photo by wili_hybrid
Um…What’s his face?
Most of us (including myself) could stand to improve our memory of names and faces. I cannot count the number of times I have met someone and within seconds of hearing his or her name, I have somehow managed to forget it. The truth is that I do not have a poor memory of names. Usually when I “forget” a person’s name, I never actually committed it to memory in the first place. In fact, I probably didn’t even fully hear it! Therefore the first step to improving your memory of names and faces is to be intentionally observant about the matter.
What to do when you meet someone
Make a conscious effort when you are introduced to someone to look at the person’s face and hear the name. A good practice is to repeat the name back to the person and spell it in your head. If you didn’t hear the name the first time, or are unclear on how to spell it, ask them to repeat it or spell it for you. Not only will they be honored that you actually care, but also it uses the 5 keys we discussed on day 2. And by focusing on the face, repeating the name audibly, and spelling it in your head, you’re creating reinforced memories: the visual image of the face, the audible memory of the name, and the visual image of the letters that spell the name.
Now extend your observations to the physical characteristics of the person. Study the face, noting details such as eye-color, forehead, chin, nose, cheeks, facial hair, complexion. Make a special note of any peculiarities, blemishes or otherwise outstanding features. Observe the type of clothing he or she wears, the height. Does the person speak with an accent? Note any observations about their personality you may gather while listening and watching.
Caricature time!
In order to remember the person’s name when you meet again at a later date, associate the name with his or her features. This is a lot of fun. 
It’s sort of my private game I play when I meet people. I get to eye them, observe them, find something odd or distinctive about them, and then associate that feature with the name. If I met a man named John Webster who has bushy hair and piercing eyes, I might picture him cleaning toilets (john) with his bushy hair. His hair might also remind me of a web. Then I couple that with his piercing eyes which stare at me. Web-stare…sounds like Webster. This whole process sounds insane, and it is. There is no right or wrong way of doing it. Whatever helps you remember. Here are some tips on how to find a tie-in to the features:
- Associate the name of the person with someone you already know or a famous person.
- Associate the name with an object (as I did with John - toilet)
- Associate the name with sound alike words or rhyme
Memory Month Introduction & Table of Contents
3 comments ↓
Great tips. It is always impressive to people when you remember their name. And it is a must for any business person who wants to succeed.
Definitely, Gabe. People love it when they hear you use their name, even if at a subconscious level, and it’s even more impressive when they know you only met them once before and you still remember!
thanks for ur tips i was realy worried about it for months …
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