In the corporate world, and in life, there are small things that speak volumes. One of those things is getting someone’s name right.
I’ve lost count of how many times my name has been misspelled. Hana. Hannah. Honna. It doesn’t matter how many times I’ve signed an email, included it in my signature, or introduced myself clearly—it happens over and over. And while I used to brush it off, I’ve come to realize it’s not such a small thing after all.
Getting someone’s name right is a litmus test—not just of professionalism, but of attention to detail.
And more than that, a name is personal. It’s not just a label, it’s a representation of who someone is. It’s the first thing we’re given, and often the first thing we offer to others. When someone misspells your name over and over, it may not be meant as disrespect, but it can feel personal.
Mistakes happen, of course. We all get things wrong. Of course, I have spelled names incorrectly. In fact just today I realized I was spelling my own nephews name wrong! I realized my mistake and corrected it, I also acknowledged my mistake. When you continue to misspell someone’s name after they’ve clearly corrected you, it stops being a mistake and starts becoming a pattern. Patterns matter, I’m a data analytics expert, you can rest assured I see it and I can make inferences based on it.
I once left a role, not because of the misspelling itself, but I do recall receiving an email with name misspelled for the umpteenth time. Even after I clarified the spelling of my name in an email, which was, like most of us, spelled correctly in my email address and also my email signature. I will admit that maybe I was in my feelings a bit; however, that moment of dissatisfaction led to me doing a quick job search. That search led me to an opportunity at a different organization and I left that role.
As I moved to a more client facing role. I wondered, what if this were a client’s name? If you continuously got it wrong, even after they corrected you, how long would they stay a client? Would they trust that you were paying attention to the other details that matter?
Names are personal, but they’re also practical. In a world where trust, connection, and detail matter, getting someone’s name right is one of the simplest ways to show you’re present and professional.
So here’s to slowing down and noticing. To spelling names right. Because in business, as in life, the little things really do matter.