METM26 presentation

Articulating expertise to clients: the language professional’s voice

Ruth Simpson, Chablis, France; Mailys Cardonne, Angoulême, France

Translators and editors are experts in voice. We spend our days interpreting our clients’ intentions, recreating their message or tone of voice in our translations and ensuring that what they say comes out clearly and effectively when we edit. But when it comes to our own voice in client relationships, things can be less straightforward. Most of us have experienced moments of uncertainty: an unclear brief, a rushed deadline, a phrasing choice that doesn’t quite sit right. We weigh things up, choose our battles and decide how (or whether) to speak up.

It can be tempting to stay silent and accept unclear briefs, unrealistic deadlines, low prices or awkward wording because it’s what “the client prefers”, especially in the current climate. When our voice goes unheard, quality suffers and our confidence can take a knock. Yet speaking up does not mean creating conflict. It means guiding clients with clarity, tact and authority.

As two marketing translators working with French and English, but in opposite directions, we will share real examples of when using our voices improved a project, strengthened trust and led to better long-term collaborations. We will look at practical, transferable ways to:

• explain linguistic choices to sensitive, stubborn or uncertain clients
• push back professionally on briefs, deadlines or wording
• set clear boundaries while maintaining trust
• highlight the value of natural, expert, human writing
• explain how cultural context can shape linguistic choices and how to communicate this clearly to clients

This session is aimed at translators and editors who want to build stronger client relationships while safeguarding quality and growing their business. Attendees will leave with clear, realistic ways to ensure their voice is heard, so that their clients’ voices can be heard more clearly too.

About the presenters

	Ruth Simpson lives in Chablis, France, and has been translating professionally since 2008 in the fields of wine and spirits, beauty and personal development. Alongside her translation work, she has developed Wine Words, a specialist English-language training school for wine professionals. Ruth also plays the ukulele and has conducted the METM choir since 2017.
	Mailys Cardonne lives in Angoulême, France, and is a digital marketing translator working from English into French, helping brands communicate clearly and effectively with French-speaking audiences. Passionate about languages and cultures from a young age, she founded her translation company, SyliamTrad, at the end of her studies.