What's your name? - How to Quickly Build Rapport

Using a person’s name has a dramatically positive impact on rapport. But, many times we hear a person’s name for the first time and then immediately forget it. In fact, people sometimes avoid communicating with another person because they are embarrassed that they can’t remember their name. 

However, remembering names is critically important for improving the quality of relationships and conversations.

It's fairly simple, I want clients to remember and use my name, and I know that it's important to ask for and use theirs. I have found that this simple skill alone guarantees that my conversations will be of a much higher quality and more effective than most.


Therefore, when speaking with someone new - I ask for their name and write it down. For example, "Hi my name is Howard, what's yours?" Then I write it down. In that first conversation I may even repeat my name: "Once again, my name is Howard. Thank you for taking my call today." I then try to use their name 2–3 times in the conversation (and in subsequent conversations as well). 

Have trouble remembering names? There are many great resources (try a google search) out there that provide ideas on how to more easily remember names.  

What are your thoughts... 

How do you quicky build rapport?