Yellow Pages listing - France Thread poster: Conor McAuley
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I am a freelance French-English freelance translator based in France (Burgundy) and have taken out a basic listing in the French Yellow Pages, which will appear in December.
My question is this: I am hoping for a good response from this listing, I expect at least a good flow of general work (CV, birth certs, etc) as a result of the listing, is this justified?
Should I expect a huge amount of work to be generated by the ad?
I would obviously like to get opin... See more I am a freelance French-English freelance translator based in France (Burgundy) and have taken out a basic listing in the French Yellow Pages, which will appear in December.
My question is this: I am hoping for a good response from this listing, I expect at least a good flow of general work (CV, birth certs, etc) as a result of the listing, is this justified?
Should I expect a huge amount of work to be generated by the ad?
I would obviously like to get opinions on this issue from freelancers based in France, but also elsewhere.
Thanks. ▲ Collapse
| | | | | My opinion... | Nov 4, 2004 |
Hi Conor,
I also took out a basic Yellow Pages ad at the same time as joining the SFT (Société Française des Traducteurs).
If I remember rightly, the cost was comparable in both cases. Since then (which has been about 6 months), I've had far more business generated via the SFT listing than the Yellow Pages. The work I've had from the former has actually more than paid back the cost of subscription. With the Yellow Pages, I've only had one call for translation work (b... See more Hi Conor,
I also took out a basic Yellow Pages ad at the same time as joining the SFT (Société Française des Traducteurs).
If I remember rightly, the cost was comparable in both cases. Since then (which has been about 6 months), I've had far more business generated via the SFT listing than the Yellow Pages. The work I've had from the former has actually more than paid back the cost of subscription. With the Yellow Pages, I've only had one call for translation work (but plenty of non-related calls trying to flog me various products or services, if you see what I mean).
When subscription time comes along next year, I will not renew the Yellow Pages ad. Having said that, you might have better luck!
Kind regards,
Simon ▲ Collapse
| | | | Conor McAuley 
France
Local time: 17:12
French to English
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER | Just an extra | Nov 4, 2004 |
Thanks Tayfun. The Yellow Pages is an extra really, I have a handful of regular clients and have achieved my targets this year, however I like to move forward all the time. Marketing is one of the most interesting aspects of being a freelancer for me - figuring out what works, what doesn't.
My "hit rate" for client prospection must be about 20% to 30%, so I must be doing something right!
It just feels a bit weird doing 90% of my business outside the local area.
<... See more Thanks Tayfun. The Yellow Pages is an extra really, I have a handful of regular clients and have achieved my targets this year, however I like to move forward all the time. Marketing is one of the most interesting aspects of being a freelancer for me - figuring out what works, what doesn't.
My "hit rate" for client prospection must be about 20% to 30%, so I must be doing something right!
It just feels a bit weird doing 90% of my business outside the local area.
Also Yellow Pages = local contacts = potential interpretation work = goldmine! ▲ Collapse
| | | | | I haven't had many bites so far... | Nov 4, 2004 |
...since being listed in the Yellow Pages here. I get the occasional phonecall asking if I can translate a birth certificate from Portuguese to French (perhaps because of my last name???) but not much else.
Like you, I am maxed out in terms of work, but always looking for new/more interesting projets and thought the old pages jaunes would be one way to do it, but it hasn't panned out so far.
By the way, you really must tell me your secret for getting such a high rate of... See more ...since being listed in the Yellow Pages here. I get the occasional phonecall asking if I can translate a birth certificate from Portuguese to French (perhaps because of my last name???) but not much else.
Like you, I am maxed out in terms of work, but always looking for new/more interesting projets and thought the old pages jaunes would be one way to do it, but it hasn't panned out so far.
By the way, you really must tell me your secret for getting such a high rate of return on your prospecting efforts!! You must have the magic touch!
A local business person I trust once told me that the kind of customers who look in the yellow pages are the kind who need a one-off job, not repeat customers. I don't know if there is any truth to that, but I just thought I'd pass it on while we are on the topic!
Keep us posted on whether it works for you or not!
Regards,
Sara
PS: I should also mention that I just have a regular listing in the yellow pages, not a paid ad.
[Edited at 2004-11-04 15:16] ▲ Collapse
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Conor McAuley
France
Local time: 17:12
French to English
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TOPIC STARTER | Reply to Sarah | Nov 4, 2004 |
Re my conversion rate: Irish luck! More seriously though, just being nice to people and making a human contact as well as a business contact.
Plus my image - perhaps incorrectly? - of other freelancers is that they are Arts graduates who don't necessarily have "business brains": I run introductory special offers to get myself noticed in the crowd.
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