Etusivu | The Translator’s Guide to the Industry | CHAPTER 8 – PREVENTING AND MANAGING DIFFICULT SITUATIONS | OFFER AND COUNTER-OFFER

OFFER AND COUNTER-OFFER

Your quote must contain at least the following: an accurate description of the content and extent of the service offered, the price (specifying VAT), delivery time, how long the quote is valid and what the payment terms are. The description of the service should indicate the type of work (translation/proofreading/interpretation, etc.), the language pair, the format in which the work will be delivered, whether the price includes any additional services, such as proofreading/editing, term work, layout check, etc. If applicable, you can include a reference to the general terms used in your industry. It is important to spell out all standard policies as well, for example that the delivery date only applies if the quote is accepted by the specified date or the quote includes one free round of comments. It is also a good idea to specify the consequences of delayed delivery of the source material. If the customer does not deliver the source materials on time, you will have idle time on your hands and the customer may have to compensate for it.

 

In tenders, always read the request for tender carefully and make sure that you cover all the items mentioned in it. No matter how good your tender is, it may be rejected automatically if it does not comply with the RFT. Sometimes public tenders include terms and conditions that differ from your normal practice. Consider whether you are willing to follow the terms of the RFT – if not, don’t submit a tender.

 

Your customer can make a counteroffer to your offer – for example, to renegotiate some detail of the offer. In subcontracting, the methods vary immensely. With some agencies, prices are negotiated on a per-order basis, in which case the bidding practice is the same as with a direct customer. With others, you may have agreed on fixed prices, and the agency then offers you work with the pre-agreed price and delivery terms. In any case, both the price and the schedule can always be renegotiated, if you so wish.

 

If you don’t want to make a quote or accept an assignment, it’s best to be honest and say for example that your order book is full or say that the subject matter is not your specialty. This way, you keep the doors open for any following assignments. One way to reject a less pleasant request for a quote is to raise the price so high you don’t mind doing the job should the customer accept the price. And you can always refer the customer to your colleague – the customer will appreciate you offering a solution and remember this later. In addition, your colleague may also appreciate the job offer.

Etusivu | The Translator’s Guide to the Industry | CHAPTER 8 – PREVENTING AND MANAGING DIFFICULT SITUATIONS | OFFER AND COUNTER-OFFER