Chapter 11 Remember each other's first and last name

People are most interested in their own names.To memorize a person's surname and call it out naturally is the simplest, most obvious, and the most favorable way to gain favor. Fry went to the stable and pulled out a horse. The horse had been locked in the stable for many days. It was very happy when it was released, and its body was spinning and its hooves flew into the air. Fry was kicked to death by the horse's feet. Frye left his wife and three children with only a few hundred dollars in insurance money.Fry's eldest son, Jim, was only ten years old. In order to support his family, he went to work in a brick factory. He poured sand into molds and pressed it into bricks and tiles.Jim didn't have the opportunity to receive more education, but he had an optimistic personality, which made people naturally like him and would like to get close to him.He later participated in politics, and after years of training, he gradually developed a special talent for remembering people's names.

Although Jim didn't go to middle school, four universities had awarded him honorary degrees by the time he was 30 years old.He was elected chairman of the Democratic National Committee and served as U.S. Postmaster General. Once, I made a special trip to visit Mr. Jim and asked him to tell me the secret of his success.Jim only told me two words: "Work hard!" I felt dissatisfied with his answer, so I shook my head and said, "Mr. Jim, don't be joking. You are already very successful, and you are not afraid of people competing with you." He asked me, "What do you think is the reason for my success?"

And I answered him without thinking: "Mr. Jim, I know you have a supernatural power, you can call out the names of 10,000 people." Jim said to me, "You're wrong! I can name about fifty thousand people." It turned out that during Jim's years as a salesman for a company, he also served as the secretary of the village of Rockley, which had taught him a way of remembering people's names. This method is very simple.Every time he meets a new friend, he asks him for his name, how many people are in his family, what he does and his views on current politics.After he asked these questions clearly, he kept them in his heart.The next time I meet this person again, even if it has been more than a year, I can still pat that person on the shoulder, greet his wife and children, and even talk about the flowers and plants in the backyard of that person's house.

In the months before Roosevelt started running for the presidency, Jim wrote hundreds of letters a day and distributed them to acquaintances and friends in the western and northwestern states of the United States.Then, he boarded the train, and during the nineteen-day journey, he traveled through twenty states in the United States and traveled twelve thousand miles.In addition to trains, he also uses other means of transportation, such as buggies, cars, and ships.In each town Jim visited, he had a very honest conversation with an acquaintance before he moved on to the next part of his journey.When he returned to the east, he immediately sent a letter to each of his friends in various towns, asking them to send him a list of the guests they had talked with.Those on the innumerable list, they all had an intimate and extremely polite reply from Jim.

Jim discovered early on that the average person is most interested in their own name.Remember a person's name and call it out naturally, and you will have a subtle compliment and appreciation for him.On the other hand, forgetting that person's name or calling it wrong will not only embarrass the other person, but also cause great harm to yourself. I once organized a workshop in Paris where I sent letters to Americans residing in Paris using photocopiers.The typist I had hired had very poor English, and errors naturally occurred when typing names.One of the trainees was a manager of an American bank in Paris, and I received a letter of reproach from him.It turned out that my French typist had misspelled the letters of his name.It can be seen how much everyone cares about their own names, and how necessary it is to remember other people's names.

When I was a boy in Scotland I was given two rabbits, one male and one female, and soon I had a litter of young rabbits.However, I can't find anything to feed them.But I came up with a bright idea.I told the children in the neighborhood that if anyone goes to pick what the little rabbit eats, the little rabbit will use his name to commemorate them. This plan is so effective that I will never forget it.When it comes to doing things, this approach often solves tough problems. Andrew Carnegie wanted to sell the rails to the Pennsylvania Railroad, whose director was Thomson.So Andrew built a big steel mill in Pittsburgh and named it "Thomson Steel Works."

From this, it is not difficult to imagine that when the Pennsylvania Railroad purchased steel rails, which one would Thomson buy from? Once, when Andrew and Pulm competed for the right to operate the small car and passenger car business.At that time, the Central Transportation Company in charge of Andrew and the company operated by Pulm competed for the small car and passenger car business of the Pacific Railway.Both Andrew and Poolm went to New York to meet with the Board of Directors of the Pacific Railroad.That night Andrew met Poole at the St. Nicholas Hotel and said: "Good night, Mr. Poole, aren't we both kidding ourselves?"

"What do you mean?" asked Poolm. So Andrew expressed his own opinion, saying that he hoped that the businesses of the two parties would be merged, and since the two parties did not compete, greater and more benefits could be obtained.Although Poolm listened attentively, he didn't quite believe it. At last Poole asked, "What are you going to call this new company?" Andrew immediately replied, "Of course it's called the Poole Palace Small Car and Passenger Company." Poole Looking at Tom's tense face, he said immediately: "Mr. Andrew, come to my room, let's talk in detail!" It was that conversation that created a new miracle in Andrew Carnegie's business world.

People value their own names, try their best to keep their names passed down, and are even willing to pay any price, even sacrifices.Many people can't remember other people's names just because they don't think it's necessary to put effort and energy into remembering other people's names.If you ask them why, they will probably make excuses for themselves and say they are busy. However, one of the easiest, most obvious, and most important ways to gain favorability is to remember the other person's name and make the other person feel important.Whether in politics, business or communication, remembering other people's names is very necessary.