Remembering Peoples Names Networking

The Sweetest Sound In The World!

Do you have any idea what the sweetest sound in the world is? (No, it’s not Celine Dion…)

It is a person’s NAME.

People own it and they cherish it. They have a fetish for getting the spelling of their name right. Try spelling it wrong and you will watch them tick with irritation or worse, send you a lawyer’s letter!

Make no mistake about it. The fastest way to get someone to like you is to remember their name and the pronunciation of that name – because it is the sweetest sound in their ear!

There is this true story about a businessman who was meeting up with a venture capitalist. The venture capitalist happens to be a foreigner with a name that is very, VERY hard to pronounce (spelling it was another challenge)

The businessman knew that if he were to close this deal, he would be set for life so he did a background check on the venture capitalist. He found out that not only was he frustrated at people who couldn’t remember his name, he was furious at those who couldn’t pronounce it!

So he wrote the name down on a piece of paper and repeated this name over and over again in his head.

When they finally met up, not only did he pronounce it correctly, he even gave comments about the venture capitalist’s name. The venture capitalist was so impressed, that he signed on without batting an eyelid!

So learning a person’s name can really pay off!

This is how you should go about as far as dealing with a prospect’s name is concerned:

• Ask them to repeat their name, followed by YOU pronouncing it back to them and asking them for verification until you get it right. Say it at least 3 times so you will NOT forget someone’s name. (Forgetting a person’s name might not hurt as much but if you make an effort to remember a person’s name especially when it is very hard to pronounce, they will think really highly of you!)

• If you have the time, ask them to spell the name so that you will remember it clearly.

• Try and relate the name with something easy to remember. For example, if a person’s name is Albert and he is thin, try and associate him with Bert from Sesame Street. If you are talking to a hot chick and her name is Kathy, you can try and picture her in a Catwoman costume and you will never forget her name!

• If possible, try and relate that person’s name to a relative or a friend and watch their faces light up. (If you don’t have a friend or a relative, you might try lying if you are up to it…

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