Posted on

Useful links from the BWN Wrap Up

As promised, below please find a list of all the URLs mentioned during the Buddies Welcome Newbies Wrap Up presentation on Saturday, October 26, by Emily Safrin and Daniela Guanipa.

Thank you to all of you who attended the presentation.  We hope our paths cross again in the future… perhaps as Buddies next year? 🙂

Helen’s rate rationale

https://www.gauchatranslations.com/business-and-ethics/business-practices/

Marketing platform: MailChimp

https://mailchimp.com/

Business card reader

https://www.abbyybcr.com/en/

Mentoring program page

www.atanet.org/careers/mentoring.php

The Mentor’s Bounty: How Mentoring Enriches both Mentor and Mentee

https://atasavvynewcomer.org/2019/01/15/mentor-bounty-how-mentoring-enriches-both-mentor-mentee/

Ed Gandia’s Warm Email Technique

The Biggest Problem You’ll Face When Crafting ‘Warm Emails’ for Prospects — And What to Do About It | High-Income Business Writing

https://b2blauncher.com/crafting-warm-emails-for-prospects/

#149: How to Start Prospecting for Clients When You’re New | High-Income Business Writing

https://b2blauncher.com/episode149/

Posted on

3 Case-Studies of Good Bios that Create Results

This post was originally published on Storied. It is reposted with permission from the author.

Some people want to tell their story because they have a message they’re passionate about sharing and spreading. Others want to tell a story that makes them stand out and makes them memorable so they can land better job and business opportunities. Whatever your reason is, by now you understand the importance of identifying your story and telling it right.

Below, I’ve included excerpts of bios from three graduates of The New About Me to illustrate some of the concepts from my last 3 posts.

Shout outs to Mark Jones, Erin Donley, and Deb Sturgess for sharing their journey with us.

1. Positioning Yourself

It’s easy to lead in your bio with buzzwords that sound good but don’t really mean anything (come on, you know you do this). We list a bunch of functions and fancy words but they’re devoid of (1) meaning, (2) context, or (3) real relevance. Notice in the two examples below, how a transformation takes place.

In both cases, the shift better answers the question, “who you are, what you do, and who you serve.” Of course, determining your niche positioning is one of the hardest exercises for any entrepreneur to figure it out. Especially without resorting back to so many buzzwords that your message is lost in translation.

MARK JONES

Before
I am a trusted advisor to executives, boards and line managers. During my career I have assisted hundreds of subject matter experts capture, package and share their Thought Leadership.

After
My name is Mark Jones and I am an architect of change. I stand alongside the board and executive of a company and assist as they chart their way forward. It’s scary heading into the unknown, into the often unchartered waters of change. I know how that feels. As an independent advisor, I see clients challenged by complexity as they struggle to develop and execute relevant strategy effectively. My contribution to their enquiry is the union of my experience as a chartered accountant with a deep interest in leadership behaviour and how it impacts results.

ERIN DONLEY

Before
Hi, I’m Erin Donley, writer, speaker, marketing consultant, and the founder of Marketing Your Truth in Portland, Oregon.

After
Hi, I’m Erin Donley, business communications consultant in Portland, Oregon. I help entrepreneurs discover potent and original ways to speak about themselves and their work…so they can stand out, make more money, and gain a following of both quality and quantity.

2. Back Story

You probably take for granted “what you know” and how you learned it. Unless it’s your mom, your audience doesn’t have the same benefit. Your back story provides a narrative rationale for your knowledge, expertise, and personality.

While the excepts below don’t do justice to the context, they’re actually inspiring manner to explain the unique skills and approach of each person. While the idea of a back story is simple, it’s critical to choose the right symbolic examples that offer relevance to your current professional story. And don’t be afraid to show some personality.

DEB STURGESS

Before
Deb’s career traces a path through radio news, magazine reporting, news editing, promotional copywriting, technical writing, public speaking, training, and teaching. Transferable skills mean surviving through change and remaining employable, as Deb has learned from experience. She “jumped off the cliff” in February 2010 and landed exactly where she planned.

