Remembering peoples names.

[Gordon Gekko]

Hi All,

Starting a new job soon, out on the road selling to the Trade (builders) industry, which I am really looking for to.

My biggest challange will be remembering names after only meeting people once. I would be calling on new building sites, introducing myself to the builder, I will get all his details, offer our services, offer to quote jobs.....etc And then call back in a week or two to follow up.

On my return visit, I will know his name because I have ait all written down but putting that name to a face........that is where I will struggle and I think it is very important that I know his name / face on the second visit.

I know this comes naturally for some but not me

Any help / ideas would be great

Cheers

Jay

 

[danel]

I usually jot names down and put a quick note, in my phone, of who and what they do. Then I have a quick look b4 meeting up again!

 

[lizzie]

Try and remember one discerning feature about their face.

Although - don't take advice from me. I am so hopeless that I even forget the names of people I know, and spent years calling two people I worked with by the wrong names. I knew their names, but kept getting them mixed up - and they didn't even remotely look alike!

Fortunately hubby knows how bad I am and when we go to work functions he always say "Darling, you remember .... " gotta love 'em

 

[Indifference]

Common problem this one.... a few tips:

1. Commitment - train yourself to be truly engaging on a personal level. Look the person in the eye and say their name upon meeting them.

2. Repetition - use their name for the first 3 or 4 conversational interactions. Either prefix or suffix EVERY verbal interaction with their name for the first few interactions.

3. Associate - their name with a physical feature, to act as a memory jogger.

4. Social IQ - learn to be genuinely engaged by personal interactions. Don't merely go through the motions..... treat every new encounter as a potential new best mate... someone you really WANT to know. Learn to want to know who people are.

 

[Peter_Tersteeg]

Write it down a couple of times during the meeting, take a few notes.

I'm really bad with peoples names, until I put the paperwork together.

 

[Macca]

I used to be a rep so been there done this.

Like you I always recorded each customers details ready for the next visit, names, prices etc.

I found the best way for me was to write on the customer record some sort of identifying feature, very tall, wears glasses, big belly, etc.

Good luck with the job, I used to love travelling around for a living

 

[tom32]

You will find as well that you are better at it than you think.

you get that "you know this person from somewhere" thing. If you know where you are and what their name is at that site then you are away when you see someone you recognise even if before the meeting you cannot thin what the hell they look like.

Another trick is as soon as you get on site to find someone who it definitely isn't and ask them, have you seen john around etc and be looking out a window so you are not staring directly at john accidentally. That will narrow it down for you when they say he is down the back of the site office etc or in the next door office.

Other thing is before you pop in you should ring first and ask if they want a coffee. Then he will be looking for you.

All my favourite suppliers bring me coffee... It's not the cost thing, it is being on a building or civil site where it is such a pain in the **** to go and buy a good coffee.

These days some site offices have the flash machines but I still don't think they are as good as a bought one.

 

[Ocean Architect]

I am a consumate professional in all of my business dealings, and have never ever called someone the wrong name. The secret to my success is to rename everybody "dude"

 

[Jacque]

I am a consumate professional in all of my business dealings, and have never ever called someone the wrong name. The secret to my success is to rename everybody "dude"

Or mate, buddy, champ........ my brother uses these a lot in his people-centric and "macho" field

Indifference has given some great tips. I also use notes, identifying features (some that are for my eyes only as per Macca's post!) and the association trick. I tend to use alliteration if it works eg: Jolly Jacque, Raving Robyn etc. I've also found letters series works for groups- when we met some new neighbours recently, to remember the order and names of their 3 children I filed ACE away in my memory as their names were Allie, Crystal and Elizabeth. Everytime I see their parents around I always ask how they are and repeat the names. You ideally need to do this every time or else the brain starts to forget

Repetition is also the key when meeting folks for the first time. As others have said, engaging and saying their name immediately upon greeting helps- as does asking a specific question if the name is unusual or difficult to spell. I usually ask something like "That's a lovely unusual name- I've not heard of it before. Where does it originate from?" Asking people to spell also assists as there are countless variations these days of the same name.

Back when I was teaching I certainly came across a plethora of "different" names and the ones that have stuck with me forever were those that were unique or memorable. One family of four boys all had names beginning with J as did their surname. Even now, some 20 years later I can recall with clarity every one of them.

