I once earned a speaking engagement by impressing Roxanne Gibbs, editor of The Nation, a prominent Barbados newspaper. I first met Roxanne and five of her friends in a banquet buffet line. Later, she recounted that I remembered all of their names after the meal. Here are 5 Cool Ideas for remembering names.
1. Use a system you can rely on.
People who use a memory device called mnemonics remember Pat’s name because she is wearing purple, but may struggle to recall Pat’s name when she wears brown. Try to remember a person for who they are, rather than what they wear.
2. Use “cluster imprinting” to learn names.
The goal of cluster imprinting is to imprint your brain with the person’s name eight to ten times within three minutes of meeting them. Listen to the person say their name. Then say “Catherine, it’s nice to meet you.” You’ve now heard her name twice.
3. Repetition is a form of practice.
After being introduced, you might say “Catherine, is that Catherine with a ‘C’ or Katherine with a ‘K’?” The person could answer “‘Catherine’ with a ‘C’.” Now you’ve heard the name five times and visualized it at least once. If someone approaches you and Catherine, offer to introduce the new person. “Catherine, do you know David? David, this is Catherine.” At this point, you’ve been imprinted with Catherine’s name seven times.
4. Practice remembering the name right up until you say “goodbye.”
When it’s time to excuse yourself, you might say “It’s been nice meeting you, Catherine,” which makes the eighth time your brain has been imprinted with her name. You are not likely to forget “Catherine.”
5. Use interval training can help achieve total recall.
Try to recall the name at several intervals during the next 24 hours, stretching the time span for each attempt. Another form of interval training is to review rosters and registration lists before and after the meeting.
Have you ever met someone who was really good at remember names? What was your impression of him or her?
