Poll: About how often do you acquire a new client? Thread poster: ProZ.com Staff
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This forum topic is for the discussion of the poll question "About how often do you acquire a new client?".
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| | | | tilak raj 
India
Local time: 05:32
Member (2012)
English to Punjabi
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| It varies but mostly within 3 months | Nov 10, 2015 |
There is no fix possibility of new clients because of tight competition in market. But often in 3 months I get new client.
| | | | Sheila Wilson
Spain
Local time: 01:02
Member (2007)
English
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| The arithmetic has me beaten | Nov 10, 2015 |
But I think it's nearer to one per month than any other category.
Started a list when I moved to Spain in July 2012 and so far there are 28 names on it. Is that about one per seven weeks or so?
| | | | Julian Holmes
Japan
Local time: 09:02
Member (2011)
Japanese to English
As often as I need to
Like right now, for instance. A client that gives me large jobs and tells me in advance has just canceled 7 out of 10 projects beginning this month and lasting till April that I had been frequently told were 'finalized.'
Time to prod existing clients, find new ones and talk to a lawyer. 
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| Hard to tell | Nov 10, 2015 |
But I'd say I usually get 4/5 new clients per year, plus one-off jobs from time to time.
| | | | neilmac
Spain
Local time: 02:02
Spanish to English
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Non sequitur = I don't know, couldn't really say.
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I have a lot of end clients needing smaller translations. Sometimes it's as many as several in a week. I don't "acquire" them. I do work for them. Sometimes they do come back for other work, and also recommend me to their acquaintances and friends. So there is a certain kind of "acquisition".
| | | | | Not as often as I used to | Nov 10, 2015 |
... for a variety of reasons.
When I started freelancing, I used to invoice at least one new client most months.
Some have come back, some have not. Some only turn up again at long intervals, so they are not all regulars by any means.
As I have been fully booked most of the time, I tend to be more choosy about new clients, but I still take on work for new clients several times a year.
Whether I 'acquire' clients, and if so when is a good questi... See more ... for a variety of reasons.
When I started freelancing, I used to invoice at least one new client most months.
Some have come back, some have not. Some only turn up again at long intervals, so they are not all regulars by any means.
As I have been fully booked most of the time, I tend to be more choosy about new clients, but I still take on work for new clients several times a year.
Whether I 'acquire' clients, and if so when is a good question. ▲ Collapse
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Thayenga
Germany
Local time: 02:02
Member (2009)
English to German
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| Acquire, none. | Nov 10, 2015 |
Honestly, I don't keep track of how many new clients find me throughout the year. Some I work with on a regular basis, some get a "sorry, fully booked" from me. It's been a few this year. 30 new clients a year with one-time projects are less important than a few who provide me with work on a regular basis.
| | | | Jeff Whittaker
United States
Local time: 20:02
Member (2002)
Spanish to English
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| How about... | Nov 10, 2015 |
... every 5 -6 years.
| | | | Michael Harris
Germany
Local time: 02:02
Member (2006)
German to English
I get contacted every now and then, and if I have time, then I will give them a bash and if everything works out then I have a new customer. But seriously who keeps track of those sorts of things, we are translators, no marketing people doing statistics☺
| | | | Sheila Wilson
Spain
Local time: 01:02
Member (2007)
English
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| We need all the data, just not the "when" | Nov 10, 2015 |
Michael Harris wrote:
But seriously who keeps track of those sorts of things, we are translators, no marketing people doing statistics☺
We do need to keep invoice details, other contact details and client-specific T&C handy in our files. But I don't know how many of us would keep "date first contacted" handy enough to calculate an average frequency of new clients. I don't, although I could find out dates if it was important enough.
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Anthony Baldwin
United States
Local time: 20:02
Portuguese to English
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on so many factors, it's nearly impossible to put a number on it.
Sometimes I'm working for the same old clients for months (which is good, it means they like my work!)
and sometimes I'm getting all new clients (also good! usually referred by existing clients, or sometimes from bids here on proz).
I'd say 90% of my work is for repeat/existing clients, and 10% new clients (who then become repeat/existing clients).
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How hard can it be to guesstimate how many new customers you get in a year and extrapolate? Even translators surviving on proz cheapie titbits should be able to manage that on ten fingers.
I get about one new customer a year. At least I think I added that up right.
| | | | Mario Freitas
Brazil
Local time: 21:02
Member (2014)
English to Portuguese
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| Lately, every 2 or 3 weeks, | Nov 11, 2015 |
New clients show up every 2 or 3 weeks, not considering the dozens of offers I refuse because they are obvious serial e-mails sent to tons of translators, or bacause the agency has less than 4.6 in the Blue Board.
Considering the jobs I actually accept, 2 or 3 weeks is reasonable. However, very few of them become regular clients. Some show up about two or three times a year, and some never show up again.
Considering regular clients, I'd reduce that number to 2 or 3 in a... See more New clients show up every 2 or 3 weeks, not considering the dozens of offers I refuse because they are obvious serial e-mails sent to tons of translators, or bacause the agency has less than 4.6 in the Blue Board.
Considering the jobs I actually accept, 2 or 3 weeks is reasonable. However, very few of them become regular clients. Some show up about two or three times a year, and some never show up again.
Considering regular clients, I'd reduce that number to 2 or 3 in a year, which is about the same number of regular clients that disappear after being regular for 2 years, usually because I try to negotiate a better price or because they want to change the standards in their favor, such as starting using a fkn online platform. ▲ Collapse
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