Does your Accent Result in Limited Business Referrals?

If you’ve been caught in this situation, you’re not alone.  Do you ever notice someone being ridiculed, degraded, stereotyped, or discounted due to judgment; due to someone’s opinion of them?  This is in fact what a pulmonologist shared with me at a recent presentation that I gave.  His comment was different than those that are usually oriented to the actual programming and content of accent modification.  I had spoken about some of the barriers for individuals who speak English as a second or other language; however, I had simply not spoken about the barrier of being discounted.

This pulmonologist shared with me his experience of an extremely qualified knowledgeable cardiologist who spoke with an accent.  Here is what was happening: this pulmonologist was referring patients to this cardiologist and the response was similar to “No, I’m not going to see that doctor.  I can’t understand him. “He was even getting feedback from other physicians and medical professionals that were stereotyping this physician as not having a grasp of the cardiology practice and not being knowledgeable about cardiology.

This pulmonologist explained that because he could overcome the communication barrier with this provider he himself was able to see the competency and in fact, the extremely valuable skills and knowledge that this cardiologist had.  The unfortunate part was that this pulmonologist witnessed multiple times the stereotypes that patients and other medical professionals held.   People mistook that the cardiologist didn’t know his area of specialty simply because people couldn’t understand him.

At the presentation I had shared that I was educating a particular medical group about the benefits of accent modification.  This pulmonologist expressed his relief and hopefulness that I would reach this cardiologist through this medical group.  He wanted so clearly to have this cardiologist break these communication barriers in order for him to express his talents, skills, and expertise to reach and help people who needed his services.  Although I had spoken at this presentation about one of the mistakes that international speakers of English make (failing to see the communication barriers that their accent may be causing) I’m not sure if this particular cardiologist was aware of the communication breakdowns that were causing limited referrals.

If you have been caught in this situation, or suspect you might be, accent reduction can prevent further loss of referrals.  Something to consider is asking fellow colleagues and patients about your referrals.  Do they refer to you?  Have they heard of referrals being made to you?  You may even ask them directly, “Would my accent prevent you from recommending my services?”

For further solutions on how to increase your revenue with accent reduction, download the FREE Transform your Accent: Transform your Life Kit at www.masteryouraccent.com.  Remember, accent reduction is about changing your accent; not you.  Just as this cardiologist had exceptional qualifications and skills, you too, may be held back from expressing your skills, talents, personality, and spirit.  At Master Your Accent we are committed to helping you decrease your risk of misunderstanding and fully express yourself.

If you liked this article, you may enjoy 5 Ways Communication Barriers Cost you Time and Transform your Accent: Avoid Costly Mistakes.

We understand you probably have questions or you may want to just get to know us.  We welcome your inquiries WITHOUT   pressure or obligation.  Feel free to contact cher@masteryouraccent.com or call us at (920) 362-2359.  It is our mission to support international professionals in reaching their full potential.  We know from our personal experience that trust builds relationships.  That is why we offer to continue to build a relationship with you through our helpful blogs.
If you’re looking for specific feedback to see how you can change your own accent, we also have a FREE screening you can complete.  The screening allows us to determine more specifically how you could benefit from accent modification.  Once we receive your voice recording, we contact you with specific ideas to modify YOUR ACCENT.  You can click here: http://masteryouraccent.com/free-screening/. The voice recoding is complete within 10 minutes!  It’s very easy!

We would love to support you in fully expressing your skills, talents,  personality and spirit through your spoken English.

We look forward to CONNECTING WITH YOU SOON on your journey of maximizing your EXPRESSION for your professional and personal life!