One of the most important networking skills you can develop is the ability to meet a person and remember their name. When you can enter a room, confidently meet a group of new people and leave saying good-bye to every one of them by name, they will all remember you! Since you only have one chance to make a first impression, remembering peoples’ names is a critical business etiquette and networking skill.
Jim Kwik, co-founder of Kwik Learning, has conducted training in the areas of speed-reading, memory improvement, and advanced thinking skills for over a decade. He offers the following technique to help you remember more names at your next networking function.
Just think of M.O.M.
“M” is for Motivation. If there are ten people in the next room, one of whom has $5,000 cash for you IF you correctly remember their name, how many names do you think you would remember? Remember everyone’s favorite radio station: WII-FM (What’s In It For Me). Why do you want to remember this person’s name?
“O” is for Observation. Often remembering names is not a matter of RETENTION, but more of a matter of ATTENTION. Just as you can’t remember the face of someone who you didn’t see, you can’t remember a name you didn’t hear in the first place.
“M” is for Mechanics. Mechanics are the actual techniques, methods or strategies used to remember more names. The reason why mechanics comes last is because if you don’t have the motivation to remember someone’s name, or you don’t observe the person and name in the first place, all the best mechanics won’t help.
