How to remember a person's first and last name for a long time. How to develop memory for surnames and first names? Put extra effort into learning foreign or non-traditional names

How can you learn to remember people's names, thereby making your communication skills more effective? Seven Practical Tips for Learning to Remember Names

We all, one way or another, got into awkward situations when we forgot the names of people. And even if we do not talk about the inner feeling of discomfort that arises in these situations, then surely no one will argue with the fact that our forgetfulness did not benefit communication. And this is probably not scary if we are talking about a passing acquaintance, but it also happens that we do not remember the name of a person who is very important to us - for example, our potential client or a new head of the Dnepropetrovsk translation agency. Of course, as people with some ingenuity and life experience, we find all sorts of ways out of such situations, but I would very much like to simply not get into them.

First, let's figure out why most people find it difficult to remember the name of a new interlocutor. Surveys of researchers have shown that in public speaking, about 70% of listeners remember positions, hobbies, the speaker's profession, or in which city he was born. And only 30% of listeners can remember the name or surname of the speaker.
Why is this happening? Apparently the point is how our thinking works. A person thinks in images, and words and sounds serve only to convey information. Most names do not automatically evoke any associations with us. Our consciousness only notes that sounds are heard, but they do not trigger the imagination apparatus.

How can you learn to remember people's names, thereby making your communication skills more effective?

Let's consider several ways to solve this problem:

1. First of all, you will be determined to develop the habit of remembering names. Remember we are all made up of habits, and they can be cultivated. It is hard to argue with the fact that people who can remember names are able to achieve better results in communication. Suffice it to recall Suvorov, who was very fond of the soldiers, for the fact that he could address a private by name.
2. When introducing, focus on the dating process.
3. If possible, write down the name.
4. During the conversation, be sure to say the person's name out loud several times.
5. It will be useful to associate the name of a new acquaintance with people you already know well. For example, think about a person with the same name: “His name is also Sergey, but he is different from my friend Sergey in height.”
6. When communicating with a new acquaintance, try to create an association between his name and appearance: “Kolya looks very much like a boxer, and Sveta looks like a ballerina…”
7. If it so happened that the name of the interlocutor nevertheless slipped past your consciousness, do not hesitate to ask again - when you hear the name again, you will remember it for sure.

By following these tips for some time, you are sure to develop the right habit, and greatly improve your ability to remember names.

Good luck in communication!

We all need to remember the names and faces of people, and we do this throughout our lives. However, this is exactly the information that a person remembers the worst. Of course, it is easy to write down the name and surname of a person, but it is also necessary to remember the face of the person who owns this name.

Very often people say: “I have a very bad memory – I don’t remember names.” It's okay if you forget the name of a casual acquaintance, but what a pity to forget the name of an important business partner or a girl you really liked.

In this post, I will provide a few tricks that will help you avoid such embarrassing situations.

How to remember people's names and people's faces

1. Connect the interlocutor with someone or something

For example, if the person's name is the same as your brother or girlfriend's name. Another way is to link a person's name to what they have told you about themselves.

2. Visualize

When you first talk to a person, try to remember his appearance or some gestures. Associate these personality traits with the face and they will help you remember the name later on.

3. Repeat

If you meet someone and are afraid to forget their name, repeat that name several times during the rest of the day.

4. Say the name after hearing it

Try to use this name as often as possible in future conversations with your interlocutor. This will help you remember him better and make a good impression on this person.

5. Write down

If you think you might forget the name, then write it down. This method will allow you to learn it by heart and even if you forget it, you will be able to use your mark.

6. Ask questions

When asking questions, use the person's name. Do this often and you will remember him the next time you meet that person.

7. Draw conclusions

Before going to bed, remember all the people you met during the day, and remember the pictures that are associated with them.

8. Be sincere

If you have neglected the previous advice and still do not remember the name, be sincere with your interlocutor, and simply ask his name again. Do it very politely and he will understand and forgive you.

Who hasn't been in a situation where a name they heard flew in one ear and immediately flew out the other, without even leaving a trace in your memory? Remembering names is an important element in communicating with people. This article provides useful tips that will help you easily remember the names of the people around you.

You should remember that the proper name for a person is the most important word, it is closely related to the personality of this person. The way you work with people's names can have a profound effect on their impression of you: think of times when your name was said with respect and made you feel good, or vice versa, when your name was called carelessly or misspelled, and you immediately began to feel negative towards this person.

Remember the name as soon as you hear it

Unfortunately, most of us completely forget the name of another person as soon as we hear it. To make it easier for you to remember the name of a new person, try to repeat it mentally several times as soon as you hear it when you meet. Also imagine yourself, while saying the name of the interlocutor aloud: "Very nice, Alexander! I'm Dmitry."

