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"Remember that a person's name is to that person the sweetest and most important sound in any language", Dale Carnegie,1936 'How to Win Friends and Influence People'

Why Bother?

In today's information age, where price or product can be bettered within five minutes of a new product or service hitting the market, the key to lasting business success lies in the strength of one's customer relationships.

Nothing is more important in the development of any relationship than the use of a person's name, as there are very few things in life that are more personal.

The first step in remembering people's names is to use their name as quickly as possible. During an introduction use their name. Thank them by using their name.

Also set up systems that support you. When you meet people and they give you their business card, at your earliest convenience, take the time to write a note on the back of the card where and when you met them.

Send them a thank you note after meeting them. Not only is this practice great for helping you remember people's names, it is also one of the most cost effective ways of developing and maintaining great customer relationships.

So what's the trick to remembering names?

Names are harder to remember than other types of information, for a simple reason - connection, or the lack of it. The main tenet of memory is that well-connected information is easy to remember. The more connections a piece of information has, the more likely you are to find it so you need to make connections between a person and their name.

There are a range of tricks or techniques that people use to help them remember names. The key is putting in the effort when you first hear that person's name - repeat it in your mind and try to use a memory technique that works for you so that you can recall that name another day.

1. Face association

Examine a person's face discretely when you are introduced. Try to find an unusual feature, whether ears, hairline, forehead, eyebrows, eyes, nose, mouth, chin, complexion, etc.

Create an association between that characteristic, the face, and the name in your mind. The association may be to link the person with someone else you know with the same name. Alternatively it may be to associate a rhyme or image of the name with the person's face or defining feature.

2. Repetition

When you are introduced, ask for the person to repeat their name. Use the name yourself as often as possible (without overdoing it!). If it is unusual, ask how it is spelled or where it is comes from, and if appropriate, exchange cards - the more often you hear and see the name, the more likely it is to sink in.

Also, after you have left that person's company, review the name in your mind several times. If you are particularly keen you might decide to write it down and make notes.

3. Substitution (sound alike)

You may use your own words that sound similar to the name you want to remember. Take "Drapinski" for example. Transform it into "drop pin ski", visualize dropping a giant pin which punctures a hole in a ski. Try "draw bins key" or "drape in skies".

4. Connecting Names To Faces

To connect the name to the face, simply pick out an outstanding feature about that person's face and connect it to the sound-alike <sndalike.html>. If Mr. Drapinski has thick eyebrows, picture him holding the pin between his eyebrows and dropping it on the ski.

5. First Names

You many also substitute visual information. To remember first names connect them to the face of someone you already know. When learning a person's name for the first time, as soon as you hear it determine if you know anyone with the same name. If you do, look at your new friend and picture the face of your old friend or think of something you have done with your old friend and associate it to your new friend.

When you meet your new friend again, picture the face of the person you associated the first time you met.

6. Action picture

Think of an action word that starts with the same letter as the one you are trying to remember. Then visualize that person in that action. For example, my name is Greg, to remember my name after you have met me for the first time think of an action word like galloping. Then picture me galloping like a horse. Ponder on the image for a few moments to let the picture sink in. Make the picture funny or totally out of proportion. The next time you run into me think to yourself what was I doing in the association you made when you committed my name to memory. The action association will bring along with it my name. The success of this method depends on the effort you put into visualizing the original association. It works well for face to face meetings but not for remembering names you have read, where there is no face available to trigger your memory.

Don't forget these associations are private and no one has to know you are using them. Use any action word that comes to mind, even something that the person you are trying to remember the name of might find offensive, or embarrassing.

Summary

The methods suggested for remembering names are fairly simple and obvious. Association either with images of a name or with other people can really help. Repetition and review help to confirm your memory. It is all about practice, patience, and progressive improvement.