Joe Geiser points out:

>There are many folks in the US who have never travelled abroad, who, because
>of our freedoms and other customs, just assume that it's that way in other
>countries - which is definately *not* the case.  Keeping this in mind -
>educate and point out the error, instead of flaming is akin to "you can draw
>more bees with honey...".

A few years ago, we had a situation of this sort while trying to sell our
software to a large firm in one particular Pacific nation. I was asked to
take an "irate customer" call from the firm's MIS manager. He asked why
he should buy our software when he could never talk to anyone at our
company except secretaries, even for technical questions. Since our
company has never been big enough to have secretaries, I asked him who
he'd been talking to.

The problem, it seemed, was that both of our tech support people, as well
as our two salespeople, were women. We eventually ended up losing the
sale because he refused to believe that we weren't insulting him by
asking him to talk to women as his technical equals. The path of the
educator and pointer-out of error is rarely a smooth one.

-- Bruce



--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bruce Toback    Tel: (602) 996-8601| My candle burns at both ends;
OPT, Inc.            (800) 858-4507| It will not last the night;
11801 N. Tatum Blvd. Ste. 142      | But ah, my foes, and oh, my friends -
Phoenix AZ 85028                   | It gives a lovely light.
btoback AT optc.com                |     -- Edna St. Vincent Millay
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