It’s as common as chardonnay:
You’re chatting with a business acquaintance you’ve met a hundred
times but blank on the name. Or someone tells you his name, and
five seconds later, you’ve already forgotten it. According to
Benjamin Levy, author of Remember Every Name Every Time
(Fireside, 2002), the solution is to commit the name to memory as
soon as it’s presented, using methods outlined below.
Catch and match. Be
aware of the moment when the person says his name. Immediately
cross-reference the new name with anything similar in your memory.
If the person’s name is Tom, concentrate on other Toms in your
mental filing cabinet.
Use a system. For
frequent forgetters, Levy offers the FACE method. First,
focus on the person and ask a question about the
name (e.g., “How do you spell it?”). Then comment on it to
them or yourself. Finally, employ the name before the
conversation ends.
Don’t stare. If an
event features name tags, avoid staring at chests. Steal a glance
at the badge from afar and maintain eye contact when dropping the
name.