The ability to remember the names of people you meet will always serve you well

From How To Do Just About Everything in the Office, in association with eHow (Collins, £9.99)

Steps

1. Pay attention when you are introduced to someone. A few minutes after you meet the person, say his or her name to yourself again. If you have forgotten it, talk to the person again and ask for the name.
2. Write down the new name three times while picturing the person's face; do this as soon as possible after meeting someone.
3. Ask how to spell a difficult name, or glance at the spelling on the person's business card, if it's offered. If you know the spelling of a word and can picture it in your mind, you'll remember it better.
4. Connect a name to a common word you will remember. For example, the name Salazar could sound like 'salamander', 'bazaar' or 'sell a jar'.
5. Make a connection to the person's hobby or employment. 'Bill the pill' might help you remember the name of a pharmacist, for example.

Tips
Writing down new names is generally a very successful memorizing technique that doesn't require a lot of work.

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