SECTION TWO
YOU SEE A FACE BEFORE YOU

The sweetest sound ... the sweetest sound of all ... is the sound of your own name. Everyone likes to hear his own name. Everyone resents being called by a wrong or mispronounced name.

Before World War II, I was asked to speak before a civic organization in Nashua, New Hampshire. While wait­ing for the dinner to begin, I was introduced to over fifty strangers. Later, while we were seated at the table, waiting for dessert, the master of ceremonies discovered that I could recall the name of everyone I had met. Accordingly, he suggested to me that, when I acknowledged my introduc­tion, I should greet everyone in the audience by name. I doubted the value of this and questioned the reasoning be­hind it, but I agreed to try it. Frankly, it astonished and pleased the entire group. I have been doing this effectively ever since.

On over five hundred occasions and to audiences total­ling over 25,000 people, I have used this response to an introduction. To date, I have missed five names at such events. My greatest accomplishment was before several hun­dred surprised members of the Washington, D.C., Rotary Club in October, 1956. On one occasion, before the Ex­change Club in Saint Catherine's, Ontario, my audience apparently had been tipped off to my "surprise" procedure, for upon arising, I found the entire membership moving around the room, exchanging seats. This presented an addi­tional challenge that I successfully met.

As instructor of "The Technique of Memorization" course at the Texas State Police Academy I was able to address each student by his proper name by the end of the first one-hour class. I use this same procedure in my work as a guest lecturer at the hostess training school of a major airline.

My fabulous memory for names has given me added prestige, personality, and income. By following instructions, you too, can become most adept at this necessary part of anyone's education.

If one really wants to remember a name, he can do so much more easily than if he has no incentive. Intense desire is the number one requisite for the retention of a name. The example that I like best is to use this: "You see a beautiful girl (or an attractive man), and the name stays with you." This is true, of course, because you really desire to remember it.

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