Jim Kwik's BE SUAVE method for remembering names
The seven BE SUAVE steps, a worked Ruby example and how to choose which parts fit a conversation without losing track of what someone says.
By Namefinity editorial team · Read about our guides
Jim Kwik's system for remembering names is called BE SUAVE. It covers how you think about your memory, how you practise, how you use the name and how you turn it into a picture.
This guide paraphrases Kwik's public episode notes and considers how its steps fit an ordinary introduction. Jim Kwik has not reviewed or endorsed this article or Namefinity.
What is BE SUAVE? Jim Kwik’s seven steps are Believe, Exercise, Say it, Use it, Ask, Visualize and End it. Kwik combines a mindset prompt with practice, saying and using the name, questions, imagery and a named goodbye. During a conversation, start by hearing and checking the name. Save image-building for a name that needs extra help if it would distract you from listening.
What BE SUAVE stands for
B: Believe
Kwik recommends changing negative self-talk about memory. Treat that as his motivational advice. His show notes do not establish that forgetting a name means you failed to care or believe.
E: Exercise
Kwik asks listeners to exercise their memory. For this method, that can include trying a sound-to-picture link and checking whether it brings back the correct name. Practice is a separate choice from keeping a conversation going.
S: Say it
Repeat the name after the introduction:
"Good to meet you, Ruby."
Say it back to check what you heard and give the person a chance to correct you. In two photo-and-name experiments, reading names aloud rather than silently did not improve recall of the right name for each face.
U: Use it
Kwik suggests using the name three or four times in conversation. Our adaptation uses a check at the start and a natural question or goodbye. There is no need to insert the name into every response. The purpose is to retrieve it, not to demonstrate a technique at the person.
A: Ask
Ask about spelling, pronunciation or the name itself, particularly when it is unfamiliar to you.
Use care when asking. "Have I said that correctly?" is usually polite. A question about the name's meaning may start a good conversation if the person seems interested. It may also make them feel put on show. Learning the name is not more important than treating the person well.
V: Visualize
Turn the sound into a picture. Mark becomes a check mark. Carol can become a carol being sung. The aim is to turn a sound into something you can see in your mind.
An early paper on name mnemonics describes turning a name into an image and linking it to a face. The practical difficulty is speed. If an image does not arrive quickly, save this step for immediately after the conversation.
E: End it
Use the person's name when you say goodbye:
"Good talking to you, Ruby."
This creates one more retrieval after the conversation has supplied useful context. It is also a natural place to use a name.
Choose the parts that fit the moment
If you did not hear the name, ask for it again. If you heard it clearly and the conversation is moving, listen to the reply. You do not need to work through seven actions before the other person finishes speaking.
A private image may be useful for a name that keeps slipping. A straightforward greeting may need only a clear name check. These are ways to apply parts of the framework, rather than a new formula replacing it.
Example: meeting Ruby
Suppose someone introduces herself as Ruby. You answer, "Good to meet you, Ruby," and later learn that she runs the Wednesday climbing group. That gives you the simple association Ruby, Wednesday climbing. When leaving, you retrieve the name again: "See you Wednesday, Ruby."
If you want to practise before the next session, write down the checked name and the climbing-group detail after the conversation. Later, cover the name and use that detail to try to recall it. Check your answer. If the name continues to fail, imagine a large ruby embedded in one of the climbing holds. Add the visual cue only when the simpler context cue is insufficient.
If the name has gone at the next climbing session, the forgotten-name guide has words for asking again.