翻译技术速递A Unique Selling Proposition is Key in Sales and Marketing for Language Service Providers
一个独特的销售主张是语言服务商销售和市场营销的关键
Many language service providers (LSPs) struggle to articulate their unique valuation proposition to the market. That can put them at a disadvantage in a hyper-competitive market worth an estimated USD 24.2bn, of which nearly three quarters is serviced by boutique LSPs and in-house resources.
It is essential for LSPs not only to be clear on their particular mission, but also to communicate that mission effectively, whether proactively seeking out potential clients (as in sales) or drawing them in (through marketing).
Slator’s 2020 Pro Guide on Sales and Marketing for Language Service Providers offers a roadmap for developing a comprehensive strategy, including two pillars of successful business development: Supply the marketing team with the tools it needs, and let the sales team sell, rather than dragging its members into other projects.
Like sales professionals who thrive when allowed to focus core activity of generating leads and onboarding new customers, each small- and medium-sized LSP would do well to find an angle based on a niche vertical, geography, or technology. Trying to appeal to the market by being everything to everyone is a losing strategy. That said, a degree of flexibility and creativity within a specialization (e.g. selling legal translation to a technology company, or marketing translation to an insurance company) can lead to long-lasting business relationships.
Curating a brand that speaks to an LSP’s target clientele has only become more important as social media has become more popular. Among the 42 Super Agencies and Leaders on Slator’s Language Service Provider Index, LSPs with a LinkedIn page had an average of 22,940 (mean) and 5,234 (median) LinkedIn followers; for LSPs with a Twitter handle, the averages on Twitter were 2,170 and 1,114, respectively.
Of course, a referral from a satisfied client remains the gold standard in terms of granting an LSP an instant credibility boost. A smart system of compensation for sales professionals will incentivize them to generate the right kind of leads, and to convert those leads into business — which, after all, is the bottom line for sales and marketing alike.
许多语言服务商绞尽脑汁地说明其独特的市场估值。这可能会让这些服务商在处于一个高度竞争市场的不利地位，市场估计价值242亿美元，其中近四分之三的服务都是是由优质语言服务商和内部资源提供的。
重要的是，无论语言服务商是主动寻找潜在客户（如销售）还是吸引客户（通过营销），都要清楚自己的具体任务，还要对该任务进行有效地沟通。
SLATOR发布的《2020年语言服务商销售营销专业指南》为制定全面战略提供了方向，其中包括成功发展业务的两大支柱:提供营销团队所需工具，让销售团队做销售，而不是强迫成员参与其他项目。
正如销售专业人员，他们若能够专注于创造潜在客户和新客户的核心活动，就会风生水起，那么若每个中小型语言服务商能在垂直领域找到一席之地，如地理或技术，也会发展得很好。试图以面面俱到来吸引市场是一种失败的策略。也就是说，具备一个专业化领域内的一定灵活性和创造性（例如，向技术公司出售法律翻译，或向保险公司营销翻译）能够发展持久的业务关系。
社交媒体越来越流行，策划一个能与语言服务商的目标客户沟通的品牌变得越来越重要。在Slator语言服务商指数上的42家超级机构和领跑者中，拥有领英页面的语言服务商在领英上平均拥有22940名（均值）和5234名（中位数）粉丝；有推特账号的语言服务商其推特平均粉丝数量分别为2,170人和1,114人。
当然，满意客户的推荐仍然是语言服务商即时提升信誉的黄金标准。一个智能销售专业人员薪酬体系将激励其产生正确的目标，然后将这些目标转化为业务--毕竟，这是销售和市场营销的最低标准。
以上中文文本为机器翻译，存在不同程度偏差和错误，请理解并参考英文原文阅读。
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