In my younger days, I remember talking on the phone with buddies and girlfriends for hours. Some girls I knew in high school even got their own landline so their home phone wouldn’t always be busy, allowing their parents to make calls when needed. These phones were usually rotary dial and attached to the wall with a cord that stretched just far enough.
Can you still picture that long, twisted cord that would tangle no matter what?
Then, cordless phones became popular, allowing people to “walk and talk” while multitasking around the house or yard.
Now, according to Pew Research, 98% of U.S. adults own a smartphone of some type. Heck, you might even be reading this on your phone right now.
“Emails get reactions. Phone calls start conversations.” – Simon Sinek
Even though a phone call might be the quickest and most effective way to communicate, many people default to every other option before making (or taking) a call. We text, email, send direct messages via social media, or even rely on old-fashioned snail mail before we pick up the phone and call someone.
It was on this date, March 10, 1876, that inventor Alexander Graham Bell made the first telephone call. His message was simple: “Mr. Watson, come here, I want to see you.”
I’m not saying we need to return to cold-calling strangers or using multi-dialer technology to increase call volume. But I do think making a few more meaningful phone calls—both in business and in life—could lead to some genuine, voice-to-voice conversations.
Maybe you’re trying to build relationships. Perhaps you need to solve a problem. Or maybe you just want to have some fun by reaching out to say hello.
What are you waiting for? In honor of Mr. Bell, let’s all “reach out and touch someone” today.
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