There are a number of techniques for remembering names more easily but the most practical, simple and immediate techniques revolve around concentration and focus. Our brains are very good at filtering out short-term memory tuples (geeky database term there) if there is something more important to focus on. Breaking it down, if you really focus when someone is introducing themselves and repeat their name to yourself, it should work in the short-term. Taking that further, actually repeating the name back to them verbally in your next few sentences works wonders in making a name ‘sticky’ (for example, “thanks John”, or “nice to meet you John”). There has been research in the marketing world that claims it takes repeating a name/brand/slogan six times for our brains to really absorb it.

On a more advanced level (such as when trying to remember a significant number of names in one go), visualisations and name mnemonics is what all the top memory experts use. It’s not something you’ll be able to train yourself to do overnight but if you start by assigning visual images and pictures to names, it greatly increases your ability to remember it. A crude example could be if you have a student called Peter then you could visualise him wearing a Peter Pan costume.

If you want some more in-depth or scientific explanations and techniques then let me know and I’ll point you in the right direction.

Thanks for checking out these posts,

Sam