There's one thing that I can guarantee about each and every one of you. There's one common thing that you've done well in every set that you've had success with. You've exchanged names.

In the same way that you never just give your age and ask hers, you shouldn't just swap names:
"Hi, I'm Zebra"
"Hi, I'm HB"
"..."
"So, do you come here often?"

If you can become a memorable face to her AND she can remember your name, things are good. There are a number of reasons for this:

- If you bump into her again and you had a good interaction last time, you can instantly inject yourself into whatever set she's in. There's a good chance that if she's hot, her friends will be too. Ever wanted to go and join the 10 set of HB 8+ at the bar? This is a really good way to do it.

- Using each others names is a good way of behaving like your relationship is more developed than it actually is. Ever wondered why salesmen use your name lots?

- If you don't close her, for some reason*, with a full name she's easy for you to find on facebook. Also, she can find you fairly easily if she was that into you.

There are so many different things that you can do with names, either hers or yours. What I'm hoping to do in this thread is compile a list of ways in which people have used them for better (or worse) when gaming.

*I was once on a train, deep in conversation with a girl when she looked up, "Oh, s**t, this is my stop" and ran for the doors. As she leapt through the doors before they shut, I realised that was the only closing that was going on in her vicinity today. We never shared last names, so she was untraceable.

How to remember names
I used to be terrible with names. I didn't even bother to pay attention when people told me their names because I knew I wouldn't remember them. I now remember the names of everyone just for practice. When I say everyone, I mean from the cute waitress to the person behind the reception desk when I phone a supplier from work.

You need to remember their name to start with because everyone likes to hear their own name. It's something I was thought recently in successful bid proposal writing; most people start a bid proposal with their own name. Be different, start with the name of the person that you're trying to impress. Sales people will also always use their potential customer's name when ever possible for the same reason as it develops a connection.

First up, their name is essentially a word and remembering a word is tricky. There are two main techniques I've used to get past this:

1) Remember when you couldn't remember your latin conjugations at school? Your teachers made you repeat them over and over. Same thing here. When ever possible, use their name. "While you're at the bar, could you get me an Appletinni? Thanks Susie" "I'm particularly enjoying your name Catia, it just rolls off the tounge. Cat-eee-a." etc.

2) Associate the name with something. Susie? Rhymes with boozy. Imagine her with a bottle of value vodka in each hand. I used to associate people who had the same names, but that was never as successful.

Now, how to turn this around.

How to make her remember your name?

1) Making her repeat your name isn't something that you can do terribly easily. We'll come back to this after number two.

2) "I know that you've just met 20 people. You're not going to remember any of their names. Sorry, that's a lie: you're going to remember one. Mine. Do you know how the guys who do card counting do it? They associate the cards with things as things are easier to remember. To remember me, well, have you ever seen the wedding tackle on a horse? Well, a Zebra's pretty similar, but it's striped black and white. True story. So all that you have to do when you want to remember my name is just picture a horse and then zoom in and now make it black and white!"

1) Coming back to the first point, you both use your name so much in the discussion of part 2 that it sort of sink in anyhow.

Nicknames
This is a well documented one. I don't think there are any PUAs who'll disagree that giving her a nickname will make your game more solid.

- When taking her phone number, tell her that you're going to put it in your phone under a nickname. Here's when you demonstrate a) that you were paying attention and b) your sense of humour.

- Use it as a neg

- Share an embarrassing nickname that you used to have. Give her something that she can tease you about. This is something that I will write about in detail at some other stage, but I think it's a very good way of rapidly developing friendship: if you mock her continuously without her coming back, it's not fun for her. If mocking is a two way thing, she's participating instead of just having everyone laugh at her. How to calibrate this? See the reference to "Flopsy" in Notting Hill.

- Aside from anything else, it makes it far easier to remember her name if you have a nickname for her!

Basic one...but....

Link to anything

"Cool name Anita. I have only met one other Anita in my life. I was friends with her at uni. She was a national martial arts expert. She was only like 5ft5, but she terrified everyone. She was like my sister - I was the only one in my first year house that the rugby lads didn't mess with because of her. Crazy thing was, she was terrified of cats."

Move topic on to:
- martial arts
- small aggressive people
- protective sisters/ family
- stunts that the rugby lads pulled
- cats (and a terror thereof - "how about a tiger?")

You've only known her for the length of an awkwardly long 60 YOC handshake and already you've got loads of places to take the conversation.

DHV

"Wow, Lucy? That's the name of my niece."

"Really? Abigail? You know those adverts that ask you sponsor an animal? Anyhow, I felt sorry for the little guys so I sponsored one. Guess what I named my sponsored, endangered Bolivian lesser spotted earthworm?"*

etc.

*The following line should always be
"What? Abagail? Why would I name an earth worm Abagail? No, I called him Jim."

What do you mean?

I always give her my name and shake her hand. She gives me hers and I forget it in 1 minute and end up calling her girl #1 or some name I come up with on the spot.

_________________
I'm not trying to be a dick Ezo, but you're being a Pick Up Snob in my opinion.

bbardot: you just reminded me about porn

What do I mean?

It's a topic that will come up if you're playing natural or canned game. It's something that comes up even if you're not gaming someone. If you ever want to build a connection with people, using names is a good way to do so.

Everyone does it.

This thread was just here as a method for people to discuss how they use names to further relationships with people, be they HBs or the dude you sit next to at work.

I think he meant the first part where you stated that

Ok, fair enough. It was based on everyone I've ever seen who's good at pick-up; they always like to play around with names at least a little even if only going for a big pause after the name giving while maintaining a 60YOC handshake.

Thats what I mean, I never care about the name and that works just fine. I seriously doubt the statement you are basing your entire theory on.

_________________
I'm not trying to be a dick Ezo, but you're being a Pick Up Snob in my opinion.

bbardot: you just reminded me about porn

I guess it goes from being a universal law to just a routine then. Do you have the power to move a thread in your quiver of mod powers?

Sure thing, where do you want it?

_________________
I'm not trying to be a dick Ezo, but you're being a Pick Up Snob in my opinion.

bbardot: you just reminded me about porn

Could you put it in routines please? Ta.