I was talking to a fellow and he says, “I’m not the right guy to talk to. Call De[mumble].” Now, it’s clear the guy I’m talking to doesn’t want to be talking to me. He gives me the phone number and I say thanks and figure I’ll get the guys name when I call the number, since he’ll say it clearer.
So I call the guy. He answers the phone, “De[mumble]”. And I’m thinking, “geez, maybe De[mumble] is his name.”
So we talk, and he suggests that I come to his office to meet him. And I agree. Now, he’s going to get back to me and confirm, so I have one last chance to get his name. But I don’t want to ask him, “what is actually your name, sir, who I am meeting on Friday.”
Try calling his number at night when you might get his answering machine. Perhaps you’ll get lucky and his message will include his name. Use someone’s else phone in case “De” has caller ID.
Yes, ask him to spell it. Also, ask him to say it and repeat it back to him. Spelling and saying someone’s name right is always a wise idea in sales (and life in general).
Never be embarrassed to ask people to spell their name. “I’m sorry I’m putting you in my calendar (or address book) and I’m not sure how to spell your last name…” They won’t mind mind. If for whatever reason they seem to be annoyed to have to spell it just compliment the name, ask its origin or mention it’s the same name as guy you knew in college…whatever. People love to talk about themselves and that includes their name.
I suppose I’m just worried his name is “Dean” or something and he just mumbles when he says it. And I says, “…and how do you spell your name” and he replies “uh…Dee…Ee…Ay…En, like the name” or worse yet, “just how it sounds”.
But then I suppose I’ll cross that bridge in the unlikely event that I come to it.
And if he says “Dean…” [edited for brevity], your response should be along the lines of “I had a friend with the same name except he spelled it with 2 As and and an E on the end.” This advice was originally given by Miss Manners and has proved helpful on a number of occasions. Most people are not insulted when asked to spell their name.
Nitpick: It was originally given by Peg Backen in her 1960’s etiquette book “I Try to Behave Myself.” But I’m sure the idea goes back further than that.
Well if turns out to be Dean then he’ll know how the rest of us feel when we are asked to spell or pronounce our seemingly simple, phonetically spelled names.
I had a friend named Carol Smith who said that very frequently towards the end of a business conversation the other party, having forgotten her name, would ask, “and how do you spell your name?” as a sneaky way of getting her to remind them.
They never forgot it after they heard her sacrasm-drenched rendition of S…M…I…T…H… She was a real pistol …