What to do when you forget someone’s name?
Here is something to think about this holiday season with all the parties. There is a line, that if you go past, it’s very hard to come back. It could be the three or four meeting rule. But after this, asking someone’s name becomes a bit of a sticky situation. So you find yourself in a situation where you forget someone’s name and you are in the mid-conversation, what would your next move be?
Well we have come up with a few recommendations that you could implement at that very moment:
1. Meet the person with someone else.
Brief your buddy on the situation and ask them to introduce themselves and then hopefully this will encourage ‘no name’ to do the same.
2. If you missed the opportunity in step 1
(i.e. forgot to brief your buddy or the buddy messed it up), start complimenting the person. Keep talking. Go into overload. Keep the eye contact going. Saying things like ‘you’ll never meet a salsa dancer like this. One of the best dancers you’ll ever see. Wait until you actually see her on the dance floor…’ And you keep going. The idea is that they eventually cut in and introduce themselves.
3. A half introduction
This is also a good option. For example, ‘This is Peter, he works with us’. And then stop, make a bolt for the toilet, and then follow-up with your friend when they are not around. Still a little risky in the event the friend forgets their name.
4. Ask for a business card.
If it’s in a business situation. Linked in is also a bit of a life savior. Ask them to put themselves in your phone, gracefully hand the phone to them and let them type in the details.
5. High Alert
If you are on your own, be on high alert of potential intruders that may know you, maybe avoid the situation of having to introduce them.
7. Say another name
Let them correct you. And then explain that you got them confused with someone else who could be taken as their double.
8. Last resort. Be honest.
Tell them, you’ve come unstuck and completely forgot the name. But not the face or them.
Do you have any suggestions to add?
