Accents on Conference Calls: Are You Difficult to Understand on the Phone?
November 2, 2017
In today’s fast-paced, work-from-anywhere world, conference calls and video conferencing have taken the place of in-person meetings. If you spend time on the phone with clients each day, clear communication is a huge part of your job. Even if you’re not client-facing, chances are you have to interact with important people through one of these mediums every now and again. Have you found your accent is creating a barrier to clear communication when on the phone or a video call that is not such an issue when speaking in person?
Clear Communication at Work
If you’re in I.T. support or are an account manager, you spend a great deal of time on the phone with clients. If clients are not understanding you, it can make your days long and frustrating and can create a barrier to career growth. If you are not client-facing, clear communication during your conference calls and video conferences is still extremely important because you’re working on big projects, detailed strategies, and initiatives that need full understanding from the stakeholders at your company. These meetings can determine the future direction of your organization and your professional growth and success.
Are Accents Stronger Over the Phone?
Without the face-to-face interaction and real-time audio of an in-person meeting, an accent could easily cause confusion and make understanding difficult. With more than just words being part of our communication skills in person, we lose our ability to rely on gestures, body language, pointing and other methods when we are communicating through phones and computers. Not only that, the audio is just not as good as in person, making hearing a person’s voice regardless of the accent more difficult.
If you’re increasingly using phones and video conferencing for work communication and are often asked to repeat yourself, consider accent reduction classes. We can help you communicate clearly in American English to clients, team members, and bosses for better career satisfaction and growth. We’ll work with you closely to reach your specific goals, even talking to you through the mediums in which you need to be clearly understood to make sure English pronunciation and annunciation are clear when not face-to-face.
If you’re ready to improve the clarity of your communication through phones, video conferencing and every day, call Carolina Speech Services to learn more about our accent reduction program.(704) 845-1605 Or start with our online assessment to see if accent modification is right for you.