The document provides guidance for clients on selecting a translation partner and managing the translation process. It outlines three key stages: before, during, and after translation. In the before stage, clients should research translators' expertise, experience, languages, price, and response time. During translation, clients should provide reference materials if available and designate a contact for translator questions. After translation, clients should obtain a glossary or translation memory and pay the translator upon receiving the final version. The overall process aims to deliver high-quality translations through clear communication between clients and translators.

1. TRANSLATION CLIENT
GUIDANCE
How to Buy Translation and
Select a Translation Partner for
Your Business
Part IV

2. “
”
WITHOUT TRANSLATION I WOULD BE LIMITED
TO THE BORDERS OF MY OWN COUNTRY.
THE TRANSLATOR IS MY MOST IMPORTANT
ALLY. HE INTRODUCES ME TO THE WORLD.
Italo Calvino
Olha Bodnar

3. ORDERING TRANSLATION SHOULD NOT BE
COMPLICATED, STRESSFUL OR
TIME-CONSUMING.

4. FOLLOWING THE SIMPLE STEPS OUTLINED IN THIS
PRESENTATION, YOU WON’T EVER WONDER
WHAT TO DO NEXT.

5. LET’S NARROW THE PROCESS DOWN TO
THE THREE SIMPLE STAGES:
Before
During
After

6. Olha Bodnar
Speak the language of your client!
Before
During
After

7. THE TRANSLATION CLIENT SHOULD
FOCUS ON TWO ASPECTS:
 Where to find a translator  What questions to ask

8. WHERE TO FIND A TRANSLATOR

9. THE DO’S
 Google language pair and location
(e.g. English into Ukrainian freelance translator
Canada).
Ignore online machine translators.
 Visit a translator’s website.
 Check database of Associations of
Translators (CTTIC, ATIO in Ontario,
IAPTI, ATA, etc.)
Olha Bodnar

10. THE DON’TS
o Do not post your job on translation portals (like Proz, Upwork
etc.)
Every blind bidding platform is just a price competition.
These platforms are mainly for newbie translators who need to gain their
experience.
Speed and price are the only competitive advantages there.
o Be careful
Behind the name of a well known company there may be
name of a not so well known translator whom the
company will outsource your translation (often that
company will find that translator on that translation
portals)

11. QUESTIONS TO ASK A POTENTIAL
TRANSLATOR

12. EXPERTISE
What is your area of expertise?
Have you translated materials similar to mine?
The translation client should find translators who
position themselves as experts in particular field (e.g.,
law, IT, marketing, etc.).
Expert translators refine their skills constantly as they
deal with those texts in a narrow field on a daily basis.
So, they increase their expertise on these topics.

13. YEARS OF EXPERIENCE
How many years of translation experience do you have?
The translation client should ask the translator how many
years she or he has been in translation business.
Obviously, longer they've been in business, more
experienced they are.

14. NATIVE LANGUAGE
Are you a native speaker of a language you are translating
into?
Translators usually translate into their mother tongue.
Native translator's language skills, cultural, political, social,
and business related background knowledge represent a
real added value for the client.
If they have a near-native knowledge of other languages
(especially if they live in the country of that language),
such translators may translate into those languages, too.
It's also an asset.

15. PRICE
How much will your translation cost me?
Translation rates can be set on a per word or per
project basis. The amount of time and effort
required for the job depends on the length of the
text to be translated, that is to say, the number of
words.

16. TURNAROUND TIME
How long will it take to translate my documents?
The translation client should agree the desired deadline
for the translation beforehand. Preferably, the client
should be more precise than 'as soon as possible'. It's
worthwhile to order the translation well in advance, if
possible. This is particularly important in connection with
large and complex projects.

17. ESTIMATE
Can you estimate a project cost and time?
When purchasing translations, the translation client should submit his
or her documents for a full quotation. The translator will provide you
with the time and cost estimates for your translation project.
The translation client should note that freelance translator will respond
to his or her enquiry faster and provide translation cost and time
estimates faster. The reason lies in the fact that freelance translator can
quickly assess his or her availability and provide the client with the
necessary information, while the agency uses much more complicated
process.

18. NDA
Do you ensure confidentiality?
It's advisable for the translation client to sign a Non-
Disclosure Agreement (NDA) with the translator,
especially if materials are restricted and confidential.

19. SAMPLE
Can you provide sample translations of your previous
projects?
Starting your cooperation with a translator, it's useful
to ask a translator for a sample translation. In such a
way, you will have idea of the professionalism of a
translator.

20. TESTIMONIALS
Do you have testimonials?
The translation client should ask the translator
for the testimonials from previous clients. You'll
have idea of the result you'll receive from that
translator.

