Who's Rolodex are you in?

If you follow the Holiday Networking Challenge I presented [click here to review], you may find it difficult to remember the names of all the people you will be meeting.  Below are some additional tips for remembering those new names. (In an upcoming post on Managing Your New, Growing List, I will give you some tips on managing all these new contacts.  Stay tuned.  For now, practice remembering names!)

Here are 6 quick, easy tips for remembering names over the holidays:

  1. Alliteration: totally talked to Tom at target;
  2. Add emotion:  when you get someone’s name, add emotion to it by either repeating with high enthusiasm: “Oh my gosh, Rita, nice to meet you! My grandmother’s name was Rita.” Or, “Tom – how coincidental, the policeman who just gave me a ticket – his name was Tom!”;
  3. Tie the name to the song being pumped out;
  4. Have a pen with you and write it in the palm of your hand, maybe making a rhyme with it.
  5. Connect the name with a person’s feature: Tom – the guy with a twinkle in his eye, Mary – the woman with marvelous sweater, Jack – the guy with the jumping kids…. You get the picture.
  6. Say their name several times.

Practicing remembering names helps you discover what works best for you, and helps to build new skills.  You will start amazing associates and friends with your newly found skill, and you will start seeing the positive outcomes the more you remember people’s names – the sweetest sound to their ear.

It works wonders for me, and as you will soon see, will work wonders for you too.

(Photo courtesy of Flickr and Tony Buser)