| Pages in topic: [1 2] > | Poll: Do you reply to mass emails from outsourcers? Thread poster: ProZ.com Staff
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| | Julian Holmes 
Japan
Local time: 21:49
Member (2011)
Japanese to English
| Should have added the option | Aug 19, 2016 |
"Straight to Trash"
Especially, the ones beginning "Hi, translator".
Geez!
[Edited at 2016-08-20 02:11 GMT]
| | | | Ana Vozone
Local time: 13:49
Member (2010)
English to Portuguese
+ ...
I used to reply sometimes, but now I simply don't.
Mass emails are getting less and less "polite" each day, and now usually include things like "You will translate..." and "Your rate will be ..." (usually ridiculous rates)...
Why bother, really?
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Thayenga
Germany
Local time: 14:49
Member (2009)
English to German
+ ...
Since they usually are sent to undisclosed recipients - which is not my name -, they are obvioulsy not for me. So...
| | | | Susanna Martoni
Italy
Local time: 14:49
Member (2009)
Spanish to Italian
+ ...
Julian Holmes wrote:
"Straight to Trash"
Especially, the ones beginning "Hi, translator".
Geez!
Sounds perfects.
Mee too!
| | | | Mario Chavez (X)
Local time: 08:49
English to Spanish
+ ...
| It should be against Proz rules… | Aug 19, 2016 |
…to mass mail Proz members. Even established companies have gotten into the practice.
It's tragicomic when a mass mailing starts with Dear translator and continues down like We have found your CV on our database/a job board/a directory, etc.
I mean, if you found my CV anywhere, you should have a modicum of good manners and address me by name.
Rush jobs, poor time management skills, limited knowledge of business writing and being busy are nev... See more …to mass mail Proz members. Even established companies have gotten into the practice.
It's tragicomic when a mass mailing starts with Dear translator and continues down like We have found your CV on our database/a job board/a directory, etc.
I mean, if you found my CV anywhere, you should have a modicum of good manners and address me by name.
Rush jobs, poor time management skills, limited knowledge of business writing and being busy are never excuses for bad manners. Like Julian, I send the offending emails to the trash to be permanently deleted.
And Proz should have a rule or policy against anyone (not just outsourcers) who mass mails other Proz.com members. It's rude, it's unprofessional and it's an abuse of Proz.com's resources. ▲ Collapse
| | | | Luiz Barucke
Brazil
Local time: 09:49
Spanish to Portuguese
+ ...
| As any other answer... it depends | Aug 19, 2016 |
There are different kinds of mass emails. Most of them have a guaranteed place in my trash.
But I may reply to some others - specially those sent from PMs who work for a translation company I provide services - if a) I'm interested in the job offered; b) I'm not interested/not available, but I work often for/with their senders (PMs or companies) so I'd like to say them hello and inform them when I'll be available again.
No matter what you ask to a translator... the answ... See more There are different kinds of mass emails. Most of them have a guaranteed place in my trash.
But I may reply to some others - specially those sent from PMs who work for a translation company I provide services - if a) I'm interested in the job offered; b) I'm not interested/not available, but I work often for/with their senders (PMs or companies) so I'd like to say them hello and inform them when I'll be available again.
No matter what you ask to a translator... the answer is always "It depends." So this is not categorical. But sometimes, answering a mass email is a way to difference yourself from the mass.
And I work on many (daily) jobs started with an impersonal mass email, specially from translation companies I have a profile and work regularly with. So I don't feel bad with them at all.
[Editada em 2016-08-19 10:44 GMT] ▲ Collapse
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| Yes, sometimes | Aug 19, 2016 |
Objectively, mass e-mails are a convenient way for outsourcers to reach many potential suppliers at once for a hot project.
Especially now with the shortage in my pair due to the summer holiday.
Like the majority, I also used to simply discard mass e-mails. But then, replying to cold e-mails - whether personalised or in bulk - is my only marketing activity besides maintaining my online presence. This is why I have a pile of templates for various requests, which I happily recyc... See more Objectively, mass e-mails are a convenient way for outsourcers to reach many potential suppliers at once for a hot project.
Especially now with the shortage in my pair due to the summer holiday.
Like the majority, I also used to simply discard mass e-mails. But then, replying to cold e-mails - whether personalised or in bulk - is my only marketing activity besides maintaining my online presence. This is why I have a pile of templates for various requests, which I happily recycle to save as much time as my mass-mailing counterpart.
However, there are some objective and subjective criteria to meet to raise my interest at first sight, such as:
Have they displayed my profile (word rate shown) or simply ticked entries in the Directory (Profile>Visitors tab)? Have several users from the same agency displayed my profile?
Is the project alive and ready to dispatch?
How good is their BB?
What's their reputation (stock-listed international word factories need not apply)?
Where are they based?
Do they require upfront references, volume discounts, blood samples, CIA clearance forms, etc.?
and much more.
Sometimes, I even find out to whom the project was granted just by monitoring the Kudoz questions. It can reveal a lot about the kind of translator the outsourcer is seeking, and I update my prospect record accordingly "for future reference".
Does it lead to one-off or returning customers? Less and less. My success rate is obviously far lower than with outsourcers contacting me by name, which is already very low.
Why do I do it then? Well, nothing ventured, nothing gained.
Philippe ▲ Collapse
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[Edited at 2016-08-19 12:03 GMT]
| | | | | Post removed: This post was hidden by a moderator or staff member for the following reason: Requested by user. |
Thayenga wrote: Since they usually are sent to undisclosed recipients - which is not my name -, they are obvioulsy not for me. So...
"Like".
Philippe Etienne wrote:
Sometimes, I even find out to whom the project was granted just by monitoring the Kudoz questions. It can reveal a lot about the kind of translator the outsourcer is seeking, and I update my prospect record accordingly "for future reference".
"Like"
[Edited at 2016-08-19 12:02 GMT]
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Jack Doughty
United Kingdom
Local time: 13:49
Russian to English
+ ...
In memoriam
What is the difference between the options "It depends" and "Yes, sometimes"?
| | | | | Yes, sometimes = It depends :-) | Aug 19, 2016 |
It depends if I know the sender. I know only one PM who is on my list, who works like this and I had 2 small assignments from him. No problem, it's just the way they work with their database.
| | | | Ilan Rubin (X)
Russian Federation
Local time: 15:49
Russian to English
I added to my profile a few weeks ago that I don't respond to queries not personally addressed to me. But it doesn't make much difference. I guess I got one to two queries like that per week and nothing has changed since.
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