Nothing worse than forgetting a client's name

Associated Press

It's one of the friendliest, most effective business skills: remembering a person's name. Yet many of us struggle to do so, especially when we're confronted with a constant parade of new people.

So, to help you remember, here are a few tips from Diane Darling, the founder and CEO of Effective Networking Inc., a Boston-based firm that teaches networking skills.

• Ask the person to repeat the name if you didn't hear or didn't understand.
• Say the name in your head or say it out loud.
• Make a mental connection to someone you know with the same name.
• Spell the name aloud: "John with an 'h' or without?"
• Create a connect-the-dots scenario in your mind about their name. If someone's last name is Roberts, think of the movie "Bob Roberts" or the actress Julia Roberts.