Forgetting names might probably be because of sheer negligence or a lack of good memory. Many people don’t realize the importance of remembering the names of others, who are introduced to them, and thus, fail to create an impact in their social circle. Using a person’s name shows respect and honour for him/her as an individual and helps a great deal in creating a good rapport. Therefore, you should make sure to remember a person’s name and use it, whenever you come across him/her. There are a number of ways to recall names—whether they are common, difficult to pronounce or unfamiliar. If you are in the dark on how to remember names, without embarrassing yourself or the person in question, then this article will come handy.
Pay attention
When you are introduced to someone, listen and pay attention, when his/her name is told. Make sure that you listen to his/her name carefully. In case you do not understand the name of the person in one go, do not hesitate to ask once again. After you have confirmed his/her name, spell it once loudly and then repeat it for a few more times, this time in your mind. This way, you will be able to address the person by his/her name, the next time you meet him/her.
Append name to the conversation
When you are meeting a person for the second time, you should append his/her name to the beginning of your conversation and include the name at the end as well. For instance, ‘It’s a pleasure to meet you Saumya’! and ‘Saumya, I will catch you later’. By doing so, you would be able to create a rapport with him/her, because people often like to be remembered by their own name, rather than their occupation or title.
Relate the name
If the person you have just met reminds you of somebody whom you already know, then remembering his/her name would not be so difficult. You can easily remember the person, in this case. You might come across people, who look just like someone else in your acquaintance or even a celebrity.
Substitute the name with an object
You can also remember a name by substituting the name with an object. In case you come across such names, to which familiar objects can be related, make use of this technique, to remember them.
Personify the features
An easy way to remember people and their names is to personify their facial features in mind. Whenever you come across unknown faces and get the opportunity to be meet them time and again, just observe their distinguishing facial features or physical appearance, which can be remembered easily. For instance, ‘Aishwarya Roy Bachchan has long hair and green eyes’.
Remember the spelling
Some names are uncommon, long or tongue-twisting enough to make you forget them. For instance, last names like ‘Rautray’, ‘Mathpal’, ‘Marandi’ may seem to be difficult to remember, because they are not common. Another case is when the name seems to be very difficult to pronounce. In such a situation, do not feel embarrassed to ask the person to spell his/her name once again. If you get his/her business card, practice pronouncing the name, by writing it down on a piece of paper and then repeating it a number of times, till you remember it well.
