How It Started
My first job was designing packaging cushions, protectors that kept customers' products intact in transit. Six months in, the service engineer resigned. I was asked to cover his role alongside my own, with no overlap and no handover period. Just me, showing up in front of customers and working it out.
That turned out to be the best thing that happened in my career. Standing in front of customers with real problems and real stakes changed how I saw the job entirely. It stopped being a technical function. It became a relationship. Customers started to trust me. Orders grew. I found out I was good at this.
The Vietnam Brief
Over the years I expanded from Singapore into broader Southeast Asia, then across Asia: technical support, commercial support, regional management. When the company decided to enter Vietnam, I was nominated as Chief Representative to work alongside the local distributor.
The baseline was modest. Annual sales: USD 20,000.
The Approach
I did what I'd always done. Listen first. Understand what the customer actually needs. Don't sell, solve. Show up consistently. Have honest conversations. Bring value, not presentations.
No hard sell. No flashy launch events. Just steady presence and genuine follow-through.