I've found that when I am talking to people on the phone for the product startup, local suppliers often have local accents. It's not surprising; die-cutting shops and some printers are blue-collar places. They are usually staffed by people who grew up in eastern New England. When I hear this on the phone, I almost unconsciously shift my own accent away from standard "North American" to something that's a bit more Eastern Mass. But just a bit.
It's not hard to do. I grew up here too, and while I never had a Boston accent -- my parents were from out of state, only a few friends in high school had light accents, and I spent most of my 20s overseas -- speaking with a slight inflection feels natural. I assume it helps a little in terms of letting people on the other end feel more comfortable, but maybe I'm assuming too much.
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