Quick Tips for Remembering Names

Do you find yourself forgetting important names immediately after you have attended an important networking function or social event?  If so, the following techniques may help you retain the information more effectively:

·         Have a positive attitude going into the event and tell yourself that you will remember a few important names when you leave, rather than approach the event with a defeatist attitude.

·         Slow down and filter out external distractions.  Inevitably, there will be crowds, music and people talking around you.  As you are learning a person’s name, take the time to repeat it to yourself a few times while blocking out the external sound around you.

·         Get some information related to the person that is associated with their name such as where they are from or how they became interested in the event.  If you can create a mental association with the name, you will be more likely to recall it later on.

·         Say the person’s name frequently during your interaction with them.  It will reinforce to them that they are of importance to you and repetition of the name can help to reinforce it in your mind.

·         If you are a visual learner, create images in your mind that link the word in the name with the image.  For example, if someone has the last name “Baker”, you might associate cupcakes or baked goods with the last name.  For more information on memory devices that you can use to remember names, visit Memory Layer, a website that contains mnemonic devices that can help you be creative as you strive to memorize names using an innovative approach.

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