To those who are not regular translation clients, all the terms in the translation industry can be quite confusing. Who is the first person with whom we should communicate? An account manager, project manager or with a translator directly?

The account manager is the sales agent who, in most cases, is the first point of contact between the client and the translation company. His/her tasks include managing the company’s accounts, advising clients and informing the project manager on the client’s needs and project specifications.

The project manager is responsible for other tasks such as quoting the time it will take to translate the project or other documents needed by the client. The time will depend on several factors such as the number of steps necessary to achieve an adequate translation (e.g. translation and editing) and the format of the original document. It is also the project manager who determines the final cost of the translation project.

We could conclude that the main difference between the two is that the account manager focuses on clients’ needs while the project manager focuses on translation resources.

After completing the quote, the project manager sends it to the account manager, who in turn forwards it to the client. It is vital that communication between the two be clear and succinct.

If the client accepts the quote, it’s time to start the project! Now, the project manager is responsible for organizing the team of translators, editors and/or other specialists needed to complete the project.

The two main actors in this stage are the translator and editor. While both professionals have the same goal – to produce a quality translation – their tasks are very different. The translator is the first to work on the original text; it is his/her task is to convey the content thereof in the target language or languages ​​(those specified by the client). The editor, meanwhile, reviews the translation, focusing on the vocabulary used, grammar and style of the text.

Finally, to ensure the highest quality possible, the translated and edited text is then reviewed once again. This review is carried out by a third person who focuses on punctuation, spelling, coherence and cohesion of the text.