The Priceless Price Quote
Following the ideas outlined in my last blog post, today I will elaborate on another fundamental aspect of the Account Manager – Client relationship: the formulation of the price quote. As soon as I, as an Account Manager, receive a request for information from a new client – either through our online form, by phone, or e-mail – I almost always ask the client to send in the file(s) in question, so that our production team can evaluate the project and determine a turn-around time. At this juncture, once the documents are received, I cannot overly emphasize the importance of developing a proper price quote. Although we try to have a price quote as quickly as possible, there are times when, due to an infinite number of reasons, the quote takes longer than anticipated.
While some files are small, seemingly simple subjects, other projects are complex compilations that require copious quantities of concentration from our production team and account managers alike. Generally, the fastest price quotes are those pertaining to simple text files, with minimal or no special formatting, fonts, images, tables, etc. In my relatively short experience, for larger and more complex projects – for example, those involving many files, images, and formatting issues – it is beneficial for the production team, the account manager, as well as the client to take time and effort to properly develop a quote. In many cases, a client’s active collaboration results in the project being less expensive, for example, by providing source files for fonts and images. A back-and-forth with open lines of communication is a great advantage and usually results in a more straightforward and tailored end product, as all doubts have been cast aside before commencing the project.
I am learning and continue to learn ways of anticipating possible issues with a project, as well as how to channel precise information to and from the production team in order to streamline the entire process. All of this effort and learning makes for what I sincerely hope to be a heightened customer service experience and a better, more precise, and more affordable quality translation – it all begins with the price quote. Get in touch with us now for a free price quote!