Never forget a person’s name again

YOU’RE at a party and a woman walks up, smiling. You’ve met her before, but what’s her name?

‘Names are abstract and we don’t readily see them in our minds,’ says Chester Santos, the author of Instant Memory Training For Success.

‘But improving your memory is easy and fun.’

Remembering names requires you focus on them when you first hear them: immediately repeat the name when you shake the person’s hand.

Ask yourself how this person looks unique to you. It could be a facial feature — big ears or freckles — or their look overall.

‘Once you’ve decided on this unique aspect, exaggerate it in your mind. Make the ears huge, for example. This exaggerated aspect will serve as the storage place for the person’s name.’

Next, think of an image that will remind you of the name. ‘It could be a thing that rhymes with the name,’ says Chester. ‘Chain for Jane. Or something symbolic like a white rabbit for Alice.’

Famous people work too: John may remind you of John Lennon or John Major. Link the exaggerated aspect with the thing that reminds you of the name. Make the link as crazy as you can because that will stick in the mind. ‘You meet a woman named Jane with beautiful hair. You might visualise her hair growing longer. Then a sparkling chain appears and weaves itself through her hair. Chain = Jane.

‘Take five seconds to vividly experience this and I promise the next time you see Jane you will instantly recall her name.’