A Wacky Way to Remember Someone’s Name the First Time You Meet

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• June 26, 2014
• By Susan Shain
• 5 Comments

Remembering names is key to forming effective relationships. But for many of us, it remains a difficult skill — sometimes even a constant source of embarrassment.

What if we told you there was an easy way to remember everyone’s names — a simple visualization technique that’s been around for almost 80 years?

A recent Fast Company article reveals the trick of a master: Dale Carnegie. He is the author of “How to Win Friends and Influence People,” which has been a bestseller since its release in 1936.

Carnegie believed that the sweetest sound to anyone’s ear is their name, and that if you want to succeed at work, you’ve got to get good at remembering them.

So… What’s the trick?

The article describes his“memory-linking technique,” which suggests associating the details of someone’s name with a visual representation. Meaning, create an image in your mind that depicts the traits of their name, along with other key elements like their profession or physical appearance.

The wackier the image, the more it will stick out — and the more likely you are to remember it.

Fast Company gives the following examples:

“If you meet Jill Hamlette who’s a professional basketball player, imagine her fighting with Jack over an enormous piece of ham in her basketball uniform. If you meet Bill Turner who’s a musician, imagine him DJing at a turntable with a bunch of dollar bills in his hands.”

Next time you shake hands with someone, try it out. And let us know how it goes!

Do you have a technique for remembering people’s names? What do you think of memory-linking?

Susan Shain (@TravlJunkette) is a travel blogger who loves helping people discover adventure through international travel or alternative careers.

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