People like to be remembered. It gives off a feeling of relevance. Remembering the names of people is one way of making them feel relevant.
There's a certain young man I have had to reintroduce myself to over and over; three times now. I was berated the third time.
I had to tell him point blank that I wasn't happy with the fact that he kept forgetting not only my name but my face.
Someone said I probably had not left a deep impression on him. However, I think three times is an encounter too many to remember a person by and for, notwithstanding how shallow the impression made by the person may be. Unless of course, the person is a ghost!
I realized recently that calling a person by their name had this impact that could earn one a favour. Let's take an instance:
'I go to visit the senior partner of a firm and then when the receptionist asks, I say I'm there to see the senior partner. I may be asked many other questions as my response obviously reflects a lack of personal knowledge of the partner.'
However, a mention of the partner's name would earn me a better opportunity to see him or her.
Remembering people's names is a herculean task for many. I may be a hypocrite to have been berated at Mr X for never remembering my name as I myself find it very difficult remembering the names of new people.
Perhaps, the fact that I meet many new people everyday and thus have too many names already stored in my head is a perfect excuse.
It is at this point that I should forgive Mr X and overlook his forgetting my name by making up this same excuse for him.
Nonetheless, this does not undermine the fact that people love to be remembered. By their faces. By their names. It indeed gives off a feeling of relevance.
Today, make it a point of duty to remember people. Go out of your way to especially remember the names of people you meet. You never know what favour you'll be earning as a result.
- Chizaram Opara
