One of my friends asked for the secret to remembering people’s names at a party. I won’t reveal her age, but she’s old enough to be a little short-term memory-challenged (like me.) I actually learned a great technique for remembering names early in my career.
1) Prepare to hear the name (I mean really get ready to receive it when you ask the person for it.)
2) Repeat the name right after you hear it.
3) Repeat the name one more time before you leave the conversation.
Three impressions really helps cement the name in your memory.
I’ve heard about fancy mnemonic techniques using acronyms, rhymes and such, but this simple 3-step method works fine for me. The trick is having fun with the way you repeat the name.
Examples:
“Nice to meet you Gerald. Our family used to visit my Uncle Gerald… until he went to prison for embezzlement.”
“Chuck? That’s a sick name! What’s UP Chuck?!”
“Terry? That’s a cool name because it could be for a man or a woman. Which one are you?”
Nothing warms up a conversation and builds rapport like making fun of someone’s name. I guarantee this will help your memory, and your new friend won’t forget you either.
Hey Dave! I just want to rave! This column is my fave!
David,
The Princess Bride by William Goldman is my all-time favorite fictional novel. I fell in love with it in high school, and I read it ever few years. It’s very cool that you used a graphic that includes a famous PB quote, but did not refer to its source in your blog. Please tell me that you did that on purpose.
I give much thought to what photo I use to capture the attention of my readers. Keep those blogs coming!
(p.s. While PB is my #1 favorite book… the movie is one of the worst novel adaptations I’ve ever seen. I went to a premiere screening and seemed to be the only disappointed person in the audience.)
The movie came from a book? (Just kidding.) I assumed everyone would know where this quote came from.
I will seek out the book and read it, now that you raved about it so much. My kids insisted I read Harry Potter #7 before the movie came out, and I’m glad I did.