How to win new clients for your translation agency

Finding new clients is one of the biggest challenges for any translation agency. The market is crowded, competition is international, and clients can choose between thousands of agencies and freelancers.

Before chasing new leads, remember one thing: your existing clients are your best sales channel. Clients who stay with you because you add value, not because changing supplier is a hassle, will recommend you, give you testimonials and bring you new business. Retention and acquisition work together.

With that in mind, here are nine practical ways to win new clients for your translation agency.

Nine ways to find new clients

1. Start with your own database

Your agency probably has contacts from years of quotes, enquiries and past projects. Some of those leads chose another supplier at the time, but their situation may have changed. A CRM puts all this information at your fingertips, so you can segment old leads and inactive clients and reactivate them with a relevant offer. In Gespoint BillWords the CRM is built into the same platform as your quotes, projects and invoices, so you can see at a glance which clients have stopped ordering, what they used to buy and who last spoke to them.

2. Follow up every quote

Many quotes are lost not because the price was wrong, but because nobody followed up. Track the status of every quote, set reminders and get back in touch at the right moment. With the CRM in BillWords, every quote is linked to the client’s full history and to a sales opportunity with its value, closing probability, competitors and next actions, so your team always knows which opportunities need attention.

3. Turn happy clients into referrals

A satisfied client is the best advertising there is. Ask for referrals and testimonials, and publish case studies with real results.

4. Build partnerships

Partners can recommend you and use your services for their own clients. Think of law firms, notaries, accounting and consulting firms, marketing agencies and software companies that need localization. Look for partners whose clients regularly need translation.

5. Join professional associations

There are many translation associations, both international (such as ELIA and GALA) and national. Membership gives you visibility, credibility and access to events, training and networking opportunities.

6. Go where your clients are

Industry events for translation are great for keeping up with trends, but your clients are usually at the events of their own sectors. If you specialize in life sciences, legal or manufacturing, attend those trade fairs and conferences. Sponsoring an event or having a stand gives your brand much more visibility.

7. Be active online and make it easy to buy

Keep your website and social media profiles active: publish useful content, comment, mention your partners and consider paid campaigns, especially on LinkedIn. Show potential clients that your agency is active and up to date. Email campaigns to your clients and leads also work well, and the BillWords CRM lets you send them and track opens and clicks without leaving the platform.

Above all, make it easy to become a client. With the BillWords plugin for WordPress, visitors can get a quote, upload their files, confirm and pay directly on your website, at any time of day.

8. Use targeted outreach

Cold outreach is the most traditional and the hardest way to find clients, but it still works when it is well targeted. Focus on specific sectors and companies, personalize every message and lead with the problems you solve, not with a list of languages.

9. Watch your competitors and review your results

Look at what your competitors are doing, not to copy them, but to spot opportunities and ways to improve. Then review your own results regularly: which channels bring in clients, which quotes convert and which do not. Your CRM and sales data should give you these answers in seconds, not after hours of spreadsheet work. Stop investing in what does not work and focus on what does.

In short: be visible and be easy to work with

All these ideas come down to two things: make your agency visible to the clients you want, and make it easy for them to work with you. Get people talking about your services, follow up every opportunity and keep your clients happy so they keep coming back and bring others with them.

Gespoint BillWords is one of the few management platforms for translation agencies with a CRM built in. It combines client and lead management, quote tracking, email campaigns, online quotes and payments, and complete business management in one platform, so you can win more clients and serve them better.