Branding. Brrr.
What a horrible word.
It seems to conjure up images of corporate board meetings with lots of suits braying about “strategic assets” and how they can leverage “core competencies”. The word seems to have acquired a meaninglessness that has absolutely nothing to do with freelance business.
Or has it? Just what is branding, exactly, and how can it help the freelance translator?
Branding is just packaging. It’s how you package yourself, and how that package is anchored in the minds of your client. The visual anchor triggers an intellectual, emotional or visceral reaction to something – in this case, you. The aim is to establish that anchor in the mind of your client, linking you to a particular set of values, before they do.
Human beings buy packaging. It’s just in our nature. Recent research has shown that 97% of clients base decisions on whether or not to use a professional’s service on their website. Obviously, further down the line, if an ugly, cheap looking car actually performs like a Ferrari, the ugly, cheap looking car will eventually garner enough raving fans for the packaging not to matter, but this is definitely the slow route to success. Unfortunately, in many cases people won’t even try your service unless you package yourself properly. As I said, it’s just human nature.
It doesn’t necessarily mean we are superficial. As a species, we have simply learned that outside appearances usually provide a good indication of the contents. We take shortcuts in order to be more efficient: we don’t have the time to research every tiny decision we make throughout our lives, so we make assumptions to speed things up. One of the assumptions we rely on the most is based on…packaging.
For you to prove your worth, first you have to sell yourself, and packaging is a vital aspect of that. It is the first step in establishing trust, a bridge that helps clients feel secure enough to try crossing instead of having to make a leap of faith into the unknown.
Because, after all, services are invisible. You can’t see, touch or feel a translation. Well you can, but not before you actually do the translation, not before you have had a chance to show your translating chops. You can provide samples, sure, but samples don’t tell the client how reliable you are, how well you stick to deadlines, that you understand and respect confidentiality issues, how well you work under pressure. You can provide references and testimonials along with your sample translations to establish credibility… but then, isn’t that just part of the packaging?
It all comes back, full circle, to packaging yourself. That’s branding: packaging yourself and your services so that potential clients know exactly what they are buying.
Of course, the standard of the service you offer must match or preferably exceed the expectations set with your branding… and that’s your end of the deal. That’s down to you.
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