Or David Beckham chairing a conference. According to voice coaches, that's not because we associate them with celebrity parties but because of the way they speak. New research claims that over 50 per cent of business people feel their voice is a liability in helping them influence others. Julia Haddon, a speech therapist, says accent remains one of the biggest stumbling blocks in business. According to research, if you got Jasper Carrott or Lenny Henry to make a company presentation to potential clients, they'd be more likely to snigger than sign.
Accents go in and out of fashion according to how 'trendy' the area is.
The Liverpudlian accent was hugely discriminated against in the workplace until the Beatles brought it kudos. It's gone out of fashion a bit since, but the Manchester accent has gained enormous approval since the city has become the 'scene'. Nevertheless, our attitudes towards accent are changing. Although we're still a class-conscious society, we are far less so than in the past. Voice coach Joan Adams believes a further reason for the shift in attitude is that children's peers now tend to come from more varied backgrounds and peers are proven to be more influential in affecting accent than parents.