Image Courtesy of Sheep"R"Us' photostream
Hi, um, ah, ugh…Bob?
Are you good at remembering faces but not names? Dale Carnegie (of the famous How to Win Friends and Influence People) once said “A person’s name is to him or her the sweetest and most important sound in any language”. Remembering the name of a prospect or even more impactful for most folks, the name of their dog, may be just the thing to set you apart from your competition.
So, how do you do it? Here are four action steps:
1. Make a commitment to yourself to remember Increasing your ability to remember names is like any other skill you learn. You can do it! “I have a bad memory” is just an excuse.
2. Use it or lose it Within 60 seconds of learning someone’s name, be sure to use it! “Pleasure to meet you Bob”, “Jason is my father’s name too”
3. Associate the name Associate the name with what you know about the person. Bob is a Banker, Jason needs to order jackets.
4. Say what?! Don’t be afraid to ask again. “I got so excited talking about your business, I’ve forgotten your name” or “I’m sorry, I missed your name”
Best of luck in remembering names, um, ah, ugh… friend?