Never Forget the Name
At any event, especially a networking one, you are likely to meet a lot of new people, and it’s not uncommon to completely forget a few names along the way. If you’re lucky, someone will help you out, or the person whose name slipped your mind would remind you of themselves. But if that doesn’t happen, you are going to get stuck with one of those acquaintances you address simply as ‘Hi’.
We have a few good techniques that help you remember people’s names right away, so that the next time you meet them, you’ll be able to talk without worrying whether you might need to address them.
Repeat the name
Some people have visual memory working for them, others are better with audial. But combining them is simply the best way to go. After meeting a person, try to repeat their name a few times in a conversation.
First of all, that is appealing. In his famous book How To Win Friends And Influence People, Carnegie says that people enjoy hearing their own name. But the reaction goes beyond that: your name has an automatic effect on your brain. According to multiple studies, it raises awareness even in a vegetative state.
But that’s only one reason. The other is that repeating someone’s name while looking at them creates a chain in your mind, where the visual image of the person connects to the sound of their name.
The easiest ways to incorporate using a name into a conversation are to use simple phrases like ‘Pleased to meet you, Tom’ or ‘I have a cousin named Tom!’
Link the name to something you know
Another technique forces you to immediately build a connection between something you know and remember well, and the name. For example, when you meet a person named Charlie, your mind can go to Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. The movie would bring in associations of its own, and as a result next time you meet the person, you will easily find your way back from the movie to the name.
The same trick works with books, famous people, even your family members or friends. As long as it is something or someone you are unlikely to forget, it will work.
Connect names to visual images
This is a technique that works best for people who often make a lot of new acquaintances. In your mind, you have to create a system, where names that sound like other words trigger certain mental images.
Ron White, 2009 and 2010 winner of the USA Memory Championship, recommends ‘If you meet a “Steve” think of a “stove” at the same time. If you meet a “Paul,” think of a “ball.”’
But, since tricks that are used for Memory tournaments aren’t that easy to follow, we could adapt it to something simpler: Mr. Philips can bring up a memory of a Philips head screwdriver. Then this mental image would show up in your mind when you meet the person again.
Focus on one conversation at a time
This doesn’t mean that you have to be talking to just one person. All you need to do is to stop that inner conversation you’re probably having, the one that makes you distracted and is the root of your missing the name being spoken for the first time.
If you’re having trouble, platforms like Connect.Club are here to help you. You meet new people every week, so try to focus your attention on what they are saying instead of what you are thinking. It’s an easy way to practice all the techniques, and find out how good you could be at memorizing names when you are silent inside.
At the end of the day try to recall all the new people you’ve met
The last tip is by far the most difficult one. After the event, when you come home and relax, go one more time through all the new information you have received. Try to recite all the names, and match them to faces. Do it before you go to sleep, and there is a good chance that the next time you meet one of these people, you’ll be ready to greet them, thus strengthening your mutual respect.