Good luck with it all Jay- hopefully there's some tips in all these posts that will get you through all those names but if all else fails remember mate, buddy, champ work well

 

[chilliblue]

When dealing with onsite workers, I normally confess straight out that I am hopeless with names and often take a photo and place that alongside their contact details on my phone.

Helps that I am female.

 

[The Fence]

Chilliblue and indifference have it in a nutshel.

And you will find as a result that you will engage on a more personal level and therefore the client will want to buy from you more than someone who appears to not care or remember their name.

The photo thing is too easy these days with the iphone/blackberry etc...makes it real easy...bring up the pic just before lodging onsite...there he is...!!

 

[Ocean Architect]

Or mate, buddy, champ........ my brother uses these a lot in his people-centric and "macho" field

I am not gender biased. I have christened many, many people of the female gender with the name "chick"

I even give them last names "chick blonde 8/10" "chick fat horrible" "chick bucktooth deathbreath"

Nice guy, hey

 

[Belbo]

This is what makes you so special OA. You say it. (It might also be why you're single, on the Opus Dei recruitment list, and wanted for questioning at the Hague, but no one can accuse you of bottlin' it up!)

 

[Ocean Architect]

HEY I'm single because I have high standards and refuse to drop them.

Of course, going from my former stunning self into an olympic champion fridge sprinter/burger curler may have a little bit to do with it, but these women need to stop being so shallow imo

 

[pennyk]

I'm not very good at remembering names, or faces, so I have a doubly hard time. and I seem to freeze if anyone asks me what someone's name is, whether I'm with them or not .

I find I can remember names much more easily if I write them down. I worked at a school with about 200 kids, and I knew all their names, but only if I said both first and last name. I can still remember alot of the names. So, I still do that.. but first name and company.

But I dont really have alot of other tips, apart from getting people to wear name badges! and not being afraid to ask for their names again if you forget. I just let people know I have a really bad memory, and tell them the story of my friend, who forgot his wifes name when introducing her to someone. (they divorced soon after. ) or the time I was introducing my colleague in a seminar, who I had worked with for 3 years, and was panicking during it, cause her name when right out of my head.... very embarrassing...

 

[Jody in Darwin]

Indifference nailed it.

LOL - Ocean Architect - my memory tricks aren't always politically correct either but they work & that's the point . My year 10 electronics teacher told us a filthy, disgusting mnemonic to remember part of the course with - because it was so bad everyone remembered it! Also my yr 10 French teacher promised to teach us swear words if the whole class passed a particular test - that week EVERYONE got 100%!!! (and the swear words she taught us is really the only french I remember).

www.lumosity.com has games designed to improve memory, among other things. I have found it helpful.

KR,
Jody

 

[Chomp]

When dealing with onsite workers, I normally confess straight out that I am hopeless with names and often take a photo and place that alongside their contact details on my phone.

Helps that I am female.

I do something similar, pointing and waving my finger as if Im trying to remember But I have the subbies coming to me and they just smile usually, they know how many different people we all meet and it is hard to remember.
I find it off putting when people act like they know you well when they dont, and you know they dont.

Chomp

 

[BayView]

Hi All,

Starting a new job soon, out on the road selling to the Trade (builders) industry, which I am really looking for to.

My biggest challange will be remembering names after only meeting people once. I would be calling on new building sites, introducing myself to the builder, I will get all his details, offer our services, offer to quote jobs.....etc And then call back in a week or two to follow up.

On my return visit, I will know his name because I have ait all written down but putting that name to a face........that is where I will struggle and I think it is very important that I know his name / face on the second visit.

I know this comes naturally for some but not me

Any help / ideas would be great

Cheers

Jay

In the building industry, the first revisit you call them mate.

Dude, champ and buddy are too familiar and disrespectful on this visit. Time for that comes later

The second revisit (you know them better and have remembered their name) you call them "young" whatever..."G'day, young Rob, how's it going?" etc.

The third revisit (you now know them very well) you say "Hayagarn, you old b@stard?"

Or something similar.

But seriously; word association works well. Find something about them and attach a word to that feature.

eg; The guy handling our flooring in or PPoR build is called Paul. He is a very nice guy, but quite overweight. My wife works with a guy of the same name who is also this way. She calls him "fat Paul" to me because he is a dick....anyway, I secretly attached the word "fat" to the flooring guy immediately on meeting him. Easy to remember from then on.