Why You Should Never Offer a "Free Quote" On Your Website (Or Elsewhere)
Whether you're a seasoned professional translator or a newbie who's just getting your feet wet, your website should be the place where clients go to find out more about your services and to find out how they can work with you. Not only that, but it should make them want to work with you. There are a lot of ways to convince a client to reach out for an inquiry about your services. But one way that I recommend you never utilize on your website (or anywhere else for that matter) is by mentioning a "free quote". Some people use mentions of free quotes as a button to click, or a tab at the top of the web page in the navigation bar, or on a form that clients can fill out and submit. Wait a minute. Doesn't everyone do that these days? Well, not everyone. But a very large number of people do. Want to know a little secret? I did the same thing! Then why in the world am I suggesting you not do this?
Here are my top five reasons to never mention requests for a free quote on your website (or elsewhere).
1. When you offer a free quote, you are bringing attention to pricing. Front and center. You are inevitably going to attract price shoppers. Are they your ideal clients? Do you want to be discussing pricing over quality? I'm guessing you don't. Then remove the "free quote" bit as a way to draw people in. You do not want to devalue anything that you do, so avoid the word "free" all together.
If you choose to remove mentions of free quotes from your website, I am willing to bet that you will start attracting fewer price shoppers and more serious clients. Give it a try! Remember, everything in business is an experiment.
2. You are stating the obvious. Of course the quotes you send clients are probably free. I say this because I don't know of any translators who charge for to provide quotes to clients. So, they're likely expected to be free anyway. When you change the verbiage on your site from offering a "free quote" to something like "contact us", "contact me", "send John an email", "request a consultation" or something like that, you remove any thought you might have instilled with the word "free". Price shoppers will be less likely to contact you, and you will be more likely to receive requests with serious inquiries.
3. By avoiding any mentions of free quotes, you allow site visitors to focus on what's more important than the price: the value you bring to them and to their business or organization. When you focus on defining your value proposition for your ideal client and making that as clear as possible, people will want to work with you. The quote itself will be merely a formality.
4. You get to choose the direction the conversation goes. When you avoid discussing free quotes on your website, you also attract fewer of those "I need this yesterday!" clients. If your site gives off more of a "let's have a conversation" vibe, those pesky clients who want something done for nothing, or who have an unreasonable timeline, will look elsewhere. Who wants to work with clients like that anyway?
If you plan to work with direct clients, you should be setting most of the parameters. When do you have an opening to work on a new project? How long will it take? What will it cost the client? You are not an order taker. So, have a real conversation with your client and talk pricing last, after you've had a chance to "wow" them.
5. By not leading people to ask for a price right off the bat, you allow yourself to customize your service sales. While you may charge the same price to all of your technical English to German translation clients, you have the opportunity to actually price your work based on the value you bring to the table. This means that you do not have to set prices from price sheets you have on file. Instead, you can factor in the value you bring to each project as part of the background information you need in order to provide the quote in the first place. The "value factor" should be considered just as much as other factors you consider when providing a quote (number of words or hours a project will take, technicality of the language used, delivery time, etc.). If this is a concept that interests you, then check out Blair Enns' YouTube video on the differences between customized and productized services and how they impact your business approach, pricing and profit margins.
Now, remember that I told you that we found we were sending the wrong message by including the "free quote" verbiage on my business' website? Well, in the process of pivoting that message, we also came up with some great ways to deal with price shoppers when they do contact us. I've turned those ways to deal into a list of tips.
Tips for dealing with price shoppers when you prefer to market your services based on value.
○ When a lead starts off the conversation asking about the cost, say, "Is price the only factor in your decision to hire a professional?" Then pause. Allow the person to respond, and if it seems that price is their deal breaker, you can choose to take them on as a client or direct them somewhere else accordingly.
○ If you direct them somewhere else, warn them that you cannot vouch for the quality of the service they will receive. Sometimes they will see that you were right and will come back to you.
○ Let them know that you're not the only one promoting high quality over cheap translations. Here is a great article to share with those clients who are clearly making decisions based on price, written by my late dear friend and colleague, Stephanie Tramdack Cash: "The High Cost of Cheap Translation".
○ Let them know that you already have paying clients who you work with at your current prices who see the value in the quality of your work. This shows them that others are willing to pay for your services and it lets them know you don't depend on their job or project for your survival. You are a professional. Portray yourself as one. Don't back down on your prices just because someone says you're too expensive for their budget. That's actually a good thing, as it tells you that this person or business is not your ideal client.
○ Lastly, explain to him or her the processes you have in place to produce a professional and valuable translation. Some clients price shop because they are simply unaware of what it takes to be a professional translator and what systems and workflows, training and education are needed to perform a professional job. Take a moment to educate these people and move on with your day.
While educating clients on hiring professionals for their translation and interpreting needs can be frustrating at times, there are ways to attract your ideal clients and avoid those who are less than ideal. Adjusting your messaging on your website, and any other marketing materials or profiles you have, is a great place to start.
