Jim Kwik breaks down the S.U.A.V.E. method: Say the name when introduced, Use it naturally in conversation, Ask about the person, Visualize to link name to face, and End by using their name. The key is reinforcing without sounding awkward.
Chapters
You see somebody you recognize, but for the life of you, you don't know who that person is. You don't remember their name. Suave. This is the actual technique. When you meet somebody, the first thing I want you to do is the S and you say the person's name. You meet someone named Ted, and you say, ted, it's nice to meet you. The U in suave stands for use the name. Use the name in the conversation, but notice it's use. It's not abuse, right? You want to put an A and a B in front of it. That would be abuse. An abuse would be Ted. It's great to meet you, Ted. You want to grab some lunch? Ted, what do you want to cover today? Ted, Ted. Ted. That's an abuse. The A in suave stands for ask. Because what's everyone's favorite subject? It's not travel. It's not food. It's not entrepreneurship. What is it? It's themselves, right? Remember, the name is the sweetest sound to a person's ears. The ask is really good. Also, when you meet somebody and their name is a little bit different than what you're used to, maybe you're hearing a name for the first time. Time. So you could ask about a person's name. Visualize how many people are better with faces than they are with names. It's like everybody, right? You go to someone and you say, you know, I recognize. I remember your face, but I forgot your name. You never go to someone. Say the opposite. You never go to someone and say, hey, I remember your name, but I forgot your face. You don't say that, right, because you tend to remember what you see. The E in B, suave, stands for end. What does that mean? That means saying goodbye, ending the conversation, using their name. Ted, it's nice to meet you, John. Have a great day. This is what it does. Because if you could walk into a room and meet 20 strangers and leave saying goodbye to every single one of them by name, who are they all going to remember? They're all going to remember you. And that's a standout skill.
