Weʹve all noticed that whatever region of the United States people are born and reared in, they have speech mannerisms that are distinctive to their region.
There is one speech mannerism that is especially prevalent in the South and some other regions of the United States that does not lend itself well to good human relations. The mannerism I am referring to is that of saying things matter‐of‐factly or flatly, with no inflection or raising of tone at the end of the sentence.
If you say in a flat monotone voice, Hello, is this Mrs. Jones?
with no change of pitch from the beginning to the end of the sentence, not much interest is generated. You are not likely to get a quick, positive response. However, if you put a lot of interest in the question and ask with an inflection on the last word by raising the pitch as you end the sentence, youʹre more likely to get an immediate response to your question. People will feel like youʹre genuinely more interested in them.
Try it and practice it until you can do it easily and consistently and youʹll find out how much more effective your communication will be. (By the way, this technique works great at home, as well as in the office.)
