By Khalilah Starks

There’s nothing worse than running into someone that you’ve previously met and not remembering their name.  And, it’s even worse when they remember you’re name and you can’t remember theirs.  Remembering names is a challenge for many.  But, the ability to remember names is an important skill for anyone trying to advance their career and network their way to the top.  So, I’ve put together a few tips to help you remember names or rescue you should you find yourself in a situation where you simply can’t remember the person’s name.

Listen carefully to the person’s name. Often times, during an introduction, we’re either distracted or so focused on what we’re going to say, that we miss the person’s name.  Give the person your full attention during the introduction and you’ll be sure to catch their name.

Make an association with their name. Perhaps you have a friend, coworker, or family member with the same name.  Associating your new acquaintance with an old acquaintance can help you remember the person’s name.   You can also make a visual association with the person’s name and a unique feature such as their hair color or something that they were wearing.  Making an association can make it easier for you to recall the person’s name at a later date.

Repeat the person’s name right after they introduce themselves and a couple of times throughout the conversation. This will help you recall the person’s name and reinforce their name in your memory.  Repeating the person’s name can actually establish closer ties.  It communicates sincerity and people like hearing the sound of their name.  Don’t be afraid to ask for help in pronouncing a name correctly.  Your efforts will be appreciated.

Ask for a business card. Often times, we take the business card, stuff it in our portfolio and never look at again.  Then when you run into the person at a later date, you can’t remember their name.  To avoid this, immediately look at the business card and make a visual association between the person and their name.   If you can’t get a business card, write the person’s name down immediately after you finish your conversation.  And, really look at the name to create the visual in your head.  This can also be a tactic to use if you run into the person and can’t remember their name.  How many times have you held an entire conversation with a person and couldn’t remember their name to save your life?  Asking for a business card will at least ensure that the next time you see the person, you’ll know their name.

Confess if you don’t remember. Instead of saying, “What’s your name again”, you should say, “I’m sorry, my mind is drawing a blank on your name.”  The latter statement shows that you’re sincerely trying to remember and have a genuine interest in knowing their name.  And, it sounds more polite.  Everyone forgets a name every now and then, so you’ll more than likely be easily forgiven if you sincerely confess and ask again.

Don’t ask the person how to spell or pronounce their name thinking that you’ll cleverly learn their name. If they have a simple name like “Kim”, it’ll be very apparent that you didn’t know their name in the first place.

Ask for their full name. This tactic can be a simple way to get their name without admitting that you’ve forgotten it, as it generally is not expected that you will remember a person’s first and last name.

Do you have an interesting technique for remembering names?  If so, please share!