How to Use Visualization to Remember Names

culled from:wikihow.com

For some people, remembering names is a big deal, but for others, it can be extremely frustrating to try so hard to keep those names in mind after the introduction and to seem to fail spectacularly almost every time. For those who have more trouble remembering names and putting them with faces, there are a range of popular strategies and tips that can come in handy, whether it's for business relationships or personal ones. Find out how to use visualization to remember names, and come out one step ahead when it's time to bring those names back out of the memory vault.

Steps

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Concentrate. Make a specific point of focusing concentration at the moment that someone tells you his name. Too many people go through introductions with other things on their mind. Taking time to compartmentalize the simple acts of meeting someone, shaking his hand, and getting his name will often help to nest the name in your memory.

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   Associate the name with a face deliberately. At that moment when you are making a note of the name, think about any physical or visual characteristics that will help you remember which name belongs to which person.
   • Use photos. Some people take this association a step further and make a log of names with a picture attached. This is handy for forgetful grandparents and anyone else who needs to remember a number of names on a long-term basis.
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   Use mnemonics. A mnemonic device is a technique for linking words or ideas together. With names and faces, this often takes the form of a simple rhyming exercise. Try to rhyme an aspect with a name, and you will have an easily recollected idea to rely on when you have to remember the name of someone you met years ago, or only moments before.
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   Add context. Having more details about a person's life will help you create better remembering tools. Adding a mnemonic or other association with a person's occupation or other elements of his life can help make the memory bridge stronger.
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   Make each name unique. One problem that some people have is that when you meet a large group, two or three or even more people can have the same name. In this case, use additional bits of information, even if it's the first initial of the last name, and you'll find it easier to tell individuals apart by assigning each of them a unique identity.
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   Use written resources. One thing that some professionals, such as teachers, rely on is a list of names. Doing role call often does more than just establish who is present. It helps the person with main responsibility for knowing names to reinforce their associative memory by reiterating the names and getting a response from the correct person.