Have you ever had a friend or co-worker that's
had a problem with their breath? You know what I'm talking about... It smells like they
drank a raw egg shake right before coming into work. "Training for that big fight,
Rocky," you want to ask. And these people are almost always what Jerry Seinfeld
refers to as 'close talkers.' They talk with exactly two millimeters of space between
their face and yours. You take a step back and they immediately take a step forward to
counter your move.
How do you tell a person about their problem without hurting their pride
or getting slapped in the face. Seriously, the situation stinks! Well, now you don't have
to worry about telling the close talker about his bad breath. You can have Anne Ford tell
him/her for you.
Ms. Ford had a boyfriend who had a problem with his deodorant. Quite frankly, it just
wasn't doing enough deodorizing. She decided to let him know nicely that he may want to
switch to her brand. Lo and behold, one week later they broke up! The two, however,
remain good friends and Mr. Stinky, who lives overseas, carries six sticks of Ms. Ford's
deodorant in his suitcase for his visits with Ms. Ford in the U.S.
Since her stinky incident, Ms. Ford has quit her job as a Bankers Trust Vice President and
started her own business. The 47-year-old entrepreneur registered the domain name GentleHints.com and takes orders online. Basically,
you give her some general information about your problem and she'll mail a gentle letter
to the stinker. All letters start with the delicate words "Someone who cares wants
you to know..." The letters range from $12 to $16 and often lead to immediate
results.
So far, Ms. Ford has grossed about $54,000 with her constructive criticism. Which problems
are the most common? Ms. Ford says that flatulence, halitosis, and body odor top the list.
Other problems include: Dandruff, greasy hair, ear/nose hair, restroom hand washing (or
lack thereof), overuse of cologne or perfume, facial hair on women, talking too much,
interrupting conversations, poor table manners, and not covering one's mouth when
sneezing. With over $5,000 orders already, GentleHints.com
is spreading as fast as bad breath on a Monday morning!
Clients have been giving Ms. Ford rave reviews. One high-profile client talks about
GentleHints.com as being the 'perfect solution' to a client's bad breath. "The next
time we were in the studio, he was popping mints," he claims.
So, the next time you're caught in a situation that stinks, don't risk getting slapped in
the face! Let GentleHints.com apprise the
individual in a gentle and diplomatic manner while preserving your anonymity.
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Coffee Breath and other Problems by Samuel Wilcox