Shop / Prompts & Skills / Translator Pre-Quote Scope Clarifier

Before you quote the translation, clarify the scope

Quoting from a vague request leads to hidden scope and missed assumptions that surface after the price is set. A vague request — 'a PDF, French to English, sometime next week' — contains at least five decisions that change the price. Quote before they are answered and each one returns later as unpaid work or an awkward renegotiation.

Known on one side, missing on the other

• Known: the language pair (French to English), the format (PDF), the audience (museum visitors)
• Missing: the word count — or an editable source file, which decides whether the count can even be verified
• Missing: the register — visitor-facing tone is a choice the client has to make, not a default
• Missing: the exact deadline and its time zone — 'next week' is not a delivery time
• Missing: whether the PDF layout must be recreated — layout work is a different job from translation

The clarification message the sorting produces

The pre-quote clarifier returns the known-vs-missing table, the prioritised questions and, when needed, the email that asks them:

**PRE-QUOTE CLARIFICATION NEEDED.** Known: French→English, PDF, museum visitors. Missing: word count/editable source, register, exact deadline and time zone, layout requirements.

**Message:** Hello, thanks for your enquiry. To scope the French-to-English museum PDF, could you confirm the approximate word count or provide a secure way to inspect the file, whether you have an editable source, your preferred visitor-facing tone, the exact delivery date/time and time zone, and whether the PDF layout must be recreated? After reviewing the scope I can discuss a quote. — Sam

No fee or availability promised.

Sample data above is fictional, shown so you can judge the output before buying.

Read the last line: no fee or availability promised. The message asks for scope, offers a conversation about price after the answers, and nothing else. The pre-quote checklist then stands between the replies and the quote — each missing item either answered, or priced as the assumption it still is.

Questions