A friend once told me that Eastern Europeans' English sounds too flat, that he associated the accent with being dangerous, or even brutish.
Sometimes our English sounds kind of 'unfriendly' and, according to some people, even aggressive. But it's not our fault that the Slavic flavour sounds 'vicious' to some foreign ears.
Here's a simple tip that I have been testing with my clients and that seems to be working for more than 90% of them.
If you want to sound friendly and positive to your audience, this is the craziest and yet simplest tip that you should follow: a short workout combo right before that audio or video call in English.
10 push-ups
10 squats
10 vertical jumps
Sounds crazy, right? Relax, nobody has to find out that you've just done that.
What matters is that by doing it, you'll have your audience perceive you as friendly, open and positive.
Why does this work? Because right after working out, the tone of your voice will naturally sound more positive and optimistic. Meaning you'll be more likely to use an upbeat enthusiastic tone, which is not an easy task for most Eastern Europeans.
Upbeat speech style is usually what politicians use when they want to establish the feeling that the future will be good.
Also by doing this you'll be more engaged with your audience. And it will make your interlocutors like you. Because people like confident people who make them feel secure.
Moreover, interlocutors tend to stick to those first impressions they form about someone. So this way you'll make a great first impression with your potential customers or business partners.
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