Memory Techniques – Names – Dear Abby…

Names and dates are hard to remember.  There is no shortage of strategies to help in this task.  One of the most popular is, upon being introduced to a new person, linking the name with a defining characteristic, feature, or unusual piece of information.  “Ted is tall…check!”  “Sam sounds like ‘sum’ and he’s the mathematician, that’ll do!”

Publishers have been aware of this fact for a while.  Take the “Dear Abby” requests for advice.  One inquiry might be from “Stressed in Seattle,” and another “Visually Challenged.”  I just ran across a letter about tension between a leader and subordinates in the workplace in Workforce magazine penned by “Personality Clash, executive trainer, HR services, Mercer Island, Washington” [1]Workforce July 2015, page 10 These characteristics, or brief summaries of situations, are infinitely more memorable for readers than a name alone.  The reader would have to establish their own link between name and context, as described above.  Someone browsing a magazine simply will not take the time to do this.

Good strategy for magazines as well as for you.  Give it a try and see how much better your memory becomes!

References

References
1 Workforce July 2015, page 10