If you live in Texas, you're familiar with the "Texas Drawl." Or, if you're in the Northeast, people grab a cup of morning "cwoffee" everyday. In the Midwest, you may hear "werter" (water) and "wersh." Finally, in the South you may be greeted with phrases such as "How y'all doin'?" or ëI'm fixin' to."
If you're used to these phrases, you don't think twice about them. But, if they're new to you, you may be tempted to judge the speaker unfairly.
Don't let your prospect's speech habits or accents influence your opinion of her. If a prospect doesn't practice the best grammar skills or uses colloquialisms you're unfamiliar with, don't assume he's dim-witted.
You may think you're not guilty of such prejudices, but be careful. You may, without even knowing it, speak slower or louder, or use smaller words, because subconsciously you believe the prospect isn't very bright. If you do moderate your speech, you run the risk of offending the prospect, and losing the sale.
Treat all your prospects with the same respect. Listen to what they say, rather than how they say it.
