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Business Round Table  »  I am Dutch....Is that a bad thing for business?

I am Dutch....Is that a bad thing for business?

by Paula van Dun Retired
Paula van Dun Magnate II   Retired
This is a question i am struggling with and I would like to have some feedback on.
Since I am Dutch my native language is not English. I learned at school and my English is not really bad but I know there are errors in grammar in my postings. Or I use expressions (translated from Duch) witch are not realy faulty but maybe expresses here very different so that is sounds odd.
People tend to think you are stupid if your spelling and grammar is bad, that is why I stressed out in many profiles and postings that I am Dutch so people will forgive me these mistakes.
The past 3 months i have been promoting the same programs (I am not a program hopper) over and over again and I get very few sign ups and referrals.
Now I am wondering if it was a good idea to stress out that I am Dutch. Since the majority on social networks, TE's etctera is USA or at least form a country where English is the native language. So now I am wondering if that is because (also a Dutch saying) I am a strange Duck in the pond...
Oct 11th 2010 19:45

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Comments

Warren Day Senior   
I wouldn't worry about it. I have seen significantly worse from native English speakers, being less than perfect at two languages is far better than poor at one. Intelligence will still show through even if your english is lacking.

I am bothered by posts that I read 2 or 3 times but still guess at, I understand yours so no worries here
Oct 11th 2010 19:55   
Cheryl Baumgartner Professional Premium   Medical Billing/Coding/Insurance
It can be difficult and sometimes things are 'lost in translation' as the saying goes. Heck we Americans even have trouble understanding each other at times. Here in the south if I say "ought" everyone knows I mean should but let me say it up north and the Yankees think I'm talking about shot gun shells. Go to the Gulf Coast area of Florida and use the term 'yahoo' and everyone knows you're talking about an idiot, go somewhere else and they think you are giving them your e-mail address.

I think the simple truth is that sometimes we see our own products as so good we just can't grasp that others may not. You can have the absolute best, above board, legitimate opportunity in the world, but it takes someone else with the same vision to see it. So it may no be a case of what you're marketing or where you're from, it could be a simple case of the wrong people seeing it. You need to find the people who share 'your' vision.
Oct 11th 2010 19:57   
Faye Owens Senior   Internet Marketing
I agree that your translation isn't any worse than some the others here. Don't give up. Like Cheryl stated you need to find people with 'your' vision.

There are others here from other countries and some of them I can't read or understand but yours I have no problem with.
Oct 11th 2010 20:17   
Paula van Dun Magnate II   Retired
Thank you all for your comments. I guess i have to be more patient than because i think the majority has the vision "get paid for doing nothing".
Oct 11th 2010 20:19   
Warren Day Senior   
"i think the majority has the vision "get paid for doing nothing""

Yeah, you seem to be understanding just fine
Oct 11th 2010 20:33   
Dawie Bezuidenhout Professional   Systems Engineer I.T.
I have to agree with all my fellow APSensers, you should not be worried about spelling and grammar that much.
Intelligence shines through in the content of your posts, not the spelling.
I have made friends here from numerous countries, and to be frank, their english is bad, but they are of the most intelligent people i have met.
Like you said yourself, be patient, keep doing what you are doing and success is sure to follow.
Oct 11th 2010 21:20   
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