Page 8 - YourSource November 2016

PUBLISHER’S TWO CENTS
DEVELOP A HABIT OF ADDRESSING CUSTOMERS BY NAME
“We’ve all been there, awkwardly trying to get someone to repeat their name - sometimes just seconds after they have told us.”
It is amazing to me how often all of us meet and greet people everyday and how few of us are good at remembering and referring to that per- son by name thereafter.
I remember reading somewhere years ago that everyone’s favorite word is their own name (whether they realize it or not), so it makes alot of sense that we learn to incorporate this small (and free) practice into our business processes - whether it’s face-to-face, email, newsletter, etc. When we say a person’s name we are telling that person how impor- tant they are to us.
That is right, the most important word in the world for you is your name. Have you ever turned your head involuntarily to someone that uttered your name, only to find out that they are actually calling someone else? When that happens to me I just think “Oh, it’s another Andy” - but is captivating nonetheless. Re- membering names is important on so many levels. It makes people feel good to hear their name, and they pay greater attention. Studies show that hearing our name activates our brain, even when it’s spoken in a noisy room. You may notice that influential leaders take care to use people’s names. In this political sea- son we hear this all the time. I recently had a chance to meet a US Senator running for reelection. I’m sure he meets thousands of people on the campaign trail (and I only said my name one time), he nevertheless called me by name. This isn’t by accident — politi- cians know how important it is in making a connec- tion. They make an effort to do so - and so should we.
The first time you meet someone and they give you their name, they have given you permission to think of them as an individual, as someone different
from a random stranger. Are they special enough for you to remember their name? The next time you refer to that person by name, you have told that person that they are special enough for you to take note of them. If you do so, you will always be associated in that person’s memory as someone who made the ef- fort to connect with them.
As salespeople, mastering the skill of addressing people by their name can make a huge difference when it comes to connecting with people - and clos- ing more sales.
It’s one of my personal frustrations that I am not naturally gifted at remembering names. Yet I know one of the simplest ways to start a relationship is to speak the name of the person in front of you.
Yes, “the name game” takes focus and effort - but it is one worth mastering.
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YOURSOURCE NOVEMBER 2016
R C M S J A K