It happens to the best of us--we all forget someone's name that we know we should remember. When it happens to you, make sure you're ready to turn the situation into a non-event. Here's how:
- When you forget a name during an introduction, don’t panic. It’s only a big deal if you make it one. The most important thing to do is to apologize and state that the persons name has momentarily slipped your mind. Usually, they will jump right in and finish the introduction.
- If you forget the name of someone you’ve previously been introduced to, try to find a connection point by stating something you remember about the person. For this reason, when you can’t remember someone’s name, but you are sure you have met before, you can say, “it’s good to see you,” instead of “it’s good to meet you.”
- If you truly don’t remember meeting someone, allow yourself to be reintroduced. In this case, you can quickly apologize and thank them for triggering your memory. It’s far better than appearing to be pretentious in front of someone you’ve already met. There’s nothing worse than meeting someone five times for the first time. And when you do encounter these folks, maintain your appropriate demeanor and etiquette, and just consider them, “introductionally challenged.”
Making Etiquette Easy,
Susan K. Medina
I am TERRIBLE with names - and unfortunately, sometimes faces as well. I have some tricks that I use for these situations - first, I always say, "It's nice to see you," which is a very Southern phrase and covers me if we've met before. And, when greeting someone nameless, I give them an extra big smile and ask, "How are YOU?" so their name becomes irrelevant because it's clear they're the focus of my attention. Then, if I have to introduce them to someone I do know, I say, "Do you know Michael?" as I turn toward Michael and keep talking to say something short like, "We work together". At this point, Michael has already extended his hand to Nameless who then has to identify him/herself. I know for a fact some of these Nameless people have thought they were on my "special acquaintances" list when I couldn't even pick them out of a lineup. Certainly nicer/easier than confessing they are not memorable enough.
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