Why working on your memory is good for business

If you have ever used the phrase, “I’m no good with names but I remember faces”, then you have, perhaps unwittingly, repeated a fundamental truth about human memory: our brains are better at retaining images than they are random snippets of language.

Think back to your earliest memory. Now do the same with the first words you remember saying or hearing. Which date is earlier? Almost certainly it will be the memory of pictures and not sounds.

This is an inconvenient truth for entrepreneurs, who need to recall facts, figures, names and ideas to impress peers, make contacts and stand out in their market. In essence, a good memory is good for business.

“There are many instances where remembering can give you a huge advantage,” says US-based memory expert Chester Santos, who is also an award-winning speaker on the subject.

“One is remembering people’s names. You are not getting the most out of business networking if you’re attending a bunch of networking events and the next time you see someone you have no idea what their name is or what they do for a living.

“You’re missing an opportunity to build a rapport with people. When you can remember their name and other things about them, it tells them they are important to you. That in turn makes them want to get to know you better. The opposite is also true.”

He also believes it will make you better at your job. A good memory means you are likely to give more engaging presentations, instead of rummaging through pages of notes, and will run more productive meetings that could land you more work. Imagine two lawyers meeting a prospective client, one who can recall all relevant details, including precedents and related cases, and one who can’t. Which one would get the gig?

“Whether or not it’s true that someone with a good memory is more intelligent, they will be perceived as being more intelligent,” Santos adds.

Practice makes perfect

The good news, according to the experts, is that a first-rate memory is within most people’s grasp. Using tried and tested tips about how to make information stick, some enthusiasm and semi-regular practice, it is possible for even the most forgetful to improve recall.

“In many ways, our natural capacity to learn is astonishing: when interested and engaged, anyone can learn remarkably well,” says Ed Cooke, creator of language learning app Memrise. “Memory techniques are really techniques for ensuring that we learn in our naturally most powerful way.”

The easiest way to remember important information is by attaching a visual cue to it. For example, the UK business secretary is Greg Clark – an easy one to forget you might think. But now imagine you are standing in a high street facing two shops. On the left is Greggs, on the right, Clarks. This made-up image might be enough for you to call up the politician’s name for as long as you need to.

If you want to go further and really lock in a memory, you need to engage different parts of your brain by attaching sensations to it, says Santos. Maybe imagine the street is cold and windswept or rainy.

“Involve as many additional senses as you can [to] experience these things in your mind. Don’t just see it, imagine you can actually smell it, taste it, touch it, get as many additional senses involved.

“As you do that you’re activating more areas of your brain and building more connections in your mind to the information. It makes it so much easier to retrieve that information later on.”

Another tip is to make the memory crazy. Introducing an outlandish aspect to the scene triggers humans’ natural capacity to remember unusual or exciting events. If, as you read this, an elephant poked its head in through your nearest window and started spraying water about, you are likely to remember the event for the rest of your life. By artificially evoking this sensation in your head, it’s possible to mimic the same effect.

Cooke adds that connecting new knowledge with what you already know is a big help, as is reciting what you have just learned to commit it to memory.

“If you’re learning a language, practice 30 minutes a day in three increments of 10 minutes,” he says. “Little and often, if sustained, is the best way forward. The same goes for remembering the names of all the people in your business.”

Like a muscle, the brain needs a workout to improve. Santos says our love affair with gadgetry means we rely less on our brains and increasingly on files stored on devices. He advocates ditching the smartphone.

“I recommend first dialling a number from memory and if you can’t, go to the address book. It’s an easy way to practice daily and it’s also good exercise in general. Numbers are everywhere: confirmation numbers, flight details, credit card numbers, passport numbers. When other people are fumbling through their bags, I can just [remember them], which saves time.”

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