well.
The job itself may be just the symptom, not the cause. It’s like a person being sick and running a fever. While giving them an antipyretic will hopefully make the fever go down, it won’t necessarily cure the illness.
Translation alone will often - but not always - solve the problem. When it will, such clients are often mostly interested in which CAT tool I own and use. Not my forte, as I have only one CAT tool, quite popular but not the most requested WordFast, and I'm planning to switch to another one (MemoQ, not Trados - the one they usually demand) as soon as my present license expires.
In such simpler cases, a press release or news article will be ready for distribution in another language, a business agreement will be ready to be signed by foreigners, a report will be translated to be sent abroad, etc. That will be all.
Yet sometimes the NEED is not so simple or straightforward. It will be my job to uncover the client's need. When it involves video, DTP, PDF, etc. quite often they don't know exactly what they need, and consequently, which option(s) offer the best cost/benefit.
If the client knew my work inside out, they might be doing it on their own, instead of hiring me. So I never count on the client’s knowledge on what has to be done, nor on the way it should be done. It is part of my job to explain all that whenever, and as many times as necessary. When they do know, it reverts to the 'simple job' situation, however I have to be sure about it, by requesting all the working specs from them.
As a translation and associated services expert, I let clients rely on my knowledge to give proper advice, especially on the best cost/benefit option(s). If I am unable to offer any (part of a) service they need, I'll do my best to refer them to providers who can do that.
So my mission is to get my clients' needs fulfilled in the best possible way. Using Pareto's Law, in 80% of the cases this involves just doing exactly what they asked for. However in the remaining - according to Pareto - 'important 20%', it calls for consulting. ▲ Collapse
| | | | Suzan Hamer
Netherlands
Local time: 20:40
English
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| Theo Bernards (X)
France
Local time: 20:40
English to Dutch
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| That is one way of looking at it... | Dec 28, 2012 |
Simon Bruni wrote:
I'm not sure why but slogans strike me as something not becoming of a professional. They have a certain amateurish feel to them. I've opted for a list of my 3 main credentials as a tagline.
But slogans are definitely not 'not becoming of a professional' - very friendly phrased, by the way. Agreed that some have an amateurish feel to them, but that may be based on personal and cultural perception. A slogan on its own will never generate business, but my slogan is not meant to be seen on its own: it is part of a rather carefully created total package and it is the tagline that combines the various elements of my services AND it outlines in broad terms - in a nutshell - what I offer, slogan research being one of my services .
| | | | Allison Wright (X)
Portugal
Local time: 19:40
| Serious about business and translation | Dec 28, 2012 |
I see the funny side(s) to many things, which might be perceived as being flippant.
That is why I needed something to reflect that I do mean business, am very serious when translating (she says, chuckling at her own typos at least once a day), and also know how business (and related fields) work.
I happily ditched my previous effort ("happiest when translating") because, although true, is subject to a range of misinterpretations which you are welcome to explore on your ... See more I see the funny side(s) to many things, which might be perceived as being flippant.
That is why I needed something to reflect that I do mean business, am very serious when translating (she says, chuckling at her own typos at least once a day), and also know how business (and related fields) work.
I happily ditched my previous effort ("happiest when translating") because, although true, is subject to a range of misinterpretations which you are welcome to explore on your own. ▲ Collapse
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neilmac
Spain
Local time: 20:40
Spanish to English
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As a freelancer I use my own name; underneath it the simple legend: "Language Services".
People seem to think it's a company or business, although I'm really just a geezer in a broom cupboard somewhere...
| | | | Robert Forstag
United States
Local time: 14:40
Spanish to English
+ ...
| In some cases, taglines are unprofessional | Dec 28, 2012 |
Simon Bruni wrote:
I'm not sure why but slogans strike me as something not becoming of a professional. They have a certain amateurish feel to them. I've opted for a list of my 3 main credentials as a tagline.
In my view, this is often so when they involve hackneyed phrasing that conveys promises of professional competence and/or quality work.
Another least-favorite kind of slogan in my book is the kind that give the impression that a translator is some kind of slave (e.g. "Always Available," "On-call 24/7").
By definition, such a claim cannot be true: Apart from the need for sleep and other essential non-translation activities, such an individual will not be "available" when he or she is committed to work on a particular project.
[Edited at 2012-12-28 16:19 GMT]
| | | | Kitty Brussaard
Netherlands
Local time: 20:40
Member (2009)
English to Dutch
+ ...
| It's our business to help you communicate yours! | Dec 28, 2012 |
I use this tagline consistently in all my communications, including in my email signature and on my website.
| | | | | Pages in topic: [1 2] > | To report site rules violations or get help, contact a site moderator: You can also contact site staff by submitting a support request » Poll: Do you have a slogan or tagline for your language services? | Protemos translation business management system | Create your account in minutes, and start working! 3-month trial for agencies, and free for freelancers!
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