The Importance of Remembering Names
There are few moments more awkward than standing face-to-face with someone than you have met and drawing a blank on his or her name.
Nothing will foil your communication quicker than forgetting someone’s name or calling him or her by the wrong name. Subsequently, there is nothing than makes us feel better than someone calling us by name, especially if we have only met them once or twice.
My wife Lesa naturally does a better job of this so there have been many times she has bailed me out at the last minute. It is nice to have a skilled teammate but what if she is not around? Do I resort to the name dance and avoid saying there name altogether? Not a great plan.
I have met a few people who have mastered this art but most people I meet struggle with this and desire to be better at it. I know this because they tell me, “I’m terrible at remembering names!” In my opinion, this is their first mistake.
If you embrace the fact that you are not good at remembering names and constantly tell yourself this fact over and over, you have created a self-fulfilling prophecy.
I listened to an audio series many years ago that stated the number one reason we do not remember someone’s name is because we do not care. When you forget someone’s name it sends a message that you do not deem them important.
“Remember that a person’s name, to that person, is the sweetest, most important sound in any language” ~ Dale Carnegie
So, the first step is to make it a priority. We must make a conscious effort to improve in this area. Dale Carnegie suggests a three-step process for this very important skill:
- Impression: Listen and concentrate on their name, ask them to repeat it for correct pronunciation. Look at their face for distinguishing features.
- Repetition: Repeat their name several times during a conversation but do not overdo it. I like to write their name down as soon as possible. I also do not mind asking them to repeat their name if we have just met.
- Association: Carnegie recommends a mind picture. Associate the name and physical characteristics to a particular environment.
You can improve at remembering names if you make it a priority and practice. You can start today.
Tell us what method you use to remember names.
Have a great week!
Pierce
