One of the most important things you can do when networking is to remember the names of the people you meet. Do you really care if someone calls you John when your name is Mike? Or Joan when your name is Betsy? Well of course you do. It’s been proven several times that one’s own name is one of the sweetest sounds another person can hear.
“A person’s name is to him or her the sweetest and most important sound in any language.” — Dale Carnegie
When we began selling machines capable of faxing, over 25 years ago, the fax machine was a cutting edge piece of technology! Simply introducing potential clients to this new technology that solved problems for their business was unique and novel because the options were so limited. Today however, with the novelties of technology wearing thin, businesses must build relationships in order to stand out from the crowd of competitors. A key to this process is finding ways to remember people’s names.
So how do you remember others names – especially if you are a person who networks or meets a lot of new individuals on a weekly basis?
1. Repeat Back The Name Immediately
The moment you ask someone’s name and they respond back
“I’m Jane from Albany, NY”
Respond back to them,
“Well Hi – Jane from Albany New York! What a pleasure to meet you.”
This will cement their name into your brain and the more you repeat the name the more likely it is you’ll remember it.
2. Associate The Name With Something Visual, Auditory or Kinesthetic
Depending on your upbringing you are likely one of the 3 major types of learners:
VISUAL LEARNERS
Visual learners learn through visual stimuli. Pictures, graphics visualizations etc. For a visual learner if you meet someone whose name is Rose immediately flash or imagine the image of a rose near the person’s face.
AUDITORY LEARNERS
Auditory learners learn through listening to sounds and voices. For an auditory learner try rhyming a difficult name with a common word.
A good example of this is my accountability partner – Jason Yun – I’ve gotten” Jason” down of course but I have a terrible time pronouncing his last name Yun – as “Yoon” – an incorrect pronunciation. The proper pronunciation rhymes with the second syllable of onion. So now I say “onion” to myself before pronouncing his last name.
KINESTHETIC LEARNERS
Finally there are the kinesthetic learners who learn through touching things and trying them hands-on. Kinesthetic learners may learn best by trying things out first.
A good example might be feeling your surroundings or remembering the feel of the fabric they are wearing, callouses on their hands when shaking their hands or the feel of a seat or chair as you meet them. You can also try saying the name over and over in your head or a number of other tricks.
3. Write the Name Down
This is likely one of the easiest ways to keep track of names and a way I definitely used and continue to use when not near a smart phone. If you have a notebook or notepad nearby when you’re meeting someone new – write down their name when they’re not looking.
Pro Tip: Whenever I’m at a sit-down networking event – I attempt to draw a crude diagram of the room, write my name in relation to the diagram and then the names of those around me as they announce themselves and/or introduce themselves.
4. Take a Picture of Them Holding Their Card
This is a little bit forward and a tad aggressive tactic for recalling names and I wouldn’t recommend it unless you’ve sat for a few minutes and developed some level of rapport. That being said this method will definitely cut down on the number of people whose name you fail to recall. A gentleman used this technique on me at a conference we were both attending a few months back and I immediately thought “That’s a great way to remember a name”.
5. Use Evernote or Another Mobile App to Categorize Circles of Influence
My current go to strategy is identify circles of influence – or places that I typically meet and/or talk to people on a regular basis. For me this includes places like The gym, Toastmasters, co-working spaces around town like Co+Hoots, The Office Pile, Gangplank and even libraries.
Then for each circle of influence I write names and try to describe the person as best I can by appearance, occupation and any points of interest we share. If you have a device in your office capable of mobile printing you can even print those lists out to study if you wish.
Remembering the names of others is more critical than ever to building and nurturing strong business relationships. Hopefully these tips will help you as you build your relationships today and in the future.
“Though calling someone the wrong name feels like an error, Dr. Goodman says all psychoanalysts agree “that there are no accidents.” Though the word wasn’t supposed to get air time, it was no random coincidence.” — Dr. Geoff Goodman
