How to Memorize People’s Names
When you meet people, especially many people at the same time, somewhere, such as at a networking event, it can be difficult to remember their names at first.
According to Davis Charan Ranganath, director of the UCLA Memory and Plasticity Program, the simplest explanation for why you forget is that you are not that interested. He told Time about it in an article published this week . You don’t know that the person you just met is potentially your new best friend, instead, right now, he is someone you might never meet again after this interaction. Why waste valuable brain space memorizing their name?
If you find it difficult to remember someone’s name, Ranganath suggests trying a mnemonic trick to help you remember. So, you might remember Walter as “Walter the Writer” or “Bob the Beatboxer.”
When you can associate someone’s name with something else, it will be easier for you to remember that name later, and you will fool your brain. He also recommends that you test yourself for a name a few seconds after starting a conversation and a few minutes later, and try to use that person’s name in the conversation several times to help do the same.
And if all else fails, you can always ask the person again what their name is.