21. AVAILABILITY
What is your availability?
The translation client should ask a translator what his or her
working hours are and what days/hours he or she is available to
work on your project. Translators can work on weekends or
holidays, if required.
Look for a translator who will let you know their availability, and
who will be flexible around their other commitments.
The world is getting smaller every day and business can be done
globally thanks to technological advances. Still it's good idea for
the translation client to choose a translator who is available in the
client's time zone.
Sometimes it may be critical for the client to reach translator
during the business hours in case an urgent project or an issue
arises.

22. FLEXIBILITY
How responsive will you be?
The translation client should ask freelance translator about his or her
flexibility. Translators should adapt to the client's needs as well as they
should have an agile process that can be customized to match the size
and scope of each project, without compromising the high standards of
quality.
The translation client should look for a responsive translator who
should be aware of such challenges as
- tight deadlines,
- last-minute textual changes or
- additions.
Such translator will quickly adapt to these changes and follow the new
instructions focusing on producing a high-quality translation.

23. CUSTOMIZED SOLUTION
How can you customize our translator-client relationship
to suit my needs?
Translators offer various services, so when it's time to choose
one, it's worthwhile for the translation client to talk to the
chosen translator about their needs and make sure that the
translator will customize a solution specifically for the client's
company.
The client will benefit from the valuable professional solutions
tailored specifically to their needs.

24. Expertise
Years
Native Language
Price
Time
Estimate
NDA
Sample
References
Availability
Flexibility
Customized Solution

25. Olha Bodnar
Speak the language of your client!
Before
During
After

26. FOLLOW THIS 5-STEP PROCESS:
Final Version of the
Original
Designated Person Feedback Approval
Reference Materials
(if any)

27. FINAL VERSION OF THE ORIGINAL
The translator should translate the final version of the text.
Although, everyone is pressed for time these days and
translation clients may need translation project to be ready
as quickly as possible, having translators work from a draft-
in-progress will almost always be more time-consuming,
problematic, and more expensive than waiting for the final
version.
So, send your translator the final version of the files you
need to translate.

28. REFERENCE MATERIALS
If available, the translation client should provide the translator
with earlier translation works or materials to receive a
consistent and high-quality translation.
These materials may include:
- A specialized in-house style guide that could be used for
writing original content and its translated version;
- Boilerplates (for press releases, legal clauses, etc.);
- Previous translations and Translation Memory;
- Glossary of industry-specific terms.

29. FEEDBACK ON THE TRANSLATION
The translation client may provide a feedback about the
translation (any comments or changes that need to be
applied).
This feedback will be valuable for the translator and the
client.
The translator will use it to introduce the necessary
changes in the current and next translations, which will
increase the client’s level of satisfaction and decrease the
turnaround time with every successive projects.

30. APPOINT A DESIGNATED PERSON
The translation client should designate a person in the company who will handle
questions from the translator.
Answers to such questions are critical to the successful delivery of a quality
translation for the target audience.
Olha Bodnar

31. No one reads and examines the original text more
attentively than the translator.
During the translation process, such translator may identify
the parts in a text that need clarification, spot sentences
that have a double meaning, notice typos and suggest any
other improvements that can be made to the text.
This is another reason for the translation client to have a
designated person who would handle questions from the
translator.
In addition, such remarks will allow the client to improve
the original.
Olha Bodnar

32. BENEFITS OF HAVING
DESIGNATED PERSON
IN YOUR COMPANY Quality
translation
Improved
original
Successful
delivery
Olha Bodnar

33. Olha Bodnar
Speak the language of your client!
Before
During
After

34. THE FINAL STAGE OF THE TRANSLATION PROCESS INCLUDES:
Translator • Glossary or TM
Client • Payment

35. GLOSSARY
Having received the translation, the
translation client can ask the translator to
provide a glossary for the project or
Translation Memory (if translation software
was used).

36. PAYMENT
The translation client should check the terms
and conditions of payment.
Please ask what forms of payment the
translator accepts.
As a rule, the translation client should pay the
translator after receiving the final version of the
translation.
However, some translators may ask for upfront
payment.
Other translators may offer the option to pay in
installments.

37. “TAKE THE FIRST STEP, AND THE ROAD WILL APPEAR BY ITSELF.”

38. HELPING BUSINESSES REACH
UKRAINIAN AND RUSSIAN
TARGET GROUPS
Olha Bodnar
English into Russian and Ukrainian Native Freelance Translator
+1(437)580-4427
olga.bodnar@bodnars.me
olga-bodnar.branded.me
www.linkedin.com/in/uatranslator

39. YOU DO YOUR PART. I DO MINE. TOGETHER
WE ACHIEVE RESULTS!
Interested to know more about How to Buy Translation?
Watch my Translation Client Guidance on YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDqbC0ZIHOUUn7UOD341F2Q
I differentiate myself as being the translator with 'two
centimeters wide and two meters deep‘ focus on your
company.
Let's go the extra mile together!
Olha Bodnar