How to Unlock Your Super Memory… to Sell
Three memory strategies to become superhuman.
Nelson Dellis is a six-time USA Memory Champion who once had an average memory—until he trained himself to remember thousands of numbers, names, and even entire decks of cards. He’s now one of the world’s leading memory experts, helping people sharpen their minds for business, influence, and everyday life.
His journey started when his grandmother developed Alzheimer’s, and he became obsessed with learning how to improve memory. Nelson proves that memory isn’t about talent—it’s about training.
"I don’t have a photographic memory. I trained it. Memory isn’t talent—it’s a skill." ~ Nelson Dellis
See how unlocking the secrets to mega memory can help us sell, persuade, and influence like never before.
Main Lesson: Memory is a sales superpower
You may not think of yourself as a salesperson, but here’s the truth:
You are always selling.
Maybe it’s a product or service.
Maybe it’s an idea, a vision.
Throughout our days, we are always trying to get someone to do something.
Know that every conversation is a transaction—of trust, belief, and influence.
The difference between those who close and those who are forgotten?
Memory.
If you remember someone’s name, their struggles, their dreams—you become someone they trust. And people are swayed more easily from those they trust.
Most people assume memory is just a personal tool, but in reality, it’s a secret weapon for influence. And the best part? It’s a skill, not a talent.
It’s time to train yours.
THE LESSON
Use the power of memory to build trust, influence, and sell.
Howie Chan
❤️ Heartset: Influence Comes From Making People Feel Seen
People want to feel special. They want to know they are “ranked” high in status.
When someone remembers a small but meaningful detail about you, it makes you fee good and it creates an instant connection.
Imagine a business contact remembering your child’s name, your favorite coffee order, or a challenge you mentioned weeks ago. You’d feel valued, right?
Now, imagine your prospects feeling that way about you.
Why Names Matter More Than You Think
Hearing our own name is more powerful than most of us realize. A study published in Brain Research found that hearing our own name activates unique brain regions associated with self-representation and attention.
This means that when you use someone’s name in conversation, it literally lights up their brain. It makes them feel recognized, valued, and important.
But like any tool, it must be used wisely. According to a Wall Street Journal article, while repeating someone’s name can build rapport, overusing it can feel inauthentic or even manipulative.
The key? Use their name naturally and sincerely. It’s one of the simplest ways to influence people to like and trust you.
"People have this script in their mind that they’re bad with names. So they don’t even try to remember them."
Nelson Dellis
Change that script, and you change how people perceive you.
🧠 Mindset: Memory Is a Muscle. Put In the Reps
Most people say, “I’m just bad at names” or “I can’t remember details.”
But here’s the truth: Memory is a trainable skill.
“When I first started, I needed a way to know if I was getting better. Just saying ‘I’m working on my memory’ wasn’t enough. So I found memory competitions, which gave me measurable goals. That structure helped me train every day, and that’s what made the difference.”
Nelson Dellis
This is the key shift: Stop thinking of memory as something that happens to you. Start treating it like a skill you practice.
The sharper your memory, the more people will trust, respect, and follow you—whether you’re selling an idea, a vision, or a product.
🧰 Skillset: Three Superhuman Strategies
1. The Buyer Persona Memory Palace
If your business depends on relationships, remembering key details about people gives you a massive edge.
Use the Memory Palace Technique to store client names, pain points, and preferences:
🔥 Step 1: Pick a location you know well (your home, office, favorite café).
🔥 Step 2: Assign different customers or client types to specific rooms (have a set of general pain points and struggles so you can recall them in real time)
🔥 Step 3: When you meet someone, mentally “place” them in a room with key details attached of them attached.
The key to this is having a out of this world imagination.
Say there is a guy names Charlie. He is a potential client who is a C-suite leader, looking to build a personal brand, but struggle with content. He loves ice-hockey and visits the Galapagos every two years.
Place Charlie in the C-suite room, maybe that’s the master bathroom tub, picture him with a Charlie Chaplin moustache holding a hockey stick and whacking Galapagos turtles across the bathroom into giant calendars, one after another.
Why it works: Your brain remembers places far better than random information and the more crazy, the easier to remember. This method makes recalling details effortless.
2. The Three-Step Name Hack (Use This Immediately!)
The simplest way to build instant trust? Remember people’s names.
The most important thing here is to approach each opportunity with EAGERNESS. Once you decide it’s important, it becomes easier to remember.
Here’s how to do it fast:
🔹 Hear: Repeat their name immediately. “Nice to meet you, Sarah!” (always ask them to repeat it if you didn’t catch it completely the first time.
🔹 Visualize: Connect their name to a strong image (e.g., Sarah → syrup).
🔹 Repeat: Use their name 3 times in conversation. “Sarah, tell me more about your business. Wow, Sarah, that’s fascinating!”
Why it works: Your brain retains visual images much better than abstract names. Attach an image, and it sticks.
3. Make Your Offer Unforgettable with the “Sticky Story” Method
Facts don’t sell. Stories do.
If you want your product, idea, or message to stick, you need to tie it to a memorable story.
✅ Instead of saying: “Our software automates workflows.”
✅ Say: “One of our clients cut their workweek in half using our software—without adding a single extra employee.”
🔥 Step 1: Find a real customer success story (or your personal journey).
🔥 Step 2: Focus on transformation (where they were before vs. after using your product).
🔥 Step 3: Make it vivid—use emotion, specific numbers, and sensory details.
Why it works: People forget bullet points. They never forget a powerful transformation story that evokes the five senses.
The One Who Remembers, Wins
If you want to be more influential, more persuasive, and more trusted—train your memory.
Your challenge this week:
✅ At your next meeting or event, remember 5+ names and repeat them 3 times.
✅ Recall one key detail about a prospect or client from a past conversation.
✅ Use a vivid story when explaining your product, service, or idea.
Do this, and you’ll become that person—the one everyone remembers, trusts, and wants to do business with.
Because in a world where most people forget, the one who remembers wins.
Howie Chan
Creator of Influence Anyone
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Don’t miss:
The Influence Anyone Podcast
Marie had some very specific things for me to try and I will try it (want to find out what those are? listen to the full episode)
🎧 Listen to it on Apple, Spotify, the web or wherever you get your podcasts.
References:
Chan, Howie, The Power of Memory: Unlock the Secrets to Improving Your Memory and Mind with 6x USA Memory Champion Nelson Dellis, The Legend Effect Podcast, February 11, 2025 - LINK
Carmody, D. P., & Lewis, M. (2006). Brain activation when hearing one’s own and others’ names. Brain Research, 1116(1), 153–158 - LINK
Wong, K. (2022). Is Repeating Someone’s Name Charming—Or Creepy? The Wall Street Journal - LINK