How to Remember Names:
People Will Love You For It

How to remember names of your various networking contacts when you first meet them?

The answer to this question is crucial to giving yourself an advantage and making yourself feel a lot more comfortable in your career and job networking.

If you're not good at remembering names of people you just met for the first time then you may feel shy, awkward or even ashamed about approaching them when you meet them again days or weeks later.

The other person often secretly feels the same way because they can't remember your name either! A polite avoidance of each other results, preventing you from building a potentially fruitful professional relationship.

On the other hand, if you do remember names when you meet new people, they will be very impressed with you because most people simply don't know how to remember names.

Thus, you immediately - and rather impressively - demonstrate strong interpersonal skills to potential employers and other networking contacts.

In fact, names are so very special to people that if you remember a person’s name the first and second time you meet him, he will likely remember you forever ...

With this in mind, let's have a look at several simple solutions to the question of how to remember names.

I recommend using at least two of these methods together for best results:

Remembering Names: The Methods

Hear It!
• Listen carefully for it; hear it distinctly

• Focus on the name, not your smile, handshake, eye contact or upcoming conversation

• Ask the person to repeat it, pronounce it and/or spell it if necessary

Think It!
• Repeat it silently to yourself several times

• After saying goodbye, glance back and try to remember it again

Say It!
• Add it to, “I’m pleased to meet you, _____!

• Use it naturally several times (but not too often!) :-) – when beginning questions, compliments and comments

• Talk about it and respond to it genuinely and positively: Say, “I like your name”

Write It and Read It!
• Write it down, spelled correctly. Then read it silently to yourself.

See it and Dramatize It!
• Make friendly eye contact, and desire to get to know the person, not just the name

• After a brief conversation, construct a unique visual image of the person to link to it

• Use “ridiculous association” - See it in hot pink fluorescent letters on the person’s forehead :-)

• Become an expert at seeing something unique about them that you can relate to their name

• Look for important details that you can creatively link with their name, such as their size, voice quality, hair colour or facial characteristics

• Apply a complimentary “alliterative nickname” by adding an adjective in front of their name that starts with the same initial as their name – for example, Doris Dimples - Jolly Joe – Marvelous Margaret. (Note: You may want to keep these nicknames to yourself :-))

And if all else fails (as it often does for me :-)) ...

Admit It!
Admit it when you forget; be gentle with and fair to yourself:

• Say, “I’m working on remembering names better. Yours is on the tip of my tongue. What is it again?”

• Say, “Hello again, we met earlier. My name is Jesse, and please tell me your name again?”

"What's-her-name" :-) will likely appreciate that you had the courage to admit your common human fault of not remembering names. And she might also admit that she can't remember your name either!

Tell her your name, smile, and then capitalize on this moment of relief. Take the opportunity to give her your introductory statement, and you're well on your way to making another great professional contact. Good luck!

Return from How to Remember Names to Networking Skills Hub Page

Return from How to Remember Names to Job Search Coach Home Page