Put extra effort into learning foreign or non-traditional names

Most of the people you meet have standard names that you have long been accustomed to. But there are moments in life when you meet or just hear an unconventional name. These people are used to people forgetting their names, so you'll make a good impression on them if you can remember their names accurately.

To make it easier for you to remember a new name for you, you need to ask to repeat and explain exactly how his name is pronounced, for example, by saying: “Unfortunately, I didn’t hear your name well, could you repeat it?”. These people are used to repeating or clarifying their name, so they probably won't mind, especially when you meet for the first time. Focus your attention on dividing the name into parts that will be easier for you to remember. For example, the name Chakravarti can be remembered as "Chakra-varti".

Also, when remembering heavy names, you can use associations. If you can associate the heard name with some object or action (if it has a consonant pronunciation), then this will make the situation easier for you. When using associations, you need to represent them as clearly and vividly as possible (a given person and an object / action that is similar to his name).

Do not forget that people do not like it when their names are called in a distorted form (unless, of course, this is done by a person close to them). Therefore, if you are not sure about the correct sound of the name, then it is better not to call it out loud, but simply ask to repeat it again.

Use people's names from time to time in conversation, especially when greeting and saying goodbye

After you have met and introduced yourself, you should use the other person's name during the conversation, which will not only help you remember his name, but also improve relationships, since all people love to hear their name.

It is desirable to know the names of the close circle of the interlocutor

You can create a good impression on the interlocutor if you remember not only his name, but also the names of his close friends and relatives. So instead of saying "How's your wife?", you'll say "How's Elena?" which is much better.

Prepare before dating

Often before you meet a new person, you have some free time. Try to relax before meeting and set yourself the task that you definitely need to remember the name that you will now say. And in no case do not set yourself up for the fact that you can once again forget the name when meeting.

Be observant

Each person has special facial features and habits. Try to link the name of a person to some of his external data that distinguishes him from the rest.

By developing your powers of observation, you will take a giant step towards improving your memory. People do not remember the appearance of new acquaintances mainly because they simply look at the face of the interlocutor, when it is necessary to carefully consider and study it.

It is better to train observation skills on the street or in public places. Each time, give yourself the instruction to concentrate on one thing, for example, one day you look only at the noses, another day - only the eyebrows, the third day - the ears, then the general outlines of the faces of passers-by, etc. To your surprise, you will find how much the faces of different people are not similar. By learning to notice these differences, you will develop your memory and it will be easier for you to remember names.

Exchange business cards

Even if you forgot the name of a new acquaintance, you can easily remember it just by looking at the business card that you took when you met. So if possible, try to exchange business cards.

Have a little chat

When meeting new people, you may feel uncomfortable and want to end the dating process as soon as possible. But this should not be done if you want to better remember the name of the interlocutor. Try to extend the acquaintance a little, during which you can get to know the person better and repeat his name aloud.

With practice, you'll find how much easier it becomes to remember a person's name when you meet them. As a rule, with the practical use of these tips, they become good habits and begin to be carried out automatically. So try every day to practice these tips on the names of the people you meet during the day, and soon your memory for names will be enviable!

Probably, many of us are familiar with the unpleasant situation when we meet a familiar person, but we cannot remember his name. Or, even worse, we get to know someone and after 5 minutes we have no idea how to address him. This can happen anywhere - at a friend's party, at a business lunch or in a new work team.

How to learn to remember names? There are several proven ways to do this.

According to an article in Psychology Today, the ability to remember names also deteriorates with age. It turns out that about 85% of middle-aged and older people forget names. However, this does not mean at all that forgetfulness of names appears only with age, because many young people also notice such a shortcoming in themselves.

Why do we forget names

This phenomenon can be explained. When we meet someone for the first time, our attention is scattered on many factors - the face, the appearance of the person, his voice, the way he speaks, gestures and the environment around him. An overabundance of information and a defocusing of our attention often lead to the fact that we cannot remember the name of the person in front of us.

Remembering the name is important

If you want to get the attention of a person, the easiest way to do this is by calling him by name. Research shows that the pronunciation of our name activates our brain, even if we are in a noisy environment. That is why many influential leaders attach great importance to names and try to use them to the maximum. The effect of this is easy to verify: I suppose it is pleasant for everyone to realize that he is remembered when he hears his name. Conversely, the forgetfulness of others causes negative emotions.

