Stop me if you’ve heard this story: you’re introduced to someone for the first time, they enthusiastically tell you their name...which you promptly forget within ten seconds!

Sound familiar? It happens at client meetings, social gatherings, home bible studies, and even job interviews. The scenarios vary, but the transgression is the same...and the consequences are never good.

Glen Zelmer, my first sales manager, told me that remembering names is a lost art that only peak performers learn to master. I took this to heart (after being stung a few times by the cold silence and uncomfortable stares of decision makers whose names I forgot...and whose business I lost).

Once a horrible name-forgetting transgressor, today I can meet fifty or more people at a single event and remember each of their names, job titles, and anyother important information they share. Here are some of the proven techniques I use and teach that took me from being a flagrant name-dropper to a tip-top name-keeper (I've broken them up into five segments that match the five sessions of my Memory Workshop):

Part I: "Hi, My Name Is...."
1. Ring the Bell. I had a professor who rang a bell whenever he was going to give the class a pop quiz. The sound of the bell caused the students to perk up mentally and prepare for a short test. Similarly, whenever someone is about to tell me their name, I have a mental bell that goes off in my head. This tells me to prepare mentally to focus for the next thirty seconds or so - I know I’ll be tested later.

2. Clear your Head. When you’re about to be introduced to someone, quickly clear your mind completely of any other thoughts, and focus on what you’re going to hear for the next thirty seconds. Don’t think about the presentation you’re going to give later, the wasabi appetizer you just ate that's burning a hole in your tongue, or the co-worker who’s running late. I usually imagine an ocean wave splashing into my brain and washing away all the mental debris.

3. Listen Actively. Listen with the sole aim of repeating verbatim what you are being told. Think about repeating their name perfectly with the correct punctuation.

4. Eye To Eye. Look the person directly in their eyes while they’re speaking. Don’t be distracted by anything they’re wearing, their physical appearance, or even a speech oddity. Keeping eye contact helps you eliminate distractions and make a deeper connection with them.

5. Playback - Rewind - Playback. Find a way to repeat their name twiceimmediately after they introduce themselves. Example: Suppose someone introduces themselves as "Tanya Portman". I will follow up something like this:“Tanya Portman?" (I first usually repeat their name in question format to make sure I heard and pronounce it correctly) "Wow, Tanya, you're the second Portman I've met this month...but the first Tanya Portman.” Hearing yourself repeat their name more than once helps embed the name in your memory.

Part II: Name/Image Association Techniques
Whenever possible, try to associate images with names. Remember, your brain doesn't think in "words", it thinks in "pictures". For example, if you hear the word "dog" you don't come up with a mental image of the letters "D-O-G", you come up with the image of Lassie, Scooby Doo, or Cujo.

Use images often, and create a set of images for specific names. For example, I use an image of steam for the name “Steve”, a can of Spam for the name “Sam” or“Samantha”, a microphone for the name “Mike” or “Michelle”, a masked robberfor the name “Robert” or “Roberta”, etc.

I also have a set of images I always use for common last names. For instance, I use a snowball for the name “White”, a blacksmith’s anvil for the name “Smith”, and a generic chocolate bar for the name “Brown”.

Example: Suppose I'm introduced to a person named "Robert Smith". I'll create a mental image of a robber’s (Robert) hand being smashed on an anvil (Smith). I then connect that image to the person with what I describe as “mental action glue”.

Part III: You Wear Your Name Well
Another effective technique is to use a person’s appearance to create a memorable name and image association. For example I recently met a CEO whose name was "Amy Wagner". Amy had a heart-shaped emerald pendant on her jacket, and wore her distinctive silver hair in a bun. For her first name (Amy) I created an image of cupid  AIMING  an arrow at the pendant. For her last name (Wagner) I imagined that her silver bun was a covered  WAGON  traveling on her head.

Part IV: Remembering A Lot of Names 
Create several personal “Image Number Lists” to help you recall a lot of names. For example, I have a  “1 - 20 List”  that uses specific images to represent the numbers one through twenty. The image for number “one” is a Christmas Tree (because it’s a single vertical image); the image for the number “two” is a Roman Coin (because it has two sides); the image for “ten” is Moses’ Stone Tablets (aka Ten Commandments), the image for “fifteen” is a Giant Paycheck (because the fifteenth is payday for a lot of people), etc. As you meet people during the event, you simply attach them to an image on the list.

Here’s how this works: Suppose I’m at an event where I’m meeting several new people, and the first person I’m introduced to is named "Steve Brown". I create a picture of an angry Christmas Tree decorated with chocolate bars instead of Christmas ornaments, and hot steam coming coming out its top (steam = Steve; chocolate bars = Brown). Next, I'll create a mental picture of this Christmas Tree growing on the person's head - or some other ridiculous, unforgettable image that makes it easy for me to recall their name (even years later).

Part V: Getting it "Write" in Meetings
One of the easiest techniques I use when meeting with groups of people is something I call “Name Diagramming”. I draw a rough diagram of the meeting area, and place each person’s name on the diagram, along with important information about them. This is especially helpful in meetings where there are round table introductions.

This technique allows me to write the person’s name next to where they're sitting as soon as I hear it. I can apply other memory techniques to their name as the meeting progresses. Here’s an actual name diagram I made with my iPad during a recent meeting with some new potential clients:
Dale Carnegie said,  “Remember that a man’s name is to him the sweetest and most important sound in any language.”  No matter how bad you are at remembering names, you can improve...and don't be surprised if you start experiencing a lot more success along the way!

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About The Author: Carl Prude Jr. is Executive Director of Centermark Learning Solutions, a best selling author, and a Performance, Achievement, and Growth Strategist who teaches people how to connect the dots between Career, Family, Faith, Experience, Community, and Opportunity.  


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