What’s in a name?
I think the thing that is most frustrating in communicating with someone is when you mess up their name. Folks don’t mind too much of you mess up the town they live in or the name of their car, the school they went to, but their name is personal and I think folks feel like you are messing with them when you mispronounce or misspell their name.
Now my given name is Joanne. Not very unusual, but I guess the way I pronounce it over the phone with my accent made it sound like something else. I would often have to say it three times and then get, “Oh hello Jillian!” UGH!
And don’t get me started on how to spell it! I’d get Joanne, Jo Anne, Jo Ann, Joann, Johanne, Johanna, Joan and Jillian! LOL Then I got married and my last name became Tabares. Took ME six months to learn to pronounce it right! Tabaras, Tobarus, Tobarez…ROFL
So when I started my business, I began to refer to myself by my nickname I had since I was a wee tot (Yes! Even smaller than I am now!). Joanne was my given name, but I gave it back! Started using JoJo and you know what? Everyone could pronounce it and EVERYONE could even spell it! A 20 minute conversation were 15 minutes was spent explaining my first name became an efficient and succinct 5 minute call!
Do you have an unusual name? Do folks mispronounce it or misspell it all the time? What do you do about it? Leave a comment and share!
JoJo (Alias Joanne, Johanna, Joan, Mom, Mrs. Tabares… and Jillian!)