How to remember names

If you, like many other people, constantly forget names, Christy Hedges, professional coach, speaker and author of The Power of Presence: Unlock Your Potential to Influence and Engage Others, offers some tried-and-true tips to help you get rid of this shortcoming once and for all.

Met - repeat

When you hear someone's name, don't just nod back and continue the conversation, but repeat that name, including it in your conversation or asking a new acquaintance about something. For example, if your new acquaintance's name is Mark, you can say: "Hi Mark, nice to meet you" - or ask him the question: "How long have you been working in IT, Mark?".

Use the name throughout the conversation, but don't overdo it and don't repeat it too often. Also include the name in the parting phrase and, while saying it, look into the face of the interlocutor in order to fix in memory his image and name together.

Write down

Dr. Gary Small, a psychiatrist and memory expert, suggests asking a person to write down their name, especially if it is unusual or rare. This technique will be effective if you have a well-developed visual memory. Alternatively, you can ask the person for a business card and read their name on it while you chat with them. This will create a connection between the person and the visualization of their name in your memory.

And immediately after the meeting, write down the name of the person and basic information about him in your contacts. So you save all the most important things and, on occasion, easily remember the interlocutor. You can record both personal information and features of his appearance or the topic of the last conversation.

Use Associations

Many experts advise that when you hear a new name, create a verbal connection or a picture for association in your imagination. This can be any fact that you know about a person - his hobbies, field of activity, place of residence, etc.

Vivian Zhang gives an example of this advice, which she learned from Dale Carnegie's training course:

Imagine pictures that sound like the person's name and match them with other facts you know about them. If you meet someone from Brazil named Laura, imagine her wearing a laurel wreath on her head, floating in the Amazon River.

Create connections

Another way to remember names is to match a person with another person with the same name whom you know well. For example, with your friend or relative.

Christy Hedge learned this technique at one of the trainings, which was attended by 15 people. She was surprised when the coach, after a brief greeting with each of the participants, walked around the group again and addressed each of them by name without a single mistake. He then used a simple technique - to associate each person with a famous person (or a person known to him). For example, Ryan was associated with Ryan Gosling. At first it may seem difficult, but with practice you will learn to instantly create such connections between people and remember their names.

Pay Attention

Most psychologists and memory experts claim that one of the main reasons for name forgetfulness is that we don't focus on it and in a moment our attention is diverted to other things that we are surrounded by.

The same advice is given in the first place by one of the most sociable people on the planet, Keith Ferrazzi:

If you make a conscious decision to remember the name because you are paying attention to the people you meet, you will immediately begin to do it much better.

I hope that these simple tips will help you remember names better and avoid awkward situations in the future. Personally, I will definitely take into service the very first tip with oral repetition of the name. It seems to me that it is easiest to start practicing with him. Tell me, how do you remember names and do you experience difficulties with this?

WikiHow is a wiki, which means that many of our articles are written by multiple authors. When creating this article, 31 people worked on editing and improving it, including anonymously.

Vasily, Konstantin, Tamara, Nikolai Petrovich, Svetlana Viktorovna, Aslan Modestovich and many, many other wonderful names do not always easily fit in our heads. Sometimes, someone's name constantly pops up from memory, but what if this happens all the time and with all names? If you have accumulated too many acquaintances under the name "Hey you" or "Mr. with a red tie", then it's time to start developing your auditory memory for fleeting capturing and remembering other people's human names. It doesn’t matter whether you are a shy, nervous, bored person by nature, or you just have to meet personalities that are uncomfortable for you, you should not consider these factors that can greatly affect the memory of names, most likely these are just excuses, so in this article we Here are some simple tricks for painlessly remembering the names of the people around you, which will subsequently give you rays of gratitude and respect for your rare ability to call them simply by their first name. Using a person's name is the most productive method in establishing strong relationships and maintaining a sense of mutual rapprochement and sympathy on the way to gaining a friendship or achieving a successful business relationship. Make the decision to memorize people's names today!

Steps

Understand the importance of using the other person's name. Sometimes, it's very helpful to first become familiar with the benefits of calling people by their first names, instead of focusing uselessly on one's supposedly weak memory or simply not wanting to remember someone's name. William Shakespeare once remarked: "There is no sweeter melody in the world than the melody of one's own name." And the classic hit the nail on the head, because indeed, addressing a person by name leads to mutual agreement and promotes further favorable relationships, since by doing so you emphasize that you have not forgotten this person, which means you appreciate him. This approach will give meaning to each meeting both for you and for the other person, which will give him a reason to feel comfortable surrounded by you, an individual who, at least, was not stingy with spending a few minutes remembering his “precious” name. After all, remembering a person's name is important even in terms of simple respect and courtesy, as well as establishing a good first impression of yourself, which is practically the main element in the social environment, since there is only one opportunity to influence this fateful first impression.

