Have you ever noticed that every single person in the world is bad at remembering names?
Nobody ever seems to be good at remembering names. I’ve never met somebody that’s said, “yeah, I’m great with names. I remember every person I meet.” Instead, it’s the norm to be forgetful of somebody’s name. Why is that?
Remembering somebody’s name boils down to how much you care. If you care a lot, you’re more likely to remember and if you don’t care at all, you’re probably going to forget. So, when you say you’re bad at remembering names, you’re saying, “I make little effort to remember people after meeting them once. It takes at least 2-3 encounters for me to give a damn about you.”
However, it’s easy to remember somebody’s name and if you can, you will be a more likable person. Even if you have trouble committing things to short term memory, I have a hack that will make it a breeze.
Simply, listen and repeat.
Often, when I meet somebody new, I don’t say their name or think about them. I simply say, “hi, I’m Michelle, nice to meet you.” However, those first few seconds are pivotal to remembering. Instead of focusing on yourself, repeat their name.
For example: “You said you’re name is Andy? Nice to meet you Andy” You’ve already said their name twice, which will help you commit it to memory. Additionally, using somebody’s name flatters them and makes them feel good inside. Dale Carnegie of How To Win Friends And Influence People famously said, “remember that a person’s name is to that person the sweetest and most important sound in any language.” But how do you remember the name after a few seconds? After all, we’re so likely to forget it because we have no connection with this person.
Connect the name with a picture.
Andy happens to be the name of the little boy in Toy Story who plays with Woody and Buzz. Silly, right? However, think of that person Andy as being associated with Toy Story. Allow his face to trigger memories of Buzz Lightyear and Cowboys and remembering his name will come easy. Humans learn through patterns and association so allowing yourself to conjure a mental image of Andy from Toy Story will help you remember Andy from the dinner party.
Then, when you talk to him use repetition and say, “so I hear you work as a photographer, Andy. What kinds of subjects do you shoot?”
Repeating the name throughout the conversation allow the person to feel more connected to you and makes you appear more likable from him. After using the word association trick a few times and committing the name to memory with repetition, you will always know Andy and you won’t have to think twice. Try it out next time you meet somebody and you’ll instantly become more likable.
[Featured Image Credit: rabiem22 via Flickr]