20 lessons learned in 20 years of business
As EVS Translations UK approaches the celebration of its 20th anniversary in February, its founder and CEO, Edward Vick, has been joining us on the blog each week to speak about the business and life lessons learned from the UK chapter of his international business. This week, we focus on the UK team itself. Kristy from our sales & marketing team takes some time out to talk about her experiences.
I was brand new to the translation industry when I started working for EVS Translations. I saw the job advert and thought it sounded interesting, but wasn’t sure I would be considered because I had no experience in this industry.
I have always worked in sales and customer service – I’ve sold everything from lingerie for a well-known fashion brand to double glazing!
Working in account management is a mix of both – and it shouldn’t be a hard sell at the customer. You have to listen to find out what they need, expect and want, then match that to what we can deliver ensuring you manage their expectations along the way. Customers don’t want a cheesy salesperson, they want to know you listen and can help and support them every step of the way. They are inevitably under the pressure of a project, one part of which is the translation process.
Me in translation
I was not prepared for how much time and effort goes in to each translation. I honestly thought it would just be people typing out translations on a computer when I started here. The systems that we use, the things we can recreate and the technology at our disposal was an eye-opening experience for me.
As I’ve gained more experience and been able to recognise the types of companies that would need translations, I’ve been able to become more consultative in my approach and find the solutions that my clients really need. Every day is different. One day I could be organising a website translation, the next I could be putting together a team of translators for a sporting event.
This is certainly the most interesting job I have had!
Lesson learned: My sales skills can be applied to any product or service, but to really add value for my translation clients took a little more time. With the help and support of my colleagues, I’ve learned so much about the translation industry and can offer carefully-considered solutions. So I will always continue to learn and consequently develop my client base more and more.
