In one of my previous posts, I presented 6 basic points on writing and structuring a translation services proposal letter and today I wanted to share with you a sample proposal letter that can be used by freelance translators when sending offers to translation agencies. Hope this will inspire you to rework your own copy.

“Subject line: Win and retain new life sciences clients by working with a highly specialised EN-PL translator

Dear (insert name or, if unknown, name of the company + team member, don’t use Sir/Madam),

As you know, good and efficient medical translators are hard to find, but despite this you need to meet and exceed your clients’ expectations so that they don’t turn to your competitors.

So if you have translation clients who need specialised English to Polish translation and proofreading services in the area of XYZ, I offer just what you need – translations that won’t embarrass you or your clients.

Do I meet your requirements? M.A. in Translation, a certification by a renowned translation institute and 8 years of translation experience seem to tick all the boxes. But there’s more.

Having been in the translation business since 2005, I know it inside out. Your project managers are busy. That’s why I respect their time and respond to enquiries quickly so that they can place a project and move on to the next item on their agenda.

I’m sure you’ve also heard stories about translators who “disappear” after completing a project. I don’t and am available for any follow-up questions you or your clients may have. After all, you need a complete result.

I respect the fact that you may have your preferred suppliers in my language pair, but there may be occasions when they are unavailable and I’d love to be your back-up option in such times.

So what can I do for you? Types of documents I regularly translate include:
(here goes a list of the text you mostly translate)

The benefits you can count on:
• Quicker delivery thanks to a narrow specialisation in XYZ since 2005
• Inclusive QA process utilised with XYZ software
• Thorough subject research at no extra cost
• Independent proofreading services to decrease your workload

You may wonder what my clients say about me, so please have a look at excerpts from 7 client testimonials:
(Real testimonials from real people go here)

Upon your request, I can also supply reference letters from my 5 regular customers.

If you’re worried if I delivery the quality you and your clients require, I’d be happy to send you a sample of my work or do a test translation – whatever is your preference.

End-companies who have used my services include: XYZ, ABC, etc., but, as you see, your name is not there yet. If you’d like to change this, then contact me this week at xyz@xyz.com to receive a brochure with full details about my services.

Looking forward to your reply today or tomorrow.
Best regards,
XYZ”

In part 3 of writing proposal letters, I will tell you about the innovative way of writing them. Stay tuned!

Any comments or questions? Feel free to get in touch.