How to memorize names?
You'll make a very good first impression on people you've just got to know by remembering their names.
Not so long ago memorizing names was a great challenge for me. Whenever two or three people were introducing to me at the same time, it usually took me just a few minutes to forget their names. They were simply always going out of my head. To the best of my knowledge, it's quite a widespread problem, that is why I'll show you today a few tricks thanks to which you'll be able to impress everybody with a great head for names.
You'll make a very good first impression on people you've just got to know by remembering their names.
Not so long ago memorizing names was a great challenge for me. Whenever two or three people were introducing to me at the same time, it usually took me just a few minutes to forget their names. They were simply always going out of my head. To the best of my knowledge, it's quite a widespread problem, that is why I'll show you today a few tricks thanks to which you'll be able to impress everybody with a great head for names.
Remembering a name and then addressing a person by their first name is one of the best ways to make a great first impression. You'll make a newly encountered person feel exceptional by using their first name. In this way you'll have an opportunity to establish a unique relation.
"Remember that a person's name is, to that person, the sweetest and most important sound in any language.”
Dale Carnegie
1. Commit yourself
Decide that whenever you meet someone new, you'll remember their name. We hardly ever pay attention to the names of people we've just met. It disappears from our memory literally within a few minutes. For this reason committing oneself to remembering names of new people is so important.
You're simply wrong if you keep repeating "I don't have head for names". There isn't anything like a bad head for names. If you don't remember them it means only that you don't do anything to change it. So decide from now on to face this problem. Recall this commitment whenever you expect to meet someone new.
2. Keep focused
Whenever you introduce yourself, concentrate on doing it. Lack of concentration and attention won't let you remember a given name. So listen attentively to what a newly met person is saying while introducing herself. Moreover, focus on the appearance of that person. Try to observe the characteristic features of the person's face. It's going to be useful for you while forming new associations, which I describe in point four.
3. Repeat
Repeating a name in a fast manner will allow you to remember it.You can repeat it in many ways. For example by the means of using a given name right away. Let's assume that somebody is introducing to you as Marek. Your response is: "Hi Marek, how're you doing?" After a while you ask: "Listen Marek, what do you actually do?" Another way of repeating a name is saying it in your mind. In this case, after Mark has introduced himself you keep saying in your mind "Marek Marek Marek Marek Marek Marek Marek". The third thing you can do is to write down the name on some sheet of paper as soon as you've got a chance. Of course, it all depends on the circumstances of your meeting but you can always take a note of it in the cell phone. The very fact that you write it down will be of great assistance for your memory.
4. Form associations
Having heard a new name create an image which would include associations of that name with some item or event. Furthermore, let an image be enormous, exaggerated, funny, colourful and in motion - such efforts will make you remember it for sure.
A few examples.
- You've just met Karolina. Imagine her wearing big, colourful string of beads. These beads are heavy, strangely shaped and bight coloured. (it's going to work for Karol too :))
-Adam introduced himself to you just a second ago. Imagine him being disguised as a honourable lady. He's wearing a gorgeous dress and keeping in hand a fan cooling himself off. It's no longer Adam, now it's a beautiful lady.
- Marysia. Visualize Marysia who is taking care of big lynx. Visualize ominous eyes of this animal and its readiness to attack. Marysia 's got a lynx.
- Wojtek. Imagine Wojtek who is in the army. He's wearing a wonderful uniform and holding a rifle. You can even imagine him charging and shooting to enemies at the front.
- Anna. Imagine Anna taking a bath. There're rubber ducks floating around her and there's a lot of foam everywhere. Anna and the bath tube.
Now you can see that it's dead easy. Everyone can form such a funny association within a few seconds. As soon as you form your own association, keep it in mind for a few seconds. From now on if you are to recall a given name, you could rely on this particular association.
Notice, please, that you can permanently associate all the names with whatever you want. If you get to know some Karolina, you'll know what image to pick from your mind without the need to form a new one. I believe it's a great idea. Nevertheless, I enjoy coming up with new associations that is why I haven't chosen this particular method.
5. Ask again
If it happens that you can't use one of the aforementioned techniques or somehow you won't manage to remember the name of a newly met person - don't be afraid to ask it again. This person will certainly and willingly say it again. It'll surely be a much better solution than letting it happen when you have to say that name without remembering it.
Out of all these pieces of advice, points 3 and 4 present precise techniques. You can use all of them simultaneously, but in most cases one technique should do. That is why at first try each of them separately. Decide which one works best for you and stick to it.If one technique doesn't suffice, make use of another one at the same time - such a combination will certainly aid your memory to such an extent that there will be no chance of forgetting the name of a newly met person.
My strategy is the following: if I'm still interacting with a new person then I'm using her name in the conversation and repeating it in my mind. As soon as I finish talking with a person and I've got a spare moment, I form a funny association within 10 sec.
If memorizing names in no longer a problem, you need to remember about one more thing. Use these names! You need to show people that you know their names. That is why, when you're asking someone a question, include their name. If you've ended the conversation and you want to approach a person again, address them by their first name. The moment that person hears their name and realizes that you've just got to know each other and you can remember their name - it'll be an extremely pleasant experience for them. You'll make a fabulous impression and your conversation will reach a higher level.