Resourceful L10N Courses

Develop your vendor management skills with the help of our short courses.

Learn how vendor management fits in the industry, find out what a vendor manager does, find out how to communicate better with your suppliers or polish your negotiation skills.

These courses are packed with information, examples and resources that will transform the way you see vendor management.

Vendor Management in Context Course

Learn how vendor management fits into the language services industry, and the skills you need to be a successful vendor management team member.

Negotiation Course

Learn the different phases involved in any negotiation with suppliers, tailored to fit the translation industry.

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What everyone is talking about

What are the key skills needed for vendor management?

While browsing the Internet, I came across a list of attributes that a successful Vendor Manager should have, and I found it very interesting. Some of these skills are also important for other roles, but I find them especially important for any role within the translation vendor management field. 👋Excellent communication skills👋 Vendor Managers need to communicate with different parties: teammates, colleagues, suppliers and clients. Being the administrator of the database gives the Vendor Manager a lot of knowledge about the company’s suppliers (or what is missing), so they are the best people to answer their colleagues' questions. For example, when the sales team wants to check the number of resources the company has for certain language combinations, or when project managers can't find a suitable supplier for their job. 😀Ability to develop and maintain strong and successful working relationships😀 This is one of the main duties of the Vendor Manager. Recruiting suppliers

Negotiation tips for Freelance Translators

In the translation industry, negotiation is sometimes a daily practice; vendor managers negotiate with potential suppliers, project managers negotiate with freelance translators and clients negotiate with LSPs to get the best deal possible. I used to be the kind of person who shied away from negotiating at all costs. I felt uncomfortable and overpowered when trying to negotiate. That is why, in 2017, I attended a short negotiation course, and I realised that everyone in the room that day had the same problem as me. This course taught me some basic principles, so that I was able to build my negotiation skills at my own pace. The truth is that the more you negotiate, the better you get at it. In my opinion, preparing for a negotiation is key in order to get the best outcome. What could you do to prepare for a negotiation? Learn as much as you can about the person/company you are going to talk to. Think about the relationship you have with the other party. How mu

Seven things Vendor Managers look for in a Freelance Translator

I would like to share with you the seven main attributes a Vendor Manager wants to see when working with freelance translators, as well as the language combination and subject area. (No, "cheap rates" is not one of them!) Good time management: All clients expect their vendor to meet all project deadlines. If this is not possible, I would advise the translator to reject the task, and wait for the next offer. Missing a deadline will discourage the LSP from sending the translator additional work, but rejecting an offer won't affect their chances of getting project offers in the future. Time management and multitasking are skills that can be easily learned and adapted to your way of working. Understanding the LSP's process and hierarchy: Addressing the wrong person and replying to the wrong email thread when contacting an LSP could mean your message never reaches the intended receiver or is not understood correctly. Make sure you know who is who to ensure the quickest re

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