Low Quotation - Four Questions to Ask
Have you figured out how to add value, even when you don't get the job?
A client asked us to look into quotations on taking some marketing materials in MS Word and Adobe InDesign into Traditional Chinese. Our preliminary word count was around 15,000 total, and we spent time educating the client on how to deal with all of the graphics that had embedded text. Since they were marketing materials for an upcoming trade show, we put on our best neckties and helped the client think through the project as far as possible.
As we were preparing to analyze the files for a proper quotation and statement of work, I received this message:
"I wanted to let you know our Taiwan office has located a local translator that has quoted us $1800 for this job. Do you think your quote will be a lot higher? If so, there's no need for you to proceed. Just didn't want you to spin your wheels."
We suspected our quotation would be 3-4 times higher than that. What would you do? Would you:
"That is quite low. If price is your paramount criterion, then you'd better go with that quote. In any event, you should make sure it includes:
We in the industry stand to gain nothing by scaring prospects, but since power in the Web 2.0 age seems to come from a delicate balance between giving everything away and keeping your families fed, perhaps our real value-add lies in helping prospects ask the right questions.
Your thoughts?
If you've enjoyed this article, you might like another one I wrote called "Why Are You Charging Me For That?"
A client asked us to look into quotations on taking some marketing materials in MS Word and Adobe InDesign into Traditional Chinese. Our preliminary word count was around 15,000 total, and we spent time educating the client on how to deal with all of the graphics that had embedded text. Since they were marketing materials for an upcoming trade show, we put on our best neckties and helped the client think through the project as far as possible.
As we were preparing to analyze the files for a proper quotation and statement of work, I received this message:
"I wanted to let you know our Taiwan office has located a local translator that has quoted us $1800 for this job. Do you think your quote will be a lot higher? If so, there's no need for you to proceed. Just didn't want you to spin your wheels."
We suspected our quotation would be 3-4 times higher than that. What would you do? Would you:
- Doggedly pursue the business, refusing as a matter of principle to be low-balled?
- Upbraid the prospect for falling for such a low price?
- Do nothing, considering it beneath your dignity to reply?
"That is quite low. If price is your paramount criterion, then you'd better go with that quote. In any event, you should make sure it includes:
- second set of eyes (besides those of your in-country reviewer)
- translation memory
- glossary (terminology list)
- desktop publishing + PDFs
We in the industry stand to gain nothing by scaring prospects, but since power in the Web 2.0 age seems to come from a delicate balance between giving everything away and keeping your families fed, perhaps our real value-add lies in helping prospects ask the right questions.
Your thoughts?
If you've enjoyed this article, you might like another one I wrote called "Why Are You Charging Me For That?"
Labels: glossary, localization costs, localization vendor, new to localization, offshoring localization, terminology list
posted by John White, Localization Guy at
09:21
1 Comments:
"... perhaps our real value-add lies in helping prospects ask the right questions."
I encounter such situations daily. My only solution so far is to try to educate the potential client that it usually means "you get what you pay for" - meaning also that the potential dangers resulting from a poor translation/localization often mean a significant loss of business/profits in the long run, besides the usual embarassment...
By
Freelancer, at 01:08
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