Personal Development

Hello, My Name Is – The Importance of Names

In Dale Carnegie’s best-seller, “How to Win Friends and Influence People” there is a story told about a man named Jim Farley.  Jim made it a priority to remember the name of as many people with which he came into contact.  No matter the situation, whether it was hard to pronounce or there was a chance he might not see the person again, he put in the time and effort to remember.  He once had an encounter with a man by the name of Nicodemus Papadoulos. As you might imagine, this was difficult for others to pronounce.  Because of this difficulty, people did not take the time to learn his real name and called him “Nick” instead.  However, this was not enough for Jim Farley, and when the opportunity came for the second meeting with Nicodemus, Jim called the man by his first and last name with perfect pronunciation.  Nicodemus was caught off guard and shocked that someone would use his full name with correct pronunciation.  As tears rolled down his face he said to Jim, “Nobody has ever made the effort to call me by my right name.”

You might ask why a person’s name is so important to them.  Names are the way to recognize yourself as an individual among others, a specific calling that is recognizable to you personally.  When you use someone’s name, you are addressing them personally.  You give them a sense of importance and show them that you care enough to point them out in the crowd.

Experiment with this concept.  Start calling people by their names and see how it affects your relationships with others.  Using a person’s name to build relationships can be accomplished with family, friends, business colleagues and clients, as well as in other aspects of your daily routine.

By Tyson Knowles

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