Two time USA Memory Champion and memory training expert and memory speaker Ron White shares his story about his favorite dry cleaner:

So there I was, just another normal day bringing my laundry to the cleaners. I was hurried and a bit frazzled from a stressful day. Sometimes I need to be reminded that my stresses aren’t the only stresses in the world and my cleaner came to the rescue this day. Oddly enough, he showed me this truth by becoming interested in me.

I have taught memory seminars and taught people how to memorize names for almost 20 years. However, I must confess that I didn’t know the name of my cleaner that I saw twice a week. For me, it was more a matter of walking in, leaving my clothes and going about my way. But on this day, I walked in and Nick (I would learn that was his name), smiled from ear to ear and said, ‘Hello Mr. White! Glad to see you today!’ In this moment, several things went through my mind:

1. Wow, this guy remembered my name!
2. It feels good that he took the time to memorize my name
3. I must be special!
4. Crap, what the heck is HIS name?

For a few minutes I fumbled through a conversation, looking all around his office for something that might display his name and then another customer walked in the door and Nick smiled from ear to ear and said, ‘Hello Mr McMahon, how are you today?’

WOW! Not only had Nick took the time to memorize my name. It seems that he had memorized the names of several customers. Over the course of the next year, I witnessed Nick greet customer after customer by name and it is remarkable to me. A man with no formal memory training (that I am aware of) but understand the importance of a good memory in business. Nick is a good businessman.

Two months after I moved 20 miles away my phone rang, ‘Mr. White this is Nick I noticed you haven’t been in in a while.’ I then informed him that I moved 20 miles away. But after I hung up the phone I thought, ‘This man has my business.’ It has been 18 months since I moved 20 miles away from Nick’s shop but to this day I take my cleaning to him. When I am going to his area, I simply bring my cleaning along.

Nick earned my business because he took the time to remember my name. Dale Carnegie said that,’Everyone’s favorite subject is them self and the sweetest sound to a person’s ear is the sound of their own name.’ Zig Ziglar says, ‘People don’t care how much you know until they first know how much you care.’

Whether you are using memory training or simply have a naturally gifted memory. The value of remembering a person’s name is invaluable in business. Heck, I must confess I love to hear, ‘Hello Ron White!’ and the truth be known we all love to hear someone call our name. If you would like my memory training on names click NAMES MEMORY TRAINING

So my hat is off to you Nick and thank you for taking the time to remember my name.