How often does a prospect mispronounce your name and you bite your tongue? Maybe you’re on the other side, wondering how to address a customer without offending them. With virtual calls making the world smaller, it’s more important than ever than to be inclusive. That means saying people’s names, and hearing our own, with the right pronunciation.
You might think name pronunciation is a small thing. After all, nobody is hurt when Joey from Friends says “moo” instead of “moot.” Except our brains literally light up in MRIs when we hear our own name.
“When my wife and I chose names for our children, we intentionally thought about how it would be pronounced in the Western world,” says DeathtoFluff founder Belal Batrawy (that’s pronounced “bee-lal”). “We wanted to spare our children the same experience my wife and I had growing up. We picked names that would be easy for English speakers, carry importance in our religion and culture, and also can teach someone who’s never met a Muslim something about us just by hearing the name.”
"We wanted to spare our children the same experience my wife and I had growing up."
In a survey of 1,060 people by name pronunciation start-up NameCoach, 10% said they’ve messed up a sale because they mispronounced a customer’s name. The study also found that emotions from hearing your name mispronounced ranged from alienated, self-conscious, to discriminated against. Names are central to our identities just as much as pronouns. It isn’t just awkward when you get someone’s name wrong, it can be downright hurtful.
That’s why we added a feature to the Warmly Zoom App for people to enter how they want their name pronounced. It also pulls in a suggested pronunciation recording from NameCoach. Yet the best way to find out how a person wants their name said is still just to ask, “Hey, is your name pronounced X?” Warmly could have already told you what ‘X’ is, but asking anyway shows the prospect that you really care about getting it right.
Instead of brushing past their name, or saying it fast and hoping they don’t notice, make it a starting point of the conversation. If you have an unusual name, this might even make it less awkward for the customer to ask you how you say yours.
People with rare names are usually aware of it. They might have had it mispronounced by teachers, colleagues, and friends their entire lives. They’ve stopped looking in the “personalized” gift section. They’re probably used to having their names butchered, and maybe told themselves it doesn’t matter. But everyone, whether customers or salespeople, want to feel seen and heard.
Name pronunciation is a powerful sales tool when you get it right. Not only does it show respect, actually using names, and hearing them aloud, helps you form a deeper connection.
Being able to hear, “Thanks for the demo, Max” and saying, “Thank you, Jonahs” is an easy way to reinforce your connection at the end of the call. Having Warmly helps too, by making sure both your names, along with the pronunciations, are on-screen during virtual calls.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Why Name Pronunciation Matters in Sales?
Why Name Pronunciation Matters in Sales refers to the concepts and strategies covered in this article. Understanding these fundamentals helps B2B teams improve their sales and marketing effectiveness.
Why is Why Name Pronunciation Matters in Sales important?
This matters because it directly impacts pipeline generation and revenue. Teams that master these concepts see better results from their go-to-market efforts.
How can I implement this?
Start with the strategies outlined above. For B2B teams, combining these tactics with tools like Warmly—which identifies website visitors and automates engagement—can accelerate results.
What tools help with Why Name Pronunciation Matters in Sales?
Several tools can help, depending on your specific needs. Warmly is particularly useful for identifying high-intent website visitors and engaging them before they leave your site.
What are the best practices for Why Name Pronunciation Matters in Sales?
Key best practices are covered throughout this article. Focus on the fundamentals first, measure your results, and iterate based on data rather than assumptions.