Everyone seems to have trouble remembering people’s names
Last week I taught a seminar for over 20 people. It was about Dealing with Difficult people.
And I had remembered everyone’s name before we even started the class.
Dale Carnegie has taught a simple system for over 50 years to help you remember people’s names.
There are many people since who have come up with ways to remember people’s names. But it always comes down to one thing, that is the most important.
You must want to remember peoples names. And not just want oh that would be nice. But have a desire to actually be pro-active in remembering people’s names.
If you just wish for it, it will not happen. You have to be willing enough to take some action to remember their names.
Dale Carnegie came up with this system
BRAMMS – It is a pneumonic for helping you remember how to remember their name.
B – relate it to business and what they do
R – rhyme or repeat it – like using their name in a question right after you hear it
A – appearance – relate it to how they look
M – meaning – ask them what the meaning of their name is
M – Mind picture – create a visual picture in your mind representing their name
S – Similar name – of people you already know and remember
Now, to me, I always like to change things, and hopefully simplify them.
So this is the method I use to help myself easily remember people’s names.
- have a strong desire to learn their name
- Make eye contact and remember the color of their eyes as they say their name
- If possible also be consciously holding their hand still from the hand shake when they say their name
- Map a picture in your mind of what their name sounds like to some feature of them or them entirely.
Optional Step:
- Mind map their name picture in the middle and branch out stuff about them (branches in pictures and name in picture if possible)
Now, let me explain the picture making.
Our mind works in pictures, not in words.
That is why so many people will be able to “never forget a face” but have trouble remembering the name of 1 person they just met 5 minutes ago
So if you want to remember a name, you have to create a picture of their name. Because your brain will only remember that picture.
For example, if the person’s name is Keith, what does Keith rhyme with that reminds you of Keith. Maybe he has a pocket knife in a sheath on his belt. Keith – sheet, and visualize the picture of the knife sheath larger than life.
Or if it is Jill – look at Jill and you see she looks like your best friend bill. So picture her standing next to your friend bill, and you stand a really good chance of remembering her name is Jill from that picture.
What I do, is anytime someone has the name of someone I already know, I picture them making out with the person I know with the same name.
That is a picture I always remember.
The more bold, different, and dynamic the picture in your mind, the more easily you will remember their name.
Optional Step:
Want to remember information about that person years down the road, without writing it down? So when you see them again, you will remember it?
This is step 5. Creating a mind map of them and what you want to remember.
First, what is a mind map?
It is best described with a picture
This is what a mind map looks like.
It looks a lot like the neurons in your brain. It is in a way, how your brain works.
So in the center would be the picture of the person representing them and their name.
Then the first branch out would be pictures representing stuff about them you want to remember.
Then the branches from that would be pictures of more detail you want to remember about the person.
There is a lot of mind mapping software out there for your computer.
My favorite is the one Fred Pryor Sells.
Concept Draw MindMap. It is normally $200
But if you order it from the pryor website, I can get you $20 off the price.
Simply enter code 1982 upon check out.
You will then receive 10% off the software (or anything you purchase for that matter)
http://www.pryor.com/mkt_info/products/PRY8225_Mindmap5.asp
?pid=PRY8225&cType=CDROM |
