insight

January 20, 2014

Stop, Look and Listen

January 2014

A Simple Concept2Get

Have you ever been at a party, or perhaps the coffee shop, when you run across someone you know and you just cannot remember their name?  Of course you have - it happens to all of us.  Sometimes it's the second after they tell it to you and you realize it's a lost cause - their name is gone.

After years of attending work and social events, I started paying attention to this phenomenon and I believe I have a solution for you.  It's pretty radical to be prepared for the big shift in thinking...

Here's what you need to do...

Listen.

Super-Hearing-Not-Necessary

 Super Hearing Not Necessary

The Big Change4You

Most of us are so concerned about getting our name out, we actually forget to listen (really listen) to the name coming from the other person.

Names are important.  Hearing their own name is a sweet sound to a person.  It helps them feel significant - even special.  Yet too often, we mess them up, forget them, or never even take the time to actually take in the information in the first place.

Start with these changes:

  1. Stop telling yourself and others "you're bad with names".  That's just a negative excuse.
  2. Look the person in the eye when you are introduced to them and pause for a moment before speaking or sharing your name.  That eye to eye connection will help you remember them.
  3. Listen to what they are saying.  For extra credit you can repeat their name back to them shortly after you hear it.  Soak in the first bit of information they are giving you before going into the rest of the conversation.

There you go...stop, look and listen.

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