Do you find that people get your name wrong often? It is something I’ve faced all of my life. I’m guessing it is because my name isn’t that common. From my earliest years, I was called Forrest and that was long before Forrest Gump became one of the most popular movies of all time. After the movie, the mistake was more common. Forster is another common mistake. There is also Rooster Cogburn after another popular movie. My last name often gains an L to become Colburn.

The wrong name is so common that I don’t often get too upset about it. But I do find it amusing that someone who wants my business or my assistance in some way gets it wrong. Don’t you think I would be more likely to listen to a pitch if my name was correct? Getting it wrong starts things off with a strike against the idea.

Yesterday I was contacted by a client about posting some changes on their Web site. They were a bit hesitant to do it immediately because of a name spelled wrong. The weird part is that it was a link to a magazine article on the person and the name was spelled right in the article.

I’ve also had a battle for years with Intuit because they incorrectly entered my first name twice. Then they made the wrong name the “primary” contact. So when I login with the correct name I am unable to delete the wrong one. This error is incredibly obvious and yet it seems impossible to get it fixed.

So if you are trying to win business from someone, make sure to get their name right. Designing an award? Make sure you spell the name right on the award. In every circumstance, just get the name correct!