What kind of energy are we giving off?

I've just got to blog about one of my pet peeves. Several times a week I call real estate professionals and they answer their cell phone in a manner that I would consider to be "unprofessional". I get "hello" in a downbeat voice that sounds like their dog just died, or "yo" or something along those lines. As soon as I introduce myself, they switch on the fake "Hey, how's it going??" happy voice.

Here's the deal. If you're going to give out your cell phone number and use it for business, you need to be "on" for every phone call. I can't even imagine what a potential client would be thinking if I answered my phone in that manner. Sometimes we just have to have the "on stage persona", but it needs to start at the first hello. Give them the energy that you're happy to hear from them (even if it's bad news). It's just common courtesy and having gracious hospitality skills reinforce your professionalism.