If you have a long client list and a short memory, you probably dread those instances in which you run into a client on the street or at an event and you can’t recall his or her name.
Forgetting clients’ names is a common problem for financial advisors, says Bob Gray, a keynote speaker and owner of Memory Edge Corp. in Whitby, Ont. You may have hundreds of clients, he says, while each of your clients may have only one advisor to remember.
The key to remembering names is not constant repetition, Gray says, but relating those names to familiar images. That is why most people can recall Italy’s boot-like outline, but do not know the shape of Portugal, Gray says.
Gray recommends the following technique to help you recall names instantly:
1. Connect the name to an image
You may already have a record and a photo of the person whose name you want to remember in the “contacts” folder of your email program. But that is not enough to ensure instant recall.
When you meet someone, see if there is a distinct feature that stands out, such as a hairstyle, an article of clothing or a prominent physical feature.
Let’s say your newest prospect, Ken, was wearing a colourful tie when you met him. Keep this in mind as you continue this process. Find an image that can be related in some way to his name. For example, “Ken” has a similar sound to “can.” Imagine that Ken has a can around his neck instead of a tie.
Once you have determined what your connecting image is, type it into the file you have created for this person.
2. “Chain” the information
Any remaining details about this person or his or her family will be connected to your initial image.
So, Ken is married to Barbara, which sounds like “barbed” so you may visualize barbed wire. Connect the two images so the wire is wrapped around a can.
Ken mentioned that he and his wife enjoy going to the symphony. Imagine a violin hanging off the wire. Enter those ideas into your file.
Gray acknowledges this system may seem silly, but that is why it works: “It’s the ridiculousness that enables our memory to latch onto it.”
If you simply wrote the couple’s names down, you would have to engage in constant repetition to get those details into your long-term memory. However, recalling the imagery that you’ve recorded strengthens your memory so the information will come back to you immediately when you bump into Ken or Barbara at the mall. You will remember their names and can ask if the couple can recommend a concert.
3. Review the imagery frequently
“It’s not about repeating information,” Gray says. “It’s about reviewing information at specific times.”
Create this record and review the imagery within an hour of meeting this person. This step improves your short-term memory.
Your next review is 24 hours after meeting this person. Following this read-through, plan to go over the imagery one week, then two weeks and then one month later. At this point, according to Gray, the information becomes knowledge.
If you don’t expect to see this person regularly, but you know you should keep their details handy, continue reviewing every three months.
Each review will take about 15 seconds, Gray says, but you will always be ready when you bump into that person.
This is the second part in a two-part series on remembering names.
Read part one: Three steps to a better memory