Coworkers You Have Never Met: 3 Tips on Developing Trust in the Translation Industry

In the translation industry, and I imagine in many others, we often work closely with people we have never really met. Sure, we know their name and where they live, what language they speak and in what specializations they excel. Sometimes we know that they are married, have kids and that they are getting ready to go on vacation. And maybe, just maybe, we may find out about more intimate things: that they practice yoga in the morning, that they don’t drink coffee and that they are actually much older than we imagined.

But we don’t really KNOW them. We don’t know things about them that we do know about our regular coworkers. We have no idea what their voice sounds like when they are happy or angry, or what makes them laugh. We can only imagine how much emotion is reflected in their face and if they make gestures when they speak.

It is said that 60% of all communication is non-verbal. And yet, we are limited not only to just verbal communication but, to make matters worst, nearly ALL of our communication is written. The fact that for at least one side of the equation English is usually not the native language only adds insult to injury.

So imagine how easy it is to get worked up over a string of a few seemingly insensitive words someone has said in an email while working remotely from the comfort, but also the isolation, of your home. How simple it would be to try to joke only to find out the joke was not understood, or was interpreted altogether. Or think of how laborious it may be to discuss difficult topics such as compensation or confidentiality agreements when they need to be discussed: right at the start of a relationship when we have had zero chance to get to know one another. And how very painful it would be to deal with something neither of the parties imagined they would ever want to face: a serious complaint or conflict resolution.

1. Make information about yourself readily available: if you are a company, post information about the business, complete with physical address and pictures of your location, if possible. Share information about what you do, how you do it and why. Make it easy for others to verify not only your existence but also your reputation. If you are a freelancer, do the same for your customer. We all understand that nowadays there are shady characters roaming the web who are after your identity and even your credentials. But once you have verified you are communicating with an actual customer, see what you can do to let them into your world. Share your profile, including your picture, let them have access to your references and information on your past projects. Wherever an actual handshake or look into one’s eyes is not possible, information is power. Make sure there is plenty to go around.
2. Make it visual: You may not physically come to work to your client’s location but you can certainly ask for a face-to-face meeting using a service like Skype, Go To Meeting, or Zoom. There are many options out there and plenty of them are free. Your client will gladly take 5 minutes to actually have a “visual” of you, and have a face to go with your name.
3. Keep communication honest and open: Always be honest when communicating with one another. If you put too much on your plate and will have trouble completing the assignment, tell your client immediately. If you, as a client, need to “move the goal post” on your freelancer and change the project’s parameters, let them know, including why, and explain the situation in as much detail as possible. As a freelancer, do not embellish your experience and skill, it is a shortsigheted strategy that others will see right through. As a client, be honest about what you really need. Do not promise to keep your translator for a year while all you have at the moment is a one page document.

As a final thought, keep your communication, and especially any requests, proportionate to the “size” of the context. We recently contacted a freelancer with less than two pages of text that we needed back, urgently. He promised to take on the assignment but then started performing his “due diligence” – or verification of our existence – and the feasibility of a business partnership with us. The usual online resources and our ProZ Blue Board record were not enough. When this got to the point of him requesting we mail him a copy of our business incorporation documents via registered mail (and the translation was yet to be touched) we went shopping elsewhere.

Trust is a finicky thing under the best of circumstances. It cannot be rushed and once it is lost it may never be restored. Take your time and proceed with caution: it is all worth it in the end.