Tuesday, Feb. 25  09:15-10:15

High-quality language skills are the backbone of any freelance translators business. However, our relationships with our clients have a major impact on the growth and stability of our translation business, on our satisfaction from the work we do, and even on the translations we create. Every translator encounters stressful situations with clients; the texts we handle are often very dear to them or have important financial, medical or legal significance, and therefore emotions run deep and the stakes can be high. The key to great translator-client relationships is developing strong connections characterized by mutual trust, good boundaries, and effective communication. Of course, achieving this is easier said than done. Relationships with clients are dynamic and require ongoing cultivation. In this workshop, we will explore a highly effective way to navigate translator-client interactions. We will learn and practice tools inspired by an approach called Non-Violent Communication (NVC), which demonstrates how words contribute to distance or connection and offers guidance on how to resolve tricky situations to the satisfaction of both parties involved. We’ll address situations that many translators face, such as negative feedback, miscommunication regarding expectations, and the failure of some clients to fully respect professional boundaries. By learning this valuable tool and exploring examples together, we will learn to navigate translator-client relationships more consciously and effectively.

Liron Kranzler-Feldman