I Just Met You--and I Remember Your Name!

Are you looking for a better way to remember the names of people you meet at networking and other professional events? Here is an easy way to increase your chances of remembering. In addition, you will avoid starting a conversation with boring talk about the weather.

Ask a question or make a comment about the person’s name. Here are some examples:

Say something positive about a namesake: “It is nice to meet you, Joe. I have great memories of an uncle (or neighbor or colleague) named Joe. My uncle was an incredibly talented engineer. Is there any chance you are an engineer, too?”

If the answer is “yes, I work for the nuclear division at Westinghouse,” you can say, “Perhaps engineering goes with the name,” and follow up with questions about Joe’s job. If the answer is “No, I’m in the hospitality industry,” you can say, “Well, I guess the profession doesn’t go with the name,” and follow up with questions about the hospitality industry.

In any case, pick something positive or neutral about someone you knew who shared the name in question. If you can find something you admire in the namesake, all the better. The conversation gets off to a positive start.

A second approach is to ask for the story behind the name: “Shalonda is a lovely (or elegant) name. Is there a story behind it?” Depending on the story, many follow-up questions are possible.

Another techinque is to ask for the meaning behind the name: I don’t hear the name Aviva often. What’s the meaning of your name? Again, many follow-up questions are possible.

Finally, ask for the heritage behind the name: “I don’t hear the name Broniek very often. Can you tell me about the heritage behind your name? You can follow this question with ones about geography, history, holiday foods and traditions, and many others, depending on how long this person or family has been in the US.

Each of these approaches—assuming you are sincere in your comments—allows you to repeat the person’s name and start a conversation at the same time. Repeating a name and discussing it increases your chances of remembering it. Since the focus is on the other person (his or her name), that person is likely to think you are a great conversationalist. This makes you both likeable and memorable. You win in more ways that one!