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Why it is important to be on a first-name basis
- By Rosemary Dellinger
- Published 01/12/2010
- Commentary
- Unrated
What’s in a name? Everything.
There is a reason companies spend huge sums of money creating and branding themselves. Achieving name-brand recognition is a great thing.
Fortunately, most of us don’t have to spend dollars to get name recognition. Instead, we are officially “branded” at birth by our parents who have created our own unique, very special and personalized names.
I attended a seminar a few years ago where the presenter’s main point during the nearly eight hour presentation was that the highest compliment you can pay a person is to call them by name.
I am not a huge fan of modern day TV, but back in the good old days of television, one of my favorite programs was “Cheers.” The show revolved around a friendly little hometown bar in Boston, whose opening tune every week included the line “where everybody knows your name.” Nearly every show featured Norm, one of the bar’s regular patrons coming into the bar and everyone shouting, “Norm!” It always brought a smile to Norm’s face and made him feel welcome.
The feeling of having someone greet you by calling your name is a great feeling. Well, unless it happened to be your mom using your full given name in that motherly tone which indicated you were probably in some kind of serious trouble.
Otherwise, walking into a place - familiar or unfamiliar - and having someone call out your name is generally a feel-good moment.
Although I have only been in this little Valley for eight months, it is nice to have folks greet me when I stop in. To be honest, it is one of the reasons I return to a business -- whether it is to eat lunch, purchase groceries, shop for a gift, just to check out a sale or to see what they have to offer. I admit I haven’t made it to every business in Toppenish, Zillah, Granger, Wapato and White Swan, but I am slowing making the rounds.
My progress is slowed when I find a place that gains my repeat business by remembering my face and greeting me when I come back.
Although it is a simple enough thing to do, many times we are too busy, too rushed or too into our own thoughts and needs to remember to 1) greet the person in the first place and 2) remember their name.
Because I meet lots of folks, it is sometimes hard to remember every single name. I used to pride myself on having an amazing memory for names and phone numbers.
It was easier when I lived in the same place for 20 years. But having moved a couple of times in five years and now here in this new community where I have not one but five prefixes and a much larger name pool to draw on - my memory fails me at times. Oh, of course there is also the age thing. Plus, there just wasn’t as much clutter in my mind at age 23 or 24. Now, well...I wish I had a magic trash button in my head like my computer does where I could stick all the old stuff floating around up there and make it disappear so I could make room for the new, important stuff.
Another thing I learned at that long ago seminar was one of the best ways to remember a person’s name is to either write it down right away or repeat it back two or three times when you are first introduced.
It is a little awkward to grab a pen and scribble a name on a napkin or on your hand as you are introduced.
Using the person’s name once or twice is most times an easier option. Another good idea to remember a person’s name is to associate it with something or someone you can easily recall.
Word association helps me remember lots of things, including names. A couple of months ago, Marvilena, very nice lady came into the newspaper office to bring me an article on an activity at her church.
She told me her name and then she told me the story about being named after her father whose name was Marvin and an aunt who’s name was Lena.
It was a nice story and it created a good word association for her name and face.
Two weeks ago, Marvilena came back into the office and I was able to recall her name due to that simple association. It made her smile when I was also able to recall her namesake’s story as well.
Although Hazel told us all not to do New Year’s Resolutions...I have secretly created a few. Of course, eating better and exercising more is up there on the list.
Another thing I am working harder on in 2010 is slowing down a bit, taking time to meet and greet folks and making an effort to remember their names.
After all, I think we would all enjoy living in a friendlier little place where people know our names.
Cheers to a Happy New Year! -RD
There is a reason companies spend huge sums of money creating and branding themselves. Achieving name-brand recognition is a great thing.
Fortunately, most of us don’t have to spend dollars to get name recognition. Instead, we are officially “branded” at birth by our parents who have created our own unique, very special and personalized names.
I attended a seminar a few years ago where the presenter’s main point during the nearly eight hour presentation was that the highest compliment you can pay a person is to call them by name.
I am not a huge fan of modern day TV, but back in the good old days of television, one of my favorite programs was “Cheers.” The show revolved around a friendly little hometown bar in Boston, whose opening tune every week included the line “where everybody knows your name.” Nearly every show featured Norm, one of the bar’s regular patrons coming into the bar and everyone shouting, “Norm!” It always brought a smile to Norm’s face and made him feel welcome.
The feeling of having someone greet you by calling your name is a great feeling. Well, unless it happened to be your mom using your full given name in that motherly tone which indicated you were probably in some kind of serious trouble.
Otherwise, walking into a place - familiar or unfamiliar - and having someone call out your name is generally a feel-good moment.
Although I have only been in this little Valley for eight months, it is nice to have folks greet me when I stop in. To be honest, it is one of the reasons I return to a business -- whether it is to eat lunch, purchase groceries, shop for a gift, just to check out a sale or to see what they have to offer. I admit I haven’t made it to every business in Toppenish, Zillah, Granger, Wapato and White Swan, but I am slowing making the rounds.
My progress is slowed when I find a place that gains my repeat business by remembering my face and greeting me when I come back.
Although it is a simple enough thing to do, many times we are too busy, too rushed or too into our own thoughts and needs to remember to 1) greet the person in the first place and 2) remember their name.
Because I meet lots of folks, it is sometimes hard to remember every single name. I used to pride myself on having an amazing memory for names and phone numbers.
It was easier when I lived in the same place for 20 years. But having moved a couple of times in five years and now here in this new community where I have not one but five prefixes and a much larger name pool to draw on - my memory fails me at times. Oh, of course there is also the age thing. Plus, there just wasn’t as much clutter in my mind at age 23 or 24. Now, well...I wish I had a magic trash button in my head like my computer does where I could stick all the old stuff floating around up there and make it disappear so I could make room for the new, important stuff.
Another thing I learned at that long ago seminar was one of the best ways to remember a person’s name is to either write it down right away or repeat it back two or three times when you are first introduced.
It is a little awkward to grab a pen and scribble a name on a napkin or on your hand as you are introduced.
Using the person’s name once or twice is most times an easier option. Another good idea to remember a person’s name is to associate it with something or someone you can easily recall.
Word association helps me remember lots of things, including names. A couple of months ago, Marvilena, very nice lady came into the newspaper office to bring me an article on an activity at her church.
She told me her name and then she told me the story about being named after her father whose name was Marvin and an aunt who’s name was Lena.
It was a nice story and it created a good word association for her name and face.
Two weeks ago, Marvilena came back into the office and I was able to recall her name due to that simple association. It made her smile when I was also able to recall her namesake’s story as well.
Although Hazel told us all not to do New Year’s Resolutions...I have secretly created a few. Of course, eating better and exercising more is up there on the list.
Another thing I am working harder on in 2010 is slowing down a bit, taking time to meet and greet folks and making an effort to remember their names.
After all, I think we would all enjoy living in a friendlier little place where people know our names.
Cheers to a Happy New Year! -RD