The Hearty Hello

One thing about my job that gratifies me is that I occasionally run into people I used to supervise, either in person or on social media.  They tell me that some of the interviewing techniques I taught them have helped them in their careers.  What is especially gratifying is when they tell me that they are glad that I told them about The Hearty Hello.  What makes it especially gratifying is that most interviewers seem to think The Hearty Hello is pretty corny when I introduce the concept to them.

I call it The Hearty Hello because it is alliterative, which makes it easy to remember.  I could call it The Sincere Hello.  The idea is to make a good first impression.  I learned from telemarketing that a caller has a few seconds after a person answers the phone to make a good impression.  I noticed that all of the survey questionnaires we use start with the word “Hello.”  Respondents are more likely to agree to participate in a survey if I say “Hello” with a positive attitude.  I try to say hello in such a way as to thank the person for answering the telephone.  It does not work if I ham it up.

The few variations to The Hearty Hello that I make are when I conduct business to business interviews.  I like to use a person’s name if they give their name when they answer the phone, like this:

“Good morning, XYZ Company, Linda speaking.  How may I help you?”

“Good morning, Linda.  May I speak to Mr. Jones please?”

I will say “good morning” or “good afternoon” if that is how the person answers the phone.  Otherwise, I stick to “hello.”  Repeating the person’s name back to them signals that I am paying attention.  That means less work for them in handling the call.  Whatever impression I make with the person answering the phone will be conveyed to the person I want to interview.

Say “Hello” in a hearty and sincere manner when you greet people in person or on the telephone.  The result of the call will likely be positive.