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From: Ann van der Berg S.A.
Date: 10/22/00
Time: 5:37:52 AM
Remote Name: 196.7.204.108
Dear Tom
I got my first job in Sales at the age of 19. I am now 38 and still stutter but I found that sales gave me the confidence I needed to try and help, (self help) control my stutter. At the age of 19 I stuttered on my fffff , tttttt and sssss. Oh yes and my wwww. I also had a problem with my name every now and again. Now I only stutter on my ssssss. I can handle that!
In Sales you do a lot of talking but I made sure I knew all that I needed to know about my products and the oppositions products and I became the best informed person in my field. The customers also appreciate product knowledge because if you can save them money for their Company, that is their number one priority and once I learned this important fact of Sales that is what I concentrated on. It worked like a charm. I was not the typical Sales person that sells for the sake of a sale I believed in building up the customer’s confidence with trust and they will always come back to you for advice. (I was even called in to a customer once to discuss opposition products because they knew I was so honest.) My Company also loved it because invariably I always got a sale.
Yes my colleagues did tease me, especially when I used the telephone. (They still do) But it is not ugly teasing it is more out of love and friendship also they know I have a sense of humor. I do believe there is definitely different kind of teasing. Some you can handle and some you can’t. Luckily the people I work with I have known for years ranging from the longest of 18 years to 13 years to 4 months.
Love Ann