- As you get into the thick of things, remember to use the name of your new friend as often as possible, listening to yourself as you repeat it. This repetition in the midst of your conversation will help you. For example, “Hello (their name), I am pleased to meet you.” And when saying goodbye say their full name back, for example “Goodbye (full name) it was wonderful talking with you.”
- From their physical appearance, create a mental picture of the one thing that stands out about the person. For example, Sarah has short hair, and then you can mentally remember, bob-cut Sarah. Or if Bill has a prominent nose, then imagine a big nose and remember Bill. If Fred was wearing red, then remember Red Fred.
- If humor works for you, exaggerate anything that will help you remember the person, such as Cathy who maybe wearing a safari scarf can be remembered as Tiger Cathy. Or if Samantha is wearing pink that day, then make a mental picture of Samantha as a Flamingo.
- Ask as much information about the person as you can. If from a different state, then use the State abbreviation to correlate with their first name. Hannah from California can be remembered as Hannah CA, or Aaron from Arizona can be remembered as AA from AZ.
- What are their interests? What sport do they play? What is their job? In answering any of those questions, one of the replies will stand out and will make yourself be more familiar with the person in front of you.
- If you have access to a digital camera or a mobile phone with a digital camera, then snap one with your new friend. The picture need not be the most photogenic for both of you, just a sure way to keep a remembrance of the meeting.
- When ending the conversation, make sure to repeat the name of the new friend for as often as possible. Recall one or two points in the conversation that you will never forget and make a testament about him or her on those points, before you part.
- Immediately after meeting the person, try to jot down whatever transpired through the concluded conversation: where you met, how, why and the specifics of your conversation. Try to keep that note in a scrapbook of small notes about acquaintances.
- Better still, at the end of each day, jot down specific highlights of your day in a journal, especially when meeting someone and you are sure to keep the acquaintance forever.
The next time you attend a high school re-union, or bump into an old friend at the mall, don’t be at a loss … snappily call them out and rekindle friendships that were almost lost but are now found and remembered, forever!
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