Why are telephone greetings so important?

Telephone greetings are so important because it is the first impression which can set the mood for the rest of the phone call. If you are calling to tell a loved one that someone had passed away it would be very rude to begin the conversation with a happy or excited greeting like "Hey man, you would not believe what happened yesterday!" In the same way, it would be considered passive aggressive (when you are being "fake nice" to someone) to begin a conversation about some mistakes that need to be fixed in a either a joyful or angry way. First impressions are always very important, and this is no different when on the phone.

The proper answer to this question is Can you imagine if you would answer the question with “What?” in a gruff voice. The person on the other end of the line will assume that you are angry. You want to show that you are pleasant and that you respect what the other person has to say. There are some telephone conversations that can turn unpleasant after some time but the greeting is still important.

The greeting even becomes more crucial when you are speaking to a person for the first time. The person may become a potential investor or business partner. You do not want to disappoint the person in any way.