Write Everything Down
Letting what people tell you go in one ear and out the other is throwing money away.
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Time to result
- ~weeks to results
- Steps
- 5
- Confidence
- 90%
Pearlman calls disciplined note-taking a secret to two decades of success. After every show he does 'homework,' writing down everything about the 30-40 people he met — their names and the specifics they shared. When he re-meets someone a year later he reviews those notes first and recalls details they've forgotten telling him, which he credits with earning money, relationships, and repeat bookings. He insists a bad memory is no excuse because phones make capture effortless.
Origin
Pearlman describes note-taking as a habit he's leaned on for going on two decades, doing it after every single show as end-of-night homework so he can astonish repeat clients with recalled personal details.
Core principles
- 01Every detail a person shares about themselves has future value.
- 02You have no excuse not to capture it — phones hold more computing power than the moon landing.
- 03Reviewing notes before a re-encounter makes you look unforgettable.
- 04Captured details convert into gifts, rapport, loyalty, and revenue.
How to run it
- 1
Capture immediately after the interaction
Treat writing down what you learned about each person as required homework at the end of every event.
Pro tip For a single show he logs details on all 30-40 people he met.
- 2
Record names plus distinctive personal facts
Note the specifics people volunteer — a kid on a travel hockey league, a love of vintage clothing, a passion or business detail.
- 3
Use any capture tool
Write, type into a notes app, or record a voice memo — a bad memory is no excuse given the phone in your pocket.
Pro tip Set calendar alerts for birthdays and dates so technology carries the load.
- 4
Review before you re-meet
Read the person's notes right before seeing them again so the details are fresh.
- 5
Act on the detail
Reference the fact or send a thoughtful gift, proving you took the extra effort.
Pro tip The recalled detail wins friends, clients, and loyalty.
In the wild
Pearlman describes a client walking up a year or two after a show; because he wrote down and reviewed details, he not only remembered them but told them facts about themselves.
→ People 'flip out,' and he credits recalled details with earning him money and relationships over his career.
Common mistakes
Trusting memory alone
Details heard and not recorded are lost; the value of what people share evaporates without a capture-and-review habit.
Using a bad memory as an excuse
With a phone capable of notes, voice memos, and calendar alerts, failing to capture is a choice, not a limitation.
Is it for you?
Best for
Networkers, salespeople, and relationship-driven professionals who meet many people and want to be remembered.
Not ideal for
Purely transactional interactions where no ongoing relationship is expected.
From the transcript
“I write everything down I put it there's no excuse nowadays”
“I take notes every single show I do I write down everything about everybody I met”
From the episode
Oz Pearlman: Inside the World of a Master Mind Reader, Secrets From A Mentalist
Oz Pearlman