• Always remember how frustrating it really is when someone forgets your name. Nobody likes to feel forgotten.

1. Keep in mind that the most common reason for not being able to remember people's names is very simple. It's because you don't really listen well enough, or you just don't pay attention. This is mostly due to frayed nerves or being overly excited and worried about making a good impression on you. The secret of success in this case lies in the elementary transfer of focus from yourself to your interlocutor. If the consequence of your temporary confusion during a conversation is excessive worry about what kind of firewood needs to be thrown further into the fire of the current conversation, then you may benefit from reading a few articles on how to have a successful dialogue, which will help you to truly be present at conversation, and easily catch that intimate moment when the name of your interlocutor is pronounced. WikiHow has an excellent library of tips for every taste:

2. Ask for the person's name if you didn't catch it. Never hesitate to ask the person's name again if, due to some circumstances, you were unable to hear his name. And it is best to clarify the name of your interlocutor as early as possible, because the further you delve into the conversation, the more inconvenient it will be to do this, so take the following phrases into use: “Sorry, I didn’t catch your name?” Could you repeat your name?" In this way, you signal that your follower should say his name again, perhaps more slowly. But this time, listen carefully. With the help of the above trick, it will be much easier to remember the name of a person despite nervousness or excitement. Repeat this technique and you will be able to develop constant vigilance at the moment of pronouncing the name and, even if you miss it again, this time you have a killer verbal formula for extracting the name from the mouth of your interlocutor. Image:Remember a Person"s Name Step 3.jpg|center|550px]]

   • If you don't quite understand how to pronounce the given name, then this gives you a great opportunity to ask the person to repeat first, and then let you say their name out loud a few times in order to practice the correct pronunciation, and after that, you can thank the person by saying what is unique to him got the name.
   • If the name is unusual, ask the person to spell their name and also ask what country or region the name comes from. Be prepared to do the same if you have a rare or exotic name.
   • If possible, ask the person to give you their business card, and then read the name carefully.

3. Repetition is the mother of learning. Repeat aloud the name of the person introduced to you: “It’s very nice to meet you, Fevronia!” Speak slowly to avoid a phonetic error, and also use a pause before announcing an unusual name if you happen to introduce your acquaintance to other people before allowing everyone else to hear this name clearly. Always smile slightly while doing so, which shows your courtesy and the sincerity of your joy at meeting this person. Address a person by name as often as possible, especially at the first stages of your acquaintance: “Would you like some tea, Fevronia?” Saying this name at least three times will give you a high probability of not forgetting this name in the future. Use this in combination with a business card. Combine name acquisition through auditory and visual memory.

   • Say the person's name to yourself at least ten times immediately after you hear the name.
   • Here are a few phrases that can involve the pronunciation of the name you need: “What are you planning to do next year, Svetlana? How do you feel about this, Viktor Stepanovich? It was nice to meet you, Arkady." Also, don't forget to address the person by their name when parting with them, which will lay the necessary foundation in your memory for future meetings.

4. Come up with an associative image in relation to a person with a name that is difficult for you to remember. Imagine this person standing next to a well-known acquaintance of yours who has the same or a similar name (celebrities will work too). When you need to remember the name of a person, a well-composed imaginary picture of this person, standing in an embrace with your acquaintance, will not only make you smile, but also remind you of his name. For example, Masha is a friend of Sasha or Grisha looks like Leonid Agutin.

   • It will be very useful if your new acquaintance has a mutual friend with you, so at least you can associatively remember your friend, and with him the name you forgot, and in extreme cases, you can ask to go to the restroom and quickly call your friend and ask what about that guy or that girl, “well, whom you understand,” is called.

5. “Misha is a bear, and Borya is a badger.» Associate a new name for you with the names of animals or objects. There are several methods that can be used, so choose:

   • Find a similar-sounding name of an animal or object. For example: “What is her name? So, why don’t you drink me a glass ... oh, yes ... Hello, Margarita Petrovna! “Galya is a jackdaw, Zhenya is a zhmenya, etc..”
   • It is often easier with surnames, for example, if a person's surname contains the root of the name of an animal, plant, character traits, then feel free to use it, only in this case it is better to keep these thoughts to yourself. So, for example, think about how easy it is to remember the following names: Kozlov, Petrov, Tsvetkov, Reva, Tsyplyakin, Zhurov, etc.
   • Find a suitable rhyme for the name, for example: "Masha curdled milk."
   • Tie the name to any saying, poem or to the name of a literary hero: “Sasha walked along the highway ...” or “Andrey Bolkonsky and Pierre Bezukhov looked at Natasha Rostova”, etc.
   • Combine the names and surnames of famous people with the surnames and names of your acquaintances: Dmitry Dinarov can be more easily remembered as Dmitry Dibrov, Gosha Ivanenko will easily be remembered as Gosha Kutsenko, etc.
   • Once again, I want to note that it is better to keep all associations to yourself, because someone can be offended by such rhymes or nominal combinations.

