There are many techniques publicised, but many of them seem to come back to connecting the name with some physical representation of the person.

For example I might link the surname Smith with someone's very dark eyebrows and in my head link this as Blacksmith.

This might sound a little silly, but in fact the sillier aspect you can use the better the brain seems to remember it.

It takes a bit of practice but really makes a difference to the effectiveness of remembering names.

Alberto Dell'Isola describes a few tricks to memorize names in Super Memória - você também pode ter uma - portuguese (no official translation to English).

• Listen. Everyone likes when others show interest in their names so it's alright to ask him to repeat it or comment how unusual it sounds.
• Repeat. Add his name a few times in the conversation, in the Good Bye, and challenge yourself to greet your next Good Afternoon followed by his name.
• Judge the book by it's cover. What does his face remind you? The first impression is probably going to be the second, so prejudgemental feelings are helpful and should be encouraged. Take some time to make assumptions about their personality based purelly on their appearence.
• Do I know anyone else with that name? Picture the faces of people with the same or similar names. People you know or famous people.

Mr. Dell'Isola also describes a complex technique requiring one to picture the associations interacting with each other in a given place. This is most likely focused on his students aiming for competitions so I won't get into details here.

Another way is to send people invites on LinkedIn. Then you have a place where you can see peoples faces and names.

Here's a simple tip I am using: use his/her name in your conversation at least three times.

Here's what works for me. Write their name down, several times. Also, say their name when you shake their hand.. like "NIce to meet you John Smith".

You need to engage several different sectors of the brain with the name.

I am often confronted with many new names at the workplace. What I do is, I simply write the names down in a very small (paper) notebook together with a short info. Like this" "Susan - blonde girl in tech support, responsible for the cluster". Simple.

There isn't one answer. It depends on what works for you and what you have trouble with. My favorite techniques are saying the person's name immediately/in conversation and then writing it down for next time. It still takes me a few tries though.

For names I've never heard before, I've been learning initials and then putting learn "xyz abc's name" on my to do list. That way I see it enough times that i learn it.

Admittedly, this does not directly answer your question, but may be useful to know.

In my experience, the best tool is actually being unafraid to ask for a person's name multiple times, and sometimes being accepting that names are not your forte. Typically when I have to re-ask a name, I find it makes other people feel more comfortable and at ease around you. When you are comfortable showing that you are not perfect others have a tendency to reciprocate that attitude. This tends to generate a more socially safe atmosphere in which people will feel more comfortable asking you questions, sharing their problems, and openly stating their opinions.

That being said, the two most common methods I've heard for memorizing names are either repetition of looking at a face and stating the name in your mind, or creating a very, strange vivid visualization of their name that doubles as a mnemonic.

An example of an mnemonic with my name, Brandon, would be to imagine my face and you take a "Brand" with the letter "B" and put it "on" my forehead. Or for the name Jeanne, I'll think of the words "G" and "ant", and imagine the person walking around with G shaped ants on their body. Typically the more absurd you make the imagery the more it has a tendency to strongly stick in your mind.

I know this sounds weird but I've heard that when the person says their name, you proceed to imagine their name written in big red letters over their head and that's supposed to help you remember the name.

I suppose it makes sense if only because it forces you to think about the name for more than the moment it took them to say it to you. Otherwise, you may not even hear them when they say their name to begin with.

That works for me... Write their name on a piece of paper and post the paper on a wall or something close to your workplace. Also, write down the names in an (online) computer file.