Remembering names and making sure your name is remembered are two different skills. You can increase your business savvy by subtly training others to remember your name and employing strategies to deposit new words into your memory bank.
If you have a unique name, you will feel my pain. Yes, I love it now, but when I was growing up, JR was shot on the popular television show, “Dallas” — a 1980s nighttime soap opera that revolved around a family of wealthy Texas oilmen. I wanted a name like Valerie or Lori, but no, I was Dallas, named after my grandfather.
Of course, I got my share of teasing and still do occasionally. I eventually grew to appreciate my name, and it has proven to be a tremendous asset in business. People can easily relate something to my name, which helps them remember it. When meeting new people, I often say, “Hi, my name is Dallas Teague Snider. Dallas, like Texas.”
I do this for two reasons: One, if I don’t, they always think they have misheard my name and call me Alice, and two, I am immediately giving them the means to remember me with a mental association. I also have the opposite challenge. A person I met years ago will remember my name, and I will recognize the face, but the name escapes me.
Here are a few tips to help you remember names or gracefully elicit a word you forgot:
Enlist a partner. Now that I am married, my husband often attends events as my guest. I have made a deal with him that if I do not introduce him within two or three minutes, he will extend his hand and introduce himself. People will usually offer their names in response.
Thrice is nice. When introducing someone, try to use their name three times during your initial exchange. For example: “Hi, John. So, John, which division do you work for, Biotech? How long have you been with the company? Well, John, it was a pleasure to meet you. I hope to see you again sometime.” Using someone’s name during the exchange should provide ample opportunities to connect something to that person you could recall at a later date.
Extend your hand. If you cannot recall someone’s name, promptly extend your hand and say your name. This will generally prompt the person to reply and tell their name.
Make a movie. Try to associate someone with either a character or a movie star. You can also think of a visual image that helps recall pictures in the mind’s eye. I have a friend with the last name Gray. I can easily associate his last name with the color gray or the television show “Grey’s Anatomy.”
Spell the name. If you are having difficulty catching an unfamiliar name, ask your new friend to spell it. Foreign words can be tough to pick up, and people will appreciate you taking the time to spell and say their names correctly.
Use business cards. When someone offers you a business card, take a moment to look at it and study the name, saying it silently to yourself. If you can read their nametag, focus back and forth a few times on their name and face. When you have returned to your office, make notes that will help you remember this person on future occasions. Today’s database systems make it easy to record messages to help remember particular traits about a new contact.
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