Saturday, March 7, 2009

If I could only remember his name!...

Please know, it is quite common for us to easily forget a person's name, especially if we are meeting many new people at a party, networking event, social gathering or even before a large business meeting. Oftentimes, we feel embarassed to have forgotten someone's name. This may even lead some of us to avoid interacting with the new person we just met, simply because we feel uncomfortable asking for their name again. Morever, the situation may become slightly tighter if the "new person" remembers OUR name...

To ease your pain and help you cross that rough path, there are various methods that help you develop a mindset and capacity to easliy remember names.

One technique that I use and teach my clients is a technique that I developed over time, after reading and trying out many methods. It is called "L-CAR":

LOOK: Look the person in the eyes. Look for specific facial traits. Look at the person's eye color.

CLICK: Take a mental picture of the person's face. Tell yoursefl "click" and tell yourself you want to memorize this face.

ASSOCIATE: Think fast, and mentally associate the new person and her/his name with someone or something that immediately reminds you of him/her. Example: I meet Kate. Kate has a cute nose like my sister's. I will associate Kate with my sister and will place them side by side in my mind.

REPEAT: One of the most important steps: Continuously repeat the person's name during the introduction and short conversation you start with the person. Example: It is a pleasure meeting you, Kate! If you don't mind, I would like to introduce to you my friend John. It is so interesting that both of you come from the same small town, Kate! In a few seconds, you have used her name twice. Now, when introducing John and Kate, you will use it again, and will have more chances of using it immediately after. Repetition and eye contact really will emphasize the mental picture you took and the association you made.

I hope you take the "L-CAR" with you on your business and social gatherings, trips and outings!

Have a wonderful weekend!
Denise

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