When working as a video interpreter, the best way to pull in more clients is to ensure that you constantly get good ratings from your current clients. Good ratings are a sign that you are an interpreter whose work is dependable. Many employers will prefer an interpreter with good ratings since they have already been tested by others and have been found to be true to the job. Working as a video interpreter can be a bit more challenging than working as an on location interpreter thus you will have to consistently work extra hard to ensure that you get consistently good ratings from the clients.
The first and most important way of getting good ratings is to do the job as is required. The interpretation bit of the job is the most important and thus you must ensure that you translate the message to the desired level of satisfaction. Since you will be dealing with two people who don’t understand each other, you will be the bridge connecting the two and it is your job to ensure that the communication between the two is fast, seamless and most importantly, the message that you pass must not be subject to misinterpretation at any time.
Apart from being able to communicate the message, you must understand that in any business meetings presentation accounts for a lot and you as the interpreter are a part of that meeting regardless of whether you are present or not. Dress first and foremost as you would if you were actually present at the meeting. This will not only make you fit in with the people at the meeting but will show your clients that you take your work seriously despite not actually being present. Your background and your surroundings are also an important part of presentation. It would not be right if you were an interpreter at a meeting yet the background clearly shows that you are also at the beach. A formal setting will never go wrong. A plain, white background to work with is okay. Ensure you pick a spot where nobody is likely to walk behind you. If the wall is decorated then ensure that the decoration is done in a tasteful manner and not one that calls too much attention to itself.
Keep your Internet connection strong at all times to avoid suddenly going offline. There is nothing that could be worse than the interpreter in a meeting suddenly going absent. Ensure that the equipment you are using is of top quality. Top quality equipment means top quality communication. This will mean that you will be able to hear clearly everything that is being said at the meeting and secondly you will be able to communicate the message clearly to the other parties in the meeting. Having a clear camera as opposed to a grainy one will give you a good presence in the meeting room and neither party will ever feel that he is in a room where nobody understands him.
You should leave no doubt by the end of the meeting that regardless of what the result of the meeting was, the interpreter did their job and did not fail either party.
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