Effective Networking means remembering people’s names!
I’m pretty lousy with names (well I have been and I am constantly working on it as I know how important remembering names is.
That’s what I love about BNI Meetings. Every member has a name tag to make visitors feel comfortable and every visitr is asked to wear a name tag so members can refer to them by name. There is something inherently comforting about hearing your own name and name tags obviously make the process of connecting and conversation more convenient.
When developing relationships with new contacts, the first step is to learn and remember someone’s name (the only thing worse than forgetting someone’s name is to call them the wrong name.)
Personally I would recommend that you get your own name badge made. You can get these done for under $10 but I have also outlined some tips to help you remember other people’s names if they are not wearing a name tag.
Associate their name with what they do – Did you ever watch the TV show “Bob the Builder” when you were younger? Maybe you have children who enjoy this show now? Bob is associated with his career. So, he’s not just Bob. He’s Bob, the Builder. Try this on for size next time you meet someone – “Hi, what’s your name.” They may respond, “I am Catherine.” Your immediate follow up should be “And, what do you do?” “I’m an accountant” may be her next response. So, immediately she becomes known as Catherine the accountant in your mind.
Repetition breeds familiarity – If someone is not wearing a name tag you need to make the effort to repeat their name 3 or 4 times following the process mentioned above. For example “It’s nice to meet you, Catherine. What do you do for work, Catherine?” After she tells her that she’s an accountant try to make the effort to introduce her to someone else. “Hi, this is Catherine. Catherine is an accountant.” You’ve repeated her name 4 times and this should help it stick in your memory.
Ask them to spell their names – Again with a name like Catherine, if you wat help remembering it ask how the name is spelt. For example, “Is that Catherine with a C or Kathryn with a C. Then you have another association to remember them by. Next time you see her you will be ‘oh look, there’s Catherine with a C, the accountant.”
Use word play to remember someone’s names – Alliteration and mnemonics are useful tools for remembering information – for example you may decide to remember Catherine the accountants name by remembering the phrase “Catherine cooks the books.” But perhaps you shouldn’t tell her how you remember her name.
Ask for a business card – When you meet someone and you hit it off you should ask for a business card. On the back of the card you can write some notes about where you met them.Writing down information can be a useful memory tool.
These are some great ways to help remember people’s names but another often overlooked opportunity is to encourage others to help you remember their name by helping them to remember your name. Wear a name badge everywhere, even if one is not provided. Give them the mnemonic cues to remember you by. One of my own tools is “Hi, I’m Hamish. I help people have conversations.” Or, more simply. “Hi, I’m Hamish. If you want to remember me, remember me as the phone guy.”
I love to network and I am going to spend a lot of time sharing articles on this page about my experiences networking and general tips and hints. I run two businesses – in telecommunications and PR and I am a BNI Director in Melbourne because I am a big fan of structured networking opportunities.
If you have any tips about remembering names, please leave a comment below. If you have any questions about BNI please do not hesitate to contact me.