Cue the James Bond clip! You know the one. Bond is with a beautiful woman and she asks, “Who are you?” He responds, “Bond” — big dramatic pause — “James Bond.”
I’ve taken a page out of Bond’s book, though I’m not nearly as a dramatic. I make eye contact, greet the person by shaking hands or giving an air five (safer during this time of COVID-19), and introduce myself by saying, “Hello, my name is Margaret. Margaret Page.”
My first and last names are not unusual and English speakers find them easy to pronounce, so a little repetition is all it takes. Some names, however, are not so simple.
You’ve probably been in a situation in which you’ve met someone and struggled to repeat their name. Perhaps they said it too quickly, or maybe it was an unusual name you hadn’t heard before. Maybe your new acquaintance had a distinct accent that was unfamiliar to your ear.
Conventional wisdom suggests creating a strategy for remembering names, such as picturing a sandy beach for someone named Sandy. I don’t find this trick useful, especially when I travel and have no context for a name from another language.
Recently, though, a reporter who was scheduled to interview me on the radio sent me a link through an app called Namedrop. I clicked on it and heard the reporter repeating her name in her own voice, which made it simple to understand — and, more importantly, remember! You can also add key information to your Namedrop link, such as an email signature, social media profile, and website URL so your most useful info is in one easily accessible location.
Remember, it’s your job to help others remember you! Do you use an app like Namedrop? Has it made a difference? Let me know! I’m always looking for new tools to help make social interactions run smoothly.