Remembering names is one of the simplest ways to keep you ahead of your competition, yet so hard for so many of us to do. Everyone likes to hear the sound of their name, so when you are able to use a client’s name that hasn’t come into your doors in over a month or even someone you met at a business networking function, your likability goes sky high in the eyes of that person. Remembering names can be so simple, yet so many of us fall short in remembering names even after 30 seconds of being introduced!
How often do we find ourselves in a situation in business, where we know we have met someone before, but their name seems to escape us?
For most of us, lots of time. In business, it really is crucial in helping to build up the know, like and trust factor and by simply remembering someone’s name, it can make the biggest of difference in the future of your business.
So if you are one of those people who seem to fall short in the remembering names department, here are a few tips from Ron White, 2009 U.S. Memory Champ that teaches how you can learn to remember names in 10 minutes a day for a month can help you build relationships by recalling names and faces, recall product knowledge and even give speeches without notes!
1. Repeat the first name or confirm the last name.
Simply saying, “It’s nice to meet you, Michael” or “and your last name was…?” will help you register the name and give it a better chance to implant itself into your memory.
2. Tell a story or make a comment about the person’s name.
“Nice to meet you, Julia. My college roommate’s name was Julia, she would cram all night eating cheese puffs and had a hard time keeping the orange fingerprints off of her homework.” (Tell a very short one sentence story to the new Julia about the original Julia to help you remember.)
3. Ask the person to spell his or her name.
“Kathy, do you spell your name with a ‘k’ or with an ‘c’?”
4. Visualization. Associate the name with a picture in your mind.
If you meet a CEO named Arthur, visualize him as King Arthur with the knights of the Round Table. Or maybe if it is a woman with the name of Elizabeth, you can visualize Queen Elizabeth with a crown on her head.
“Some people like this technique; others say it just confuses them; try it and see if it works for you.” Association and visualization combined can be quite powerful.
5. Ask how the person got his name.
“Savannah, were you named after the city?”
6. Tell the person what you have heard about him.
“I heard you organized this whole event, Michelle.”
7. Keep your energy level high.
Let the tone of your voice and your body language signal that you are honestly trying to learn the other person’s name and teach her yours.
8. Always say the person’s name again as you leave her.
“It was good to meet you, Mary.”
9. Handle forgotten names with grace.
Now, whining about how bad you are with names is not graceful. Instead, ask a friend to remind you, or if you can recall where you met that person, say “I remember meeting you at the conference in Seattle. I’m Andrea Welch. Will you tell me your name again?” The person may have forgotten your name too, and will be grateful for your reintroduction.
Always remember: making small talk about a person’s name may take time, but by learning how to remember names not only can build up relationships but bring in bigger profits!