How to Remember Names and Faces
How to Remember Names and Faces
How to Remember Names and Faces
How many times did you see a familiar person but just couldn't recall the name? How many times were you introduced to a person and forgot the name two seconds later?
In Steven Covey's famous book, The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, he singles out a critical point in relationships and business transactions: "Without involvement, there is no commitment." Remembering names is a strategic asset and, in contrast to the widespread belief, is not an innate capability. The ability to remember names is acquired and can be easily obtained. Every one of us can remember the names of thousands of people, thus working miracles on the personal and business levels.
Remembering names contributes in a number of ways:
It leads to personal connections and immediate trust.
It creates loyal customers and raises the sales and earnings curve.
It raises motivation and commitment amongst employees, contributing directly to reducing expenses and increasing personal output to higher efficiency levels.
Self-confidence grows, embarrassing situations are avoided and the ability to concentrate is honed.
Only four steps are required in order to remember people you've just met.
Prior to an event where we are likely to meet new people, be it a convention, tradeshow or social event, we must be aware that we are going to meet new people and that we have to try and remember their names. When you see the entrance gates of the reception hall or the hosts welcoming you, develop the habit of reiterating silently; "I am about to enter an event where I will meet new, interesting and unique people. I must pay attention to their names and try to remember them."
Pay attention to each name; take an interest in each person and repeat their name during the conversation. When you meet someone new and you exchange names, be sure that you have caught and understood the person's name. If you did not hear it properly, ask them to repeat it. Embarrassing? On the contrary! Your request shows that you are genuinely interested in the person. When meeting a new acquaintance, study their business card for the correct way to spell and pronounce their name. Ask Craig or Ellen how annoying it can be when someone calls them Greg instead of Craig or Helen instead of Ellen. Stressing the correct pronunciation is flattering and generates gratitude that their name really matters to you. Take genuine interest in the person. Ask leading questions and look for common topics of interest. We tend to remember people whom we find interesting.
Create an associative link between a person's name and their appearance. If, for example, you just met Richard, who's wearing an expensive Armani suit and Rolex watch, you can easily associate him as Richard the Rich. Moving on to Dr. Jim Green, who is tall, muscular, and exudes machismo. We can play with sounds and change the name Jim to Jeep while imagining him driving a Green Jeep over someone's precious Green Lawn. Next is Hiroshi Tanaka who appears as a confident Sales Manager at a Japanese telephone company. Does the name Hiroshi create any specific associations in your mind? Perhaps Hiroshi reminds us of the city of Hiroshima? What about the surname Tanaka? Does it remind you of a tank? Imagine Hiroshi the Hero driving a Tank in Hiroshima, knocking down Telephone Poles.
Finally, imprint the name into your long-term memory using the 'Name Recall' software program. The Name Recall software creates a virtual simulation of a random meeting with those people whose names you wish to remember. Frequent practice will significantly improve your ability to retrieve a person's name from memory, even years after the initial encounter.
I have delivered more than 1800 seminars and can guarantee that using these memory techniques will significantly improve your ability to retrieve a person's name from your memory years after the initial encounter. Make a personal effort to remember names, compliment those who remember names and encourage others to do so. The results will be evident.
Once, in one of my favorite cafes, I noticed a waiter giving special attention to one of the customers.
"Are you satisfied, Lizzie?"
"Is the food to your liking, Lizzie?"
"Lizzie, would you like more salad dressing?"
After Lizzie had paid and left, I had a short conversation with the waiter.
"Well done," I complimented him. "A client such as this, whose name you remembered, with such personal and devoted service will, no doubt, be a loyal customer and spread the word about your excellent service."
"Thanks very much, that's very kind of you," the waiter smiled with satisfaction. "But that was my wife."
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