When meeting others in business, your name is important. But consider a name that is hard to pronounce for native speakers of English. This has serious consequences. For example, someone might not be able to contact you by telephone or postal mail because the person doesn’t accurately remember your name. No contact = lost business.

Many foreign-born professionals with names like this choose to “Americanize” their first names. This is helpful in American business culture because people tend to address each other by first names after knowing each other for only a short time. Think of altering your first name as adopting a nickname as many Americans do as early as childhood. But what about your last name? You can’t change that for cultural and legals reasons. But if you are “Srini from India” or “Susan from Taiwan,” it’s a big step towards being remembered.

How to choose a name

There are three ways to Americanize your first name: use your nickname, shorten your name, or adopt an American first name.

If your nickname in your language is easy to pronounce for native speakers of English, use it. I knew a Thai woman named Ardcharaporn who used the nickname Ja. It worked fine for everyone.

You can shorten your name if that works for you, like it does for Srinivasan above.

Finally, you can choose an entirely different name, as “Susan” did above.

Avoiding mistakes

If you choose a different name, be careful not to use one that sounds too informal. A good source of first names are those used by famous or important people in American business. Names like Sunny and Candy aren’t good because they sound too much like children’s names. Nicknames formed from real names using -y or -ie – for example, Joey from Joseph and Debbie from Debra – might make people think you aren’t a serious person. That’s not the first impression you want to give during an introduction. Also, don’t choose a name that can be used by either a man or a woman, such as Pat or Chris. If you do this, people might not know if you are a man or a woman until they meet you in person or talk to you on the telephone.

Business cards

When printing English-language business cards, put your American first name in quotes between your real first name and your last name, for example, Ruishang “Susan” Wu or Ravikishore “Ravi” Chadalawada. This makes it clear what your legal name is and what you prefer to be called.

Legal matters

Speak to an American lawyer about whether or not you can use your Americanized first name in signing contracts or other legal documents. There may be laws that require you to use your real name.

Be consistent

If you use a different first name, don’t change it later. I worked with a businessman who chose a new American name for each new project. I was not the only person who was confused about who he really was.

One final important piece of advice: ask your American business associates or friends what they think of your American first name. You want it to be remembered so that you are remembered.

What do you think? Does this advice work for you? Add your comments and questions to this article.

The other day I was talking with a peer as we were putting an e-mail distribution list together for an upcoming event. “Who are we missing? I know we’re missing someone.” We both stared off into space a bit, and then it hit us both almost immediately. “Helen Li!”* Why was it that my colleague and I always seemed to forget Helen? Intrigued, since this is about the fourth time it had happened (!), we examined it a bit. We both agreed, Helen is very soft spoken and never seems to speak out at meetings. What’s more, she always eats with her door closed. No one has ever seen Helen eat in the cafeteria or in someone else’s office for that matter.

“So what does this have to do with communication?” you might ask. Frankly, a lot. From an obvious perspective, if you’re not speaking out at meetings and always eating lunch alone, you’re not speaking. More than that, you’re not speaking in social contexts where your voice and opinions count the most. As in the example with my peer, it can yield results as serious as people forgetting your name. This could mean not being including on a memo, not being invited to an event, and at a more consequential level, not being seen as material for promotion due to a perceived lack of “interpersonal skills” or “leadership potential.” Yes, this communication thing is serious business.

So start slow if you find you’re one of those people. Open the door to your office one quarter of the way tomorrow, halfