Welcome to another installment of Chair's Corner. Our department chair will use this personal message forum for a variety of purposes: important information, inspiration, and a little bit of fun.
Thomas Edison invented saying “hello” when answering the telephone. Edison invented the carbon microphone in his Newark, New Jersey lab as an improvement on the primitive microphones used for telephones. At the time, common practice was to say, “Are you there?” That was a perfectly reasonable question given the early state of telephony but it lacked something in warmth. During one experiment with his new microphone, Edison picked up the phone and said “Hello!” In an instant he established the gold standard for effective and engaging openings for remote communication.
Modern telecommunication technology is vastly different from the telephones of Mr. Edison’s time. But the basic issue of how to start a conversation remains. How does the person on the other side know that your connection works? “Hello” still fits the bill—it tests the connection and projects friendliness. The next time you join a remote conversation, try saying “hello” to the person on the other end. A little warmth goes a long way.