Winning with People

Most of us know at least one individual who can seemingly remember every detail about the people they meet. They remember your name, where you were born, the name of your spouse, etc. They stand out in comparison to most of us, who typically forget someone's name within moments of hearing it. It's a remarkable skill, and most of us really appreciate it when someone has taken such a great interest in us. It's a sure-fire way of winning people over in a hurry.

So how can you develop this valuable talent? There are a number of memory courses available, but perhaps the easiest way is to use a technique that professional salespeople have been using since the beginning of time: Cheat sheets.

A good professional salesperson keeps up-to-date contact information on their customers and potential customers. He (she) records the details of their interactions, including any peripheral information that might be relevant. Prior to a subsequent meeting with that customer, he will then take a few moments to review these notes to prepare. This way, when he sees his customer, all of the relevant information is on the tip of his tongue.

Want to establish yourself as someone with a great memory? Try this: Keep notes on your interactions with the people around you. Then the next time you're going to a function, brush up on your information about them and show up prepared. One caution - you don't want to be collecting too much or too personal information on someone. You certainly don't want to come across as some psychotic stalker, or a CIA wannabe. You really just want enough so that the other person knows they are important to you.

Using this technique has a great side-effect. After going through this process once or twice, you'll find that the information actually becomes stored in your long-term memory, with those cheat sheets no longer necessary.