People say that Spain is a SME nation, and our country has almost 3 million of SMEs in all categories according to 2022 data. Therefore, it’s not surprising that these types of companies are the main engine of the country’s economy. Of these nearly 3 million of SMEs, 748 work in the translation industry as data from ANETI says. To this figure, we also must add the thousands of freelancers who are dedicated to the translation and interpretation sector and must look for their client portfolio.

Therefore, it is logical to think that one of the greatest concerns of any entrepreneur is: How can I expand my business to more people? Nevertheless, we have traditionally had the idea that we have to focus on existing customers. And that’s not true at all. We have to gain the customer´s loyalty so that they continue to be part of us because they want and we add value. Think about that: Do you want to be your client’s monthly choice or just one more invoice that they don’t cancel to avoid a procedure?

What we mean is that your client must always be your best prescriber because their testimonies and experiences are crucial to get new leads.

In addition, we not only have to keep loyalty to those we already have on the agenda, but we also have to look for new opportunities. Then, we are facing the most arduous task of any business. The eternal loop of dedicating hours and effort to receive many negative answers before turning them into positive ones.

Therefore, the search for new clients is a fundamental aspect in any business, including for SMEs and larger companies. The most difficult thing is to find customers that need our translation and interpretation services.

Here is some useful tip that can help your SME to find potential customers:

• Internal search: Surely you manage several databases, so get them back! In them, there may be contacts from clients who were interested in your services some time ago but then chose other option, so now it may be your perfect time. You will need a good CRM to have all this information, so if you are interested in the Gespoint CRM module, do not hesitate to contact us.
• Cold calling: This is the most traditional way to find clients, but also the most difficult. In that way, you have to get in touch with the lead by telephone or in a personal interview and try to sell your product.
• By contacts: If your customers are happy with your product and your services, they won’t doubt to recommend you to other companies. The best advertisement is the one that comes from a happy client. Another potential source of new customers is your partners. They will not only give good reviews of your company, but at the same time, they will also use your services for your clients. When we say partners, we refer to notaries, law firms, agencies, or consultants.
•  Professional associations: In Spain and all around the world, there are thousands of professional associations related to translation. Find a way to be part of them and inquire about how you can assist to their events.
• Digital marketing and social network: Nowadays there are few companies that don’t create content on social media and these have become a primary speaker to attract new customers. Keep your social media profiles alive, publish, comment, mention partners, invest in advertising, and keep your website active... In short, persuade those potential future customers that your company is active and in line with the advances of society.
• Events: There exist thousands of events and congresses annually related to translation and interpretation. If you sign up for them, you will not only keep up to date with industry trends, but it will also be a golden opportunity to meet new future customers. According to that, we also recommend that you make sponsorships agreements in some events. This will give you a lot of visibility, and if you can put up a stand, even better!
• Check what your competitor does: We don’t mean that you must do the same as your competitor does. Even though both of you are in the same sector, what your customers want could be different from what the competitors´ clients want. Nevertheless, checking your competitors´ strategies could help you to see how to improve your business.
• Analyse and review: Would you trust a company that has been providing exactly the same service for 30 years? Your customers, their needs, and life, in general, are constantly changing, so the way you sell your product must change too over the years. In that way, we recommend you to check periodically what you are doing. This will allow you to see what is working and what is not. So, you can stop devoting efforts to those that don’t work and focus on what does.

In summary, we could define all these tips in three words: “Make yourself visible”. Make conversation topics between clients and potential clients of the sector so that, finally, you are the topic of the conversation.