After
I’ve been coaching since 1st Grade, when I crafted a one-page story about a fish, then whispered writing advice to a classmate. My teacher, Mrs. Frampton, enjoyed my story, but still took away my recess because I talked in class. Since then, my passion for ideas and expression has propelled me through over 20 years as an educator of students ages 12 to 86, inspired me to write the script and lyrics for a musical, Mary’s Song, brought me small-town fame as a country music DJ, and helped me persuade a Secret Service agent and more than one gangsta’ to see things my way.

ERIN DONLEY

Before
Over the years I’ve become a researcher of the Language of Transformation.

After
As a kid, I was captivated by the hidden life of Joan Crawford in the movie, Mommie Dearest. My favorite TV show was Divorce Court. I refused to go to school if my horoscope wasn’t favorable, spent hours reading tombstones at cemeteries, and I knew every Barry Manilow song by heart. By age 10, a child therapist labeled me, “addicted to drama.”

3. Humanize Yourself

Thanks to our social media culture, it’s expected that you get more personal. It also helps for this revolutionary concept called “human connection”. Sounds like common sense, right? Be more human. Yet, for many of us, especially if you’re a Gen X or Baby Boomer, you were taught it’s not polite to talk about yourself (i.e. leave the personal stuff out of the office).

The world has changed, and now the personal is professional. Even if you’re audience doesn’t “geek-out” on the same topics you do, the fact that you share some of this will make you more approachable and relatable. They key is to choose the right details that are unique to you and you want to be remembered for.

 

DEB STURGESS

Before
None.

After
I’m determined to figure out how to distribute virtual tambourines to my online classes, so I can direct musical numbers to reinforce learning. I’ve been a Mac devotee since 1984. On my iPhone and iPad 2, my favorite apps are Pulp, Scrabble and I am a Dalek. I’m a compulsive book buyer who appreciates both the feel of hardbacks and the fact I don’t have to dust the books on my Kindle. I support Pluto as a planet, chocolate as a food group, and Househunters International as educational television.

MARK JONES

Before
None.

After
About 5 years ago, we moved to Sydney from Amsterdam after 20 years abroad; the surf here being infinitely better. I remain fit by following the guidance of my personal trainer [Simba my dog] and enjoy cooking the delights of Thai and Dutch cuisine.

Pretty fantastic, right?

And these are just excerpts from their longer bios. There are extensive case-studies (before/after bios) featured in “The New About Me” course.

Hungry for more storytelling tips? Try The Red Pill, my free 5-day email course that helps you get your story straight.

 

Posted on

Working the Exhibit Hall

Over the years, I have come to realize that new conference attendees may perceive the Exhibit Hall as a vast, unknown territory. People often don’t know what to make of it. Is it the conference watering hole—a place to fill up on water, coffee and tea? A farmers’ market made up of T&I merchants selling their ingenious products and wares? Endless rows of booths from T&I companies and agencies looking for new talent? Oh—wait—and there is an area where you can meet and sit down with experts from CAT tool companies who can answer your technical questions and help you with that CAT-tool conundrum you’ve been suffering over … It’s true, I’m not making this up.

Let’s call it the Diagon Alley of the T&I industry, only missing a few elves walking around (hm… no, I’m pretty sure I’ve seen those too). For the sake of readers who may not be Harry Potter enthusiasts, the Exhibit Hall is the place to be to get the scoop on the latest technologies available to T&I professionals, trends, books, products, and, of course, to meet agency representatives, and even schools offering T&I courses.

But how to peruse the Exhibit Hall? Switching from being a potential customer at a CAT-tool booth, to being informally interviewed by an agency representative in the next booth can be a bit nerve-racking. Having a plan is the key.

In my early years as a conference attendee, I developed a “system” to go through the Exhibit Hall in a calm, organized manner that allows me to make the most of my time there.

The night I arrive, I take the finalized conference program (the actual paper copy) and study the floor plan to see which companies are in the Exhibit Hall. Then, I make note of the booths I’m interested in visiting by circling them and organizing them into two categories: products I’m interested in buying (CAT tools, books, equipment), and people I want to meet (whether it is a company I already work for but have never met any representative for in person, an agency I’m interested in contacting, or a T&I program/certificate I’m considering taking).

