If you’ve ever been stuck in a situation where you know that you’ve met the person across from you, exchanged names, but for the life of you can’t recall the person’s name? A likely outcome of this awkward re-encounter would be where you’re simply hoping and waiting for that person to say something, well, anything that will jog your memory. If you don’t mention the person’s name and they remember yours, you can come off as insincere, which probably isn’t a desirable outcome in becoming charismatic. How do you prevent this awkward situation occurring in the first place?

It’s innate in human nature to crave recognition, acknowledgement and acceptance in any social circle a person feels they belong to or want to become a part of. One of the most effective things you can do towards taking that step in becoming more charismatic and generally good in connecting with new people is making the habit of remembering names. Taking a page from Dale Carnegie’s classic on interpersonal skills, “How to Win Friends and Influence People”, he says that “A person’s name is to him or her is the sweetest and most important sound in any language.” Read the rest of this entry »

Time and time again, public speaking or presenting in front of an audience lists as one of the top fears or phobias held by people around the world. Why can some people speak effortlessly and with ease, while others fall flat on their faces or don’t even bother? The truth of the matter is, to speak in front of an audience is not a natural thing to do. We all had to start from somewhere. No one is really naturally inclined, because public speaking is an art and as such, it takes consistent practice and refinement. Read the rest of this entry »