Question: I ran into someone I've met at least a dozen times and I still couldn't think of her name. How do I learn to remember names?
Answer: That's okay, Mary, I mean, Melissa, I mean ... er. It happens to everyone. The first step to name recall: Pay attention, says Scott Ginsberg, author of The of Approachability. When we meet someone, we tend to focus on ourselves and on making a good first impression instead of concentrating on the other person, he says. Try this:
1. Say the person's name aloud once after being introduced and then again at the conversation's end. While you're chatting, repeat her name a few times in your head as you focus on her face. People remember what they see three times better than what they hear, says Ginsberg. By connecting a face to a name, you'll be more likely to remember it next time.
2. Create a mnemonic device with a facial feature, such as "Paul has a protruding chin."
3. Write the name down after the conversation, along with how you know this person.
If you're caught in a name-forgetting situation, honesty is always the best policy. Try: "I feel terrible. We've met five times but I still can't remember your name." Then do your best to remember it in the future.
Answer: That's okay, Mary, I mean, Melissa, I mean ... er. It happens to everyone. The first step to name recall: Pay attention, says Scott Ginsberg, author of The of Approachability. When we meet someone, we tend to focus on ourselves and on making a good first impression instead of concentrating on the other person, he says. Try this:
1. Say the person's name aloud once after being introduced and then again at the conversation's end. While you're chatting, repeat her name a few times in your head as you focus on her face. People remember what they see three times better than what they hear, says Ginsberg. By connecting a face to a name, you'll be more likely to remember it next time.
2. Create a mnemonic device with a facial feature, such as "Paul has a protruding chin."
3. Write the name down after the conversation, along with how you know this person.
If you're caught in a name-forgetting situation, honesty is always the best policy. Try: "I feel terrible. We've met five times but I still can't remember your name." Then do your best to remember it in the future.
