Last time I touched on the magic of learning people's names. Are you ready to become a name magician?
Let’s say I’m meeting you, and your name is Pat. I would start by introducing myself. Then I need to focus on what comes next. Chances are, you will share your name, and I should repeat it back to you: "It's nice to meet you, Pat." Now, as the conversation continues, I repeat your name in my mind a few times. I might associate it with something I know. ("I used to work with someone named Pat."). I also could use some imagery. ("Pat rhymes with hat, and this Pat is wearing a hat.”) Imagery is especially powerful, so it might help to imagine you patting your hat. (Often the sillier the image or association, the more memorable it is.) After we separate, I can jot down your name and add it to the contacts on my phone. Finally, I should review this note before I'm likely to meet you again.
The next step is to use these names effectively. In the world of grammar, which I used to teach, we have what’s called a "vocative." When you use someone's name when speaking to his person, you are using a vocative: "It's nice to meet you, Pat." "I appreciate what you just said, Pat." "Pat, you just gave me some good advice." Using the occasional vocative--perhaps three or four times in a conversation—sends the messages that I mentioned at the beginning of this post: “I respect you.” “You matter.” “We are connected.” (By the way, when you write a sentence containing a vocative, you should always set off the vocative with a comma.)
Now you are ready to work some magic with the names you will learn!
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