Based on the number of circles I have in each category, I choose two timeslots on two different days to skip a session (gasp!) and visit the Exhibit Hall. This might seem sacrilegious at first, but you will soon realize that during coffee breaks and lunch, the Exhibit Hall resembles a trading post, and it will be quite a feat to get any quality time at the booths. By visiting the Exhibit Hall when most conference attendees are in sessions, you will maximize your chances to have quiet, productive conversations with the folks you’re interested in meeting. Get a glimpse of what the Exhibit Hall will look like by checking out this year’s exhibitors.

I allocate between one hour and 45 minutes on two different days to visit the Exhibit Hall, and voilà—I’m done! A word of caution: some booths close early on Saturday, as it is the final day of the conference, so be sure to find your timeslot early if you are a Saturday-only attendee or are otherwise planning to visit the Exhibit Hall on Saturday.

Another tip for the Exhibit Hall is to keep your business cards handy, but not so handy that it looks like you’re at a Pokémon-card exchange. And you will be wise not to hand out your résumé as though it were a “lost dog” poster. These days, many companies are not interested in hauling reams of résumés back to the office after the conference. Instead, they may give you a link to a page where you can register and upload your résumé or ask for your business card and exchange contact information, while yet others may, indeed, ask for a résumé. But don’t assume everybody wants a paper copy of your résumé.

One of my favorite areas in the Exhibit Hall is the Tool Support Stations. This relatively new feature of the Exhibit Hall—introduced only a few years ago—is a cool way to meet with tech-support people from different CAT tools to get questions answered and issues resolved. This is a hands-on meeting, so be sure to bring your laptop to show them whatever it is that is troubling you.

The Exhibit Hall is a very dynamic area, and as such, it’s always changing. Every year I look forward to seeing what’s new, meeting new people, and greeting long-time friends.

Posted on

Ordering Business Cards

One of the main items you will want to have on hand at the upcoming ATA conference in Washington D.C. is business cards. These can be as complex or as simple as you’d like, but they are important to have! A business card is your calling card; this is how you will be sure to connect with the people you meet after the conference is over.

A business card should contain the following information: your first and last name, email address, phone number, and job title. If you want, you can also include other information, such as your location or address, your website URL, any certifications you may have, your business name, your professional photograph, or your logo. If you don’t have a job title yet, or you’re a student, or you’re just getting started and aren’t sure what to write, you can write your language pair(s) and your current job or status – e.g. “Graduate Student in Translation – English>Japanese”. There’s no rule that you have to keep these cards forever, and since they’re a relatively low investment you can always make new ones later.

The card does not need to be too fancy – in fact, we suggest that you be sure to leave some blank space on the card so that people can make a note in pen after they’ve met you in order to give themselves a reminder of who you are. For example, if they met you at the Brainstorm Networking event and connected with you over a scenario you discussed regarding medical interpreter ethics, they may jot down, “Brainstorm Netw. – medical interpreter ethics. Interesting perspective.”

Your cards can be uniquely designed by you or a designer, or you can use a template found at one of the many business card designing sites online. Two we’ve used in the past include Vistaprint and Moo. If you want people to be able to write on your card, be sure to make the side with blank space matte and not glossy finish. It shouldn’t take too long for these cards to be delivered to you, but be sure to order them early just in case there is a problem!

Below are some examples of freelancer business cards:

  

While we’re on the topic of business cards, here are a few examples of situations in which you might want to swap business cards with someone:

  • You had a nice chat with a fellow attendee sitting next to you before a session started. You’d like to follow up with them later and thank them for making you feel welcome.
  • At breakfast you met an agency representative who is looking for freelancers in your language pair, and they said the best way to get in touch with them is to share your business card and they will follow up with you after the conference.
  • You ran into someone on the elevator that works in the same lesser-diffused language as you do, and you’d like to be able to connect with them for future collaboration later on.
  • You talked to a speaker after one of their sessions and they promised to send you their PowerPoint slides so you can enjoy the resources they recommended after the conference is over, and they asked how they should get in touch with you.

Don’t forget that it’s never too early to start planning for the conference! Comment below if you have questions or additional thoughts about creating business cards, or if there are any topics you’d like to see covered on this blog. We’re looking forward to getting to know you!