HOW TO REMEMBER PEOPLES NAMES

TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE WRITTEN FORM OF THE NAME.

ASK THE PERSON FOR HIS/HER BUSINESS CARD OR

JUST WRITE THE NAME DOWN FOR YOURSELF.

REMEMBERING NICKNAMES MIGHT BE EASIER FOR SOME

PEOPLE BUT TRY TO STICK TO THE NAME THE PERSON

TOLD YOU WHEN HE WAS INTRODUCED TO YOU. IF HE SAID

HE WAS “DAVID”, REMEMBER HIM AS “DAVID”, NOT “DAVE”.

CLOSE THE CONVERSATION BY SAYING THE NEWLY

INTRODUCED PERSON´S NAME (E.G.: “IT WAS SO NICE

TO TALK TO YOU, SARAH”). THIS WAY, YOU WILL LET THE

PERSON KNOW YOU HAVE KEPT HIS/HER NAME IN MIND

(WHICH WILL PLEASE HIM/HER) AND IT WILL ALSO

REINFORCE THE CONNECTION BETWEEN THE NAME AND

THE PERSON YOU HAVE CREATED IN YOUR MIND.

RIGHT AFTER YOU FINISH THE CONVERSATION WITH THE

PERSON AND YOU ARE ALONE, SAY THE PERSON´S NAME

ALOUD A FEW MORE TIMES AND TRY TO CONNECT IT

WITH SOME IMPORTANT INFORMATION RELATED TO THE

PERSON, FOR EXAMPLE: “JAIME, THE IT GUY FROM BOSTON”.

IF YOU HAVE A GOOD IMAGINATION, YOU CAN ALSO TRY

TO TURN THE PERSON´S NAME INTO AN IMAGE OF

SOMETHING THAT YOU WILL REMEMBER EASIER. IT DOESN’T

WORK WITH EVERY NAME BUT THERE IS STILL A LOT

OF NAMES THAT CAN BE ASSOCIATED WITH SOME COMMON

OBJECTS (E.G. SHIRLEY – THE SHIRLEY TEMPLE COCKTAIL,

JACK – THE CAR LIFT, MARGHERITA – THE PIZZA ETC.)

IF YOU KEEP A RECORD OF PEOPLE YOU HAVE MET AND

MIGHT MEET AGAIN, TAKE TIME ONCE IN A WHILE TO

BRIEFLY GO THROUGH IT ALL AND TRY TO ASSOCIATE THE

NAMES WITH THE PEOPLE´S FACES. THIS WILL REFRESH

THE CONNECTIONS YOU HAVE ALREADY CREATED IN YOUR MIND.

MANY OF THOSE WHO HAVE PROBLEMS WITH

REMEMBERING NAMES REFUSE TO TRY AND REMEMBER

PEOPLE'S NAMES THINKING THEY WILL FORGET THEIR

NAMES ANYWAY (KIND OF LIKE A SELF-FULFILLING,

NEGATIVE PROPHECY). IN THIS CASE, WHAT'S NEEDED IS

A CHANGE OF ATTITUDE. IF YOU ARE DETERMINED TO

REMEMBER NAMES, YOU ARE MUCH MORE LIKELY TO

MAKE IT HAPPEN.

AN AVERAGE HUMAN BRAIN CAN STORE AS MANY AS

2.5 PETABYTES (OR 2,500 TERABYTES) OF INFORMATION,

SO DON'T WORRY. BE CONFIDENT THAT YOU ARE MORE

THAN ABLE TO REMEMBER ANY NAME YOU WANT TO.