Identify yourself

Remind people of your name before they have to ask

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:03):
Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of I Heart Radio.
Good Morning, This is Laura. Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast.
Today's tip is to identify yourself. When you encounter someone
you haven't seen in a while, or when you see

(00:24):
someone in a different context than usual, say your name
right away. That way, you can reconnect without the awkwardness
of trying to remember who is who. I used to
think some people were good at names and some were not,

(00:44):
But my thinking on whether people are naturally good or
bad at things has evolved over time. At some point
I realized that our brains naturally focus on what we
find most important. If I can remember the right form
of your, and it's, and there, and how to use

(01:05):
the word resonate properly in a sentence, then I can
remember someone's name if I try. Of course, this is
easier said than done. But I've noticed that some people
do something absolutely wonderful, which I am trying to adopt
as a habit too. When you run into someone you
haven't seen in a while or in a different context

(01:27):
than usual, say your name as soon as possible, as
in hey, and then I would gesture to myself. Laura
Vanderkam nice to see you again. You can do this
even if you don't remember the other person's name or
even where you know them from. This gives the other
person a clue of who you are, but doesn't presume

(01:47):
that they would naturally remember you. I mean, we all
think everyone should automatically remember us, but sadly that might
not be the case. And instead of automatically asking the
other person his name, which is a giveaway that you
don't remember them either, you just offer your own name.
If you're not wearing a name tag, which we usually

(02:07):
aren't in the grocery store, then why not. Now, if
the person is remotely self aware, he or she will
probably offer up their name. But if you have misjudged
how well the person feels he or she knows you,
you will still come across as a reasonably humble individual.

(02:28):
As the person says, Laura, of course I remember you,
he or she will probably introduce a topic of known
shared interest, which gives you a better clue of where
you know this person from. You can both operate under
the polite assumption that, of course the reminders weren't necessary,
but it doesn't hurt to provide them. If you think

(02:50):
identifying yourself like this sounds awkward or contrived. Compare it
to the awkwardness of not remembering their name. Everyone's hemming
and haw ring for the first few minutes trying to
establish where you know each other from. You waste time.
You could have been connecting better to just say your name,

(03:11):
So try identifying yourself. Soon it'll be second nature, and
you'll probably find conversations a lot more relaxed then if
you are half conversing with the person and half racking
your brain to figure out if the person actually remembers
you now more than ever after having seen each other
less frequently in the last year and a half and

(03:33):
when we were often wearing masks that cover up half
of our faces. Identifying yourself as just smart, I mean
maybe you're wearing sunglasses and a mask. I can't necessarily
recognize myself in that get up. Best to say your
name so you're incognito. Appearance doesn't keep you from reconnecting

(03:55):
with someone who could become a friend. In the meantime.
This is Laura. Thanks for listening, and here's to making
the most of our time. Hey, everybody, I'd love to

(04:16):
hear from you. You can send me your tips your
questions or anything else. Just connect with me on Twitter,
Facebook and Instagram at Before Breakfast pod. That's b E
the number four, then Breakfast p o D. You can
also shoot me an email at Before Breakfast podcast. At
i heeart media dot com that Before Breakfast is spelled

(04:38):
out with all the letters. Thanks so much, I look
forward to staying in touch. Before Breakfast is a production
of I heart Radio. For more podcasts from my heart Radio,
visit the i heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever
you listen to your favorite shows. Yet