Tips to Remember Names: Winning the Name Game[ZT]

Need help remembering names? Employ the following tips to remember names and the vital details that accompany them.

1. When you hear someone's name repeat it out loud as soon as possible in conversation.

2. Append it to the beginning or ending of your greeting to that person: "It's a pleasure to meet you, Amber" or "Tyrone, how nice to meet you."

3. Try to associate a stranger's name with what they tell you about themselves. Repeat it out loud if need be: Ken, the southeast QC manager; Ariana, the internal service starlet. Hearing yourself say their names makes it more real and memorable.

4. European names employing W may sound like V's: Tony Bacezwski pronounces his name Tony Ba-SHEV-ski.

5. Chinese names may take the form of last name (surname), first name (given name). For example: Courtroom interpreter and longtime Oakland City Center Toastmaster Joe Parkman tells new friends: I'm no ordinary Joe, I'm Parkman Joe!" Indeed he is.

6. Employ mnemonic devices or alliteration to help you remember customers' names: Ling from Laos, Helen who’s Gellin', Sandy... like my sister-in-law (of the same name).

7. If you know your name will be hard to remember or pronounce for others, help them out: realtor Lisa Wierenga of Michigan encourages people to think of the phrase "Wearing A"; A realtor whose last name is Wojokowski helps people by saying "it's like 'where's your house keys!'" Oakland poet Lavignia asks people to call her "Vinny the Poet" for short.

8. Make written notes to yourself, at the time or later. Don’t tax your memory. Notate on the back of their business card or in your PDA. (Beware of writing on the front of someone's business card. In some cultures it's perceived as defacing their person!)

9. Ask for help with complicated names or ones in a foreign tongue. Take pride in learning the trills and other accents of foreign languages. Customers will appreciate your efforts and warm to your correctly pronouncing their name.

10. If you ask someone how to pronounce their name, never respond "Oh, I could never pronounce that!" Not only is it disrespectful, it's lazy on your part, to not even attempt the correct pronunciation. Try your best to pronounce it correctly in their presence; ask for help if you aren't letter perfect the first time. Remember, it's not about you and your comfort level, it's about them and making the effort to respect their identity.

11. Learn the story behind the person's name. Orunamamu's name, in the Nigerian language of Yoruban, means "Oh you royal one, miss morning star." Sometimes she'll simply tell people "The 'O' is for respect!" That's memorable!