Remembering people’s names isn’t always easy. One of the most common tricks is to repeat the person’s name throughout the conversation. Forbes recommends asking a question to give yourself time to cement the name in your brain.
Picture: Quinn Dombrowski/Flickr
When you ask a person you just met a question, it gives you the time to repeat the person’s name in your head for a couple seconds. Forbes explains:
By immediately asking the person a question, you give him the opportunity to speak, which in turn gives you time to anchor his name in your memory, she explains. “It also sends the message that you’re interested in him and want to learn more about him.” One reason we often fail to remember names is that we start talking about ourselves right away, she adds. “This mistakenly takes the focus off of the other person and onto us; plus it robs us of that precious opportunity to savour and remember the ‘sweetest sound’ of their name and anchor it in our mind. By the time we finish talking, we’ve forgotten their name.” To avoid this mishap, ask a simple question to get them talking first.
So, while the person is answering your question, silently repeat their name in your head. It will hopefully cement in your memory eventually. Of course, if both of you start with a question, this method doesn’t really work, but we’ve got a few more tips for remembering names, including creating visual hooks and making better eye contact.
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