September 2010 - Issue 75 - www.clareevans.co.uk

Hello ,

If you've been following me on Twitter, you might have spotted a few mentions that I was appearing on BBC Radio last week. It was only a brief slot about the 'myth of multi-tasking' but fun to do with a visit to the local Radio station to link up with BBC Scotland.

You can listen again here - while it lasts (be quick, it's only there for a couple more days). Skip along to 0:47 to hear my dulcet tones.

Also - starting this week is a free teleseminar series, designed for new and existing online businesses. You'll get amazing access to all the insider secrets from the experts (including me) about running a successful online business. Sign up for your FREE place at: http://bit.ly/ceaob

As you know, I'm a big fan of social media and I've been listening to an excellent podcasting series - Social Media White Noise from the talented Andy White and Nik Butler. It's fun, it's informative and it's only 30 minutes long which is just the right length for my choice of exercise - walk, run or cycle.

Having just returned from a record breaking Speed Networking event last night, I was putting faces to names, as I went through the fistful of business cards I collected. This month's article is very appropriate.

Keep in touch with what I'm up to and get extra news and tips from my blog or Follow me on Twitter.

Enjoy the rest of this month's newsletter.

Clare

P.S. Feel free to pass this newsletter on to friends and colleagues.

You know the situation, you're in a busy room, someone introduces themselves and their name goes straight in one ear and out the other.

You also know how good it feels when someone remembers your name even if you've only met them briefly once.

The problem is made worse when you're being bombarded with names at a networking event where you're meeting dozens of new people. But with a little practice you can improve your memory skills to help you remember more names.

Preparation

The first step is to prepare yourself mentally. Make a conscious decision to remember the names of the people you are going to meet. When you're about to be introduced to someone, listen carefully and CONCENTRATE! It's easy to forget or miss their name when your thoughts are elsewhere?

If you do miss it, ask them to repeat it. Repetition is key. When you first hear someone's name, repeat it straight away. Try to use it three times during your conversation without sounding too stilted:

"Hello, abc."
"So, tell me abc, what do you think about ..."
"Thank-you, abc. good to meet you"

If you realise you've forgotten their name by the time you come to end the conversation - politely ask them again? This will help reinforce their name in your mind. If it's an unusual name ask how it's pronounced or how it's spelled.

Business cards are useful - their name is printed on it - associate their business card, graphics, brand and image with their face.

If you get introduced to more than one person at a time, for instance in a group, repeat the name in your head as you go round the group. Repeat it again to yourself as you talk to them.

Review and review again

Another important key to remembering names and faces is to review them regularly. When you're at a meeting or social event, you can briefly scan the faces in the room and recall the names your recognise. The more often you do this, the more likely you are to remember them. When you get home, recall their face.

If you have their business card, recall their face as you look at their card. Do the same the following day and a week later to get it into longer-term memory.

The more often you associate the face with the name, the more likely you are to remember them the next time you meet them.

Wear a name badge - it won't help you but it does help others.

A Few More Tips

Here are few other tips to remembering someone's name:

- Association - Do they remind you of anyone? A friend, relative, work colleague, actor or well-known person, living or dead? Do they have the same name as someone you know? Picture them with that person.

- Can you associate their name with an image, a sound, a place, a person or a thing. Link the image to the person. Make it as visual, colourful, bizarre and as detailed as possible.

- What type of person do they look like or what do they do - a lawyer, an accountant, a typical ... salesman, teacher ... (what's typical to you will be different from someone else, use your association)?

- Does their name link directly to an occupation, in which case the image is easier to form - Baker, Gardner, Porter etc.

- Do they have a physical feature you can associate with an image of them to help you remember their name.

The first thing you think of is the strongest association - use this, it will make it easier to recall later.

N.B. Probably best not to share your associations and memory hooks, they might not be particularly flattering or make sense to anyone but you.

Use these ideas and keep practicing. You'll be able to remember more names, the more you practice.

Give me a call or email me for a free Strategy Session - www.clareevans.co.uk.

Until next month.