Are we different from cod?
I saw this article a few weeks ago based on research at University of Exeter, regarding regional accents and it got me thinking:
Cornish cod travelling north to find cooler waters may not be able to find a mate if their Scouse counterparts cannot understand their accents, scientists have said.
Experts believe the fish, which make sounds with their swim bladders to attract mates, may have regional accents - so if the cod from the southwest speak a different dialect to those in the north it could threaten their ability to breed.
There are also concerns that noise pollution from boats and other marine activities could be drowning out the "gossip" cod need to establish territories and raise the alarm.
Can regional accents make us more successful selling on the phone?
I came to the conclusion the answer is "yes" and "no".
Large corporate organisations, with remotely based staff, and global roles, require a common language but that’s the limitation. They have no subconscious need to buy from someone they feel locally connected to. They are not programmed on a daily basis to need these reassurances. They sell globally and buy with the same behaviour. They are limited by language alone not accent.
However, some businesses thrive selling locally, and that drives local buying behaviour. This is where local accents can be a smart move on the phone, and give a healthy advantage.
Accents if used in the right way evoke a feeling of trust with a brand - take Plus Net who use a strong Yorkshire accent in their TV adverts to convey the solid, robust, value for money features it would like to attribute to its brand, or Sky who base their call centre in Lothian, partly to gain the advantage of the soft Scottish accents of Edinburgh and its surrounds.
This certainly needs to be a consideration with any campaign planning and “drowning out the gossip” remains top on the agenda, but that’s for another day.
So, I am left wondering if we really are that different from cod?
Operations Director at Durasak Protective Products
6 年Our Northern aspect seems to gel with clients nationwide, with tones of East Lancashire and West Yorkshire accents coming through in our genuine, friendly often humorous prospect approach. John our BDM and myself like to talk to buyers in a uber-conversational manner naturally letting our personality (particularly in John's case) gain a prospects confidence in him to trust us to be worthy of a brief sales visit. Then of course the like rather than dislike factor kicks in and you are on their radar with other suppliers for future business. It has 'genuinely' worked for us many times I must say.
Board Advisor, Non-Executive Director, Coach & Mentor ★ Focussed on Business Growth & Transformation → Achieving Competitive Advantages in New & Existing Markets ★
8 年As a fresh-faced Geordie with accent to match, working in the City in the late 70's was an eye/ear opener both for me and for the people I encountered. Fortunately deregulation meant anyone could get a job there - as long as they were sharp - and the clever Essex boys had no trouble understanding us cloggies from the North as long as we could count, or sell as well as anyone else! As for the cod - the research mentioned did, I believe, focus on whether northern cod would be able to chat up the emigrating softie southern cod for the purposes of mating. I can confirm there has never been an issue there. And in those earlier halcyon days Geordie immigrants were more than capable of mating with the help of no more than a smattering of 'cod-English' but I have to say some were happier being entertained with a bit of Northern Sole.