Dale Carnegie famously said that the sweetest sound to any person is the sound of his or her own name. When I heard this, it struck a chord in me. Think of how great it feels when you meet somebody for only the second time and they remember to greet you by name. I am, well, kind of fanatical about recording names of all of the people in my life: friends, friends of friends, all business associates (I really mean all), people at my favorite restaurants, doormen, the woman behind the counter at my dry cleaner and my mailman.

You may think I’m exaggerating, but I’m not. Remembering peoples’ names will set you apart in your hunt for your first job in pharmaceutical or medical sales. You will be meeting a lot of people as you progress with your job search. Now, your task is to remember ALL of their names. This habit will serve you well once you’re on the job, too. You can only ask a particular client his or her name so many times. After the second or third time, people will be put off.

I store names in the TREO PDA I carry with me at all times. I trust nothing to my memory. I type notes about their appearances to help recall their faces to my mind. Successful job candidates I know took notes in their daily planners as they went on interviews. Write names down on the back of a receipt if you must. There’s no better way to start an interview than with eye contact, a strong handshake and a confident greeting— beginning with your interviewer’s first name.