The ‘Last James’ trick. How to recall names instantly.
Hello folks
You recognise the face, you know you’ve met them before. But for the life of you, you cannot remember their name or where you met.
‘Come on, give me a clue’, your brain is begging. We all know this feeling. We’ve all been there.
Over the weekend I bumped into this guy, down the local Rec just as he was walking off the tennis court after a lesson. We locked eyes, we knew we knew each other, both searching for that clue. Until he pointed at me asking “Paul the Ball?, It’s me. Last James.” And instantly I knew. We knew.
"Remember that a person's name is to that person the sweetest and most important sound in any language." Dale Carnegie (Author of How to Win Friends and Influence People)
We had met years ago on my very first comedy course. He missed the introductions where we were all invited to give ourselves, in turn, a rhyming or play-on-words name - to help make it easier for us to remember each other’s names, when we all came back next week, and the week after. Sounds daft, but it worked. And still works. I still recall many from that first session. Ben the Pen, Simon the Pieman, Roy the Boy, Grey Ham, Deaf Geoff, Paul the Ball (goal!), Matt the Hat… and ‘Last James’.
'Last James' turned up 30 minutes late. He was last to arrive. He got tagged with the name. And it obviously stuck. He was late again for the second week. Then never showed up, ever again. Until the tennis court.
Now, we’re not suggesting you do this at networking events. How ridiculous would that be. However, it is a trick you can play on your own.
Like this: There’s a lady I see in my town. The Seed Lady - a moniker I give her because she's a professional gardener, and she’s often carrying a box of seeds. I think it’s her lunch box, maybe. Doesn’t matter. In my head she’s The Seed Lady. Has been for the 21 years I’ve lived here.
You see, assigning a friendly mental moniker turns a fleeting handshake into a sticky memory. Next time you’re introduced to a fresh face, give them a secret tag… your future self will thank you.
What’s the best moniker you’ve ever given someone?