6. Examine the person's face for particularly distinctive features. Of course, you shouldn’t laugh at anyone, but just find especially outstanding characteristics, for example, Pyotr Semenovich can walk with an untidy haircut, that is, he can be known as “Peter Semenovich - where is my hairbrush!” Svetlana walks in the same sweater: "Svetlana - I love my sweater." In general, pay attention to the physique: "Bogatyr Mikhail," the shape of the face, "Broad-browed Gennady," frequently used phrases: "Oh, well, this is TYPE Andrey," etc.

   • Try to find the most prominent feature and tie it to the name.

7. Ask a friend to help you. If you can’t remember the name at all, then ask your friends or acquaintances for help. You can explain to them the situation, that you are not very good with names, that you will be grateful if a helping hand is extended in this direction. For example, you can come up with a secret phrase that will mean something like "SOS, I forgot his name" disguised as the phrase "Yes, of course" or something similar that can quietly flow into the conversation and hint at your name incident. This way you will feel safe during the conversation, which will reduce your stress levels and you may not even have to resort to secret tricks. Also, ask your friends to use the name you want more often in a conversation between all of you, for example, your friend may casually say: “Do you know that Natalya also likes to ski.” You just have to listen carefully.

   • Also, no offense to anyone, ask someone to remind you of the person's name somewhere off to the side before starting the conversation, which will give you time to play with that name in your memory in order to use it later in the conversation.

8. It's easy to admit that you're having trouble remembering names, but don't think about it all the time! You are not “Alexander - I forgot the name” and you should not tell everyone about your problem when remembering names, because in this way you admit that you are a hopeless person and you should not expect any improvements from you, and not only in the field of remembering a name. Always give yourself a chance, believe in yourself, because you will agree, it turns out somehow uncivilized when you not only cannot remember names, but you still go around and complain about it. Keep working on yourself and you will definitely succeed.]

   • Think about how frustrating it is when someone interrupts you with the phrase: “You know, I’m not really friends with names” right before you wanted to say the same thing. This should be a wake up call for both of you, because you didn't even try to put a finger on trying to remember someone's name, you immediately gave up. So teach this person a lesson, remembering his name, even to his evil.

9. Write it down. During your practice, you can get a notebook in which you will write down the names of new acquaintances, as well as their personality traits or information about their hobbies. It is best to take notes immediately after talking with this person, so for example, you can write down: “Alexander, met him in the library. Pleasant young man. Physicist. I was confused about something."

   • You should not record anything directly during the conversation. Wait until the end of the conversation, then retire and make a short note in your notebook. Your efforts to remember the person's name will eventually be rewarded with stronger friendship and respect.

10. “To die, so with honor!» Finally, if you do hopelessly forget the person's name, then simply say: "I'm sorry, but I forgot your name. Kindly remind me what your name is." And there is no need to go into unnecessary details and details, just ask the name of this person. After this, you are unlikely to forget this name in the future.

    • Remembering a person's profession is as important as the name. Use the above tips to remember a person's profession.
    • To begin with, try to remember the name, and if necessary, the middle name of the person, leave the last name for dessert.
    • It is much easier to remember a person's name if you know something else about him in addition to superficial information about the place of your last meeting. Ask your friends to tell you something about the people you are interested in, whose name you want to remember, ask about their hobbies and profession, because imagine how nice it will be to say: “Hello, Sergey Anatolyevich, with the victory of Spartak you!” (Provided that Sergey Anatolyevich is definitely a fan of this team, mistakes in this case cannot be made.) This approach will help to make a solid impression.
    • Fantasize about the newly heard name. For some people, it helps to imagine the name as an imaginary picture.
    • Choose a distinguishing feature of a person and try to attach it to this name.
    • If you can't remember the person's name, then try clarifying that name with someone else who might know the name. Or try to find out the name you need just before your next meeting. Also use the name memorization technique to make things easier for yourself.
    • If, when meeting a new person for you, one of the people around you refers to him by name, then try to catch and remember this name.
    • Try to at least remember the first letter of the name, so the next time you meet, you will have something to start guessing.