That was my understanding of your situation, and I’m sorry if I seemed to imply anything different, which was not my intention. It could be that I am missing something by not telephoning my clients in general, but since that has not been my practice thus far, my concern was that to call them out of the blue to ask for a rate increase would seem, as you say, crass. I think for me it would be awkward to suddenly start a phone relationship with clients I’ve been communicating with only by email, but maybe I could consider reaching out in other ways when adding new clients. But that’s another question.

An anonymous reader said:
I’ve been thinking about this some more, because I only communicate with my clients/agencies by email (is this abnormal?). So I feel like it would seem overly dramatic if I were to suddenly call a contact person with whom I have never spoken by phone. And email is a much more comfortable medium of communication for me anyway. For both of those reasons, I would be less able to negotiate confidently by phone, and so I have a hard time seeing a real advantage in that.

Helen replied:
Each relationship is different. My phone calls are not limited to the crass discussion of numbers. They are focused on developing a relationship with my clients. I don’t just call them about rates. I call them to accept a project that they emailed me about, to ask how things are going when I haven’t heard from them for a while, to let them know I’m available after I’m done with a large project, etc. Discussing the rates is really a very small part of the relationship. In the Hillsboro, Oregon, Chamber of Commerce, they say that people do business with those they know, like and trust. I try to develop all three of those aspects before we get to the rates.

An anonymous reader said:
That was my understanding of your situation, and I’m sorry if I seemed to imply anything different, which was not my intention. It could be that I am missing something by not telephoning my clients in general, but since that has not been my practice thus far, my concern was that to call them out of the blue to ask for a rate increase would seem, as you say, crass. I think for me it would be awkward to suddenly start a phone relationship with clients I’ve been communicating with only by email, but maybe I could consider reaching out in other ways when adding new clients. But that’s another question.

Helen replied:
I NEVER have a discussion of rates by email. On the phone, I can get a better idea of what the client is looking for, their rate parameters and other issues involved in setting the rate. Typically I negotiate over the phone and then send an email with the rate we agreed on over the phone.
On the phone you can respond based on tone of voice, which is not present in email, and you can respond to the client’s questions instantly.

Thanks for the advice. I like the conciliatory approach you describe here and may borrow some of your language. I just have one more question: why is it important not to initiate a discussion of rates by email?

An anonymous reader said:
I’ve been freelancing for a few years and at one point had to fight my way through a difficult non-payment issue on a large project (I did eventually get paid, but I will never work for that client again). My current dilemma is that I do a lot of work for a low-paying agency; in fact, they are my most steady supplier of work, completely reliable on payment and easy to work with – in most respects the ideal agency to work for, except for the rates. I wouldn’t want to cut them off, and I wouldn’t want to lose clout with a failed negotiation. Is there an effective and face-saving way to negotiate that without threatening to refuse work?

Daniela replied:
What an interesting question! In fact, this would be a great subject for a blog post (thanks for the idea!). Negotiating a rate increase can be a nerve-wrecking process. Here are the things I consider before creating a negotiation strategy:
1) The length of time I’ve been working with the client. If you’ve been working for them for some time, it is more likely that they will seriously consider your proposal. You might want to use the Inflation calculator to see how much you can increase your rates: . This is a good starting point and a good tool to bring to the negotiation table, because it shows your rate increase is based on facts, and it’s reasonable. Conversely, asking for a 25% increase at once is absolutely not acceptable. If that’s what you’d need to increase this particular client’s rate to match what you currently charge, then you should really consider expanding your client portfolio and eventually “phasing out” this client.
2) The volume of work I receive from them (sounds like they’re a good steady client for you). You don’t want to lose face, but you also want a rate increase. All business relationships need to be mutually beneficial. So if you bring your proposal to the client and they simply say no, you may continue to work with them, but you will never again be happy with this client and will eventually drop them. Instead, present your proposal and say you are open to negotiation, and see what they say. But be prepared: You might not get what you want, and you’ll have to make the decision of whether to continue to work with them until you find greener pastures, or let them go.
3) Do I have a good contact person within the company with whom I can discuss this? Project managers, accounting personnel, etc? Please keep in mind you should ALWAYS discuss this over the phone (or in person if you are lucky enough!), never send an email to begin with. Depending on your conversation, you can then follow up with an email where you clearly state what you discussed.
Most importantly: Keep a polite and friendly tone in all your communications with the client (about this and any subject!). No need to threat about refusing work. Don’t burn your bridges. If you can’t find a happy median, then that pretty much tells you what you need to do: Look for new clients in a quiet, subtle way, without saying anything to them. How would you feel about them telling you they’ll find new translators if you don’t continue to charge what you’re charging? 🙂
Only you know your client. I remember only one instance in my career when, after talking with my project manager, I knew there was no hope of ever getting a rate increase from this agency. She was very open and honest and said she’d present my proposal, but she knew it would be rejected. I really enjoyed their projects, and my project manager was awesome, but I knew it was time to say good-bye, and I started to actively look for new clients. Within two months I was no longer working for this particular agency, and had as much or more work from new and better-paying clients.
Good luck and do keep us posted!