Remember People’s Names This Holiday Season

Breeze Through Awkward Social Moments At Holiday Events

This time of year brings many events, parties, and end-of-year get-togethers. You meet all sorts of new people and have to learn their names. You talk with them for a moment, and you move on. As an extrovert, for me, those moments are super fun! I enjoy meeting new people. And small talk can be tough. But often, we can move past the small talk into something fun and meaningful in no time at all. So, those conversations can lead to a great time for everyone.

Sometimes, though, the following thing happens. While you’re chatting with this terrific new person someone you know comes up to you. You need to introduce them. And you realize you’ve forgotten the first person’s name!

Awkward!

Ever been there? Yeah, me too. No matter how hard you try, sometimes you just forget.

Make it a game to remember

But I’ve got the solution. Here are two easy tips to remember the names of new people you’ve met.

First, let’s say the name of the person you’ve just met is Gary. Note the first letter of his name and its sound. That hard G sound is key. Now, take in his clothes. What color shirt is he wearing? It’s green. Why then, just say “Gary Green Shirt,” to yourself about eight times. More than seven times will push it just slightly out of your short-term memory and into your longer-term one. That little phrase will help you remember his name (as long as he doesn’t change shirts. 🙂 ). If he isn’t wearing a green shirt, perhaps he’s wearing glasses. In that case, turn the little phrase into, “Gary glasses.” Then, say it eight times to yourself.

If you can’t find anything he is wearing that matches his name, pay attention to what he says. Perhaps, he loves to play golf. Then, say the phrase “Gary golfer.”

Here’s another example. Let’s say you meet Susan. She is wearing one of those ugly Christmas sweaters. Make her phrase, “Susan Silly Sweater.”

You can do the same thing with Karen. Let’s say Karen is a knitter. You might be tempted to say, “Karen knitter, Karen knitter,” but I would suggest against it. The “k” is silent and might make it harder for you to remember. Instead, perhaps as you talk, find something else you can hook onto. Perhaps you learn that you both loved to play kickball when you were in elementary school. So, she can become “Karen kickball.”

Plus, remembering that little thing about the person will allow you to introduce them with more than just a “This is Karen.” You can say. “Karen this is Howard. Howard, this is Karen. Karen and I were just discussing our mutual love for kickball from when we were in elementary school. Were you a kickball fan too?” And the three of you are off to the races!

Remember that honesty also works.

The second tip is the one to use when you’ve forgotten the person’s name and the phrase has disappeared too. Are you ready? Be honest. Say something like, “Oh, I’m just rubbish at remembering names. I’m so sorry. What is your name again?” So, take the blame on yourself. Make sure they don’t feel less important for you having forgotten their name. Then, introduce your two acquaintances to each other and enjoy the rest of your conversation.

Tag a friend who needs to see this and help them survive the holidays too.

And if you want more communication tips, check my latest book, Speak From Within.