Are you ready? For ‘live’ conventions and leadership summits and industry conferences and even big meetings at your office?
Ready or not here they come! Some people are psyched to schmooze again. Others, not so much. And many other people fall somewhere in-between. It’s OK with them. But what we all have in common is the awkward experience of forgetting someone’s name. This is a big challenge since many of us haven’t seen our clients or co-workers or prospects in a long time!
Here’re some confidence techniques to keep you keep calm and carry on.
If you see someone coming towards you, Pre-empt the Awkward. Move towards them, offer a handshake or hands over your heart if you’re not ready to shake hands yet, and say, “Hi. Great to see you. I’m Tracy Hooper.” When you offer your name first, it generally prompts them to say their name and you’re saved.
If a person comes at you fast, and says “Hey Tracy, how are ya?” Don’t panic. How do I know this person? Where did we meet? What’s your name again?
Say this:
· “Hi. You look familiar to me. Remind me of your name.”
“Hi there. I remember you from the meeting in Atlanta. Help me with your name, please?”
“Hello. Thanks for remembering my name. Remind me of yours.”
You might get caught with the embarrassing reply, “I’m George Andino. We’ve met five times before!” If that happens, jump back-in with, “Oh, you’re right, George. We’re out of context. Thanks for remembering me. Great to see you again. How are you doing these days?” or “What do you think of the meeting?” or “What was your big takeaway from the speaker?”
Don’t dwell. Don’t make excuses. Don’t apologize. “Oh, sorry. I’m terrible with names,” or “Sorry, I’m good with faces, but bad with names.”
Simply keep the conversation going with confidence.
If you’d like to bring The Confidence Project to your organization, please contact us at www.ConfidenceProject.com
Thanks for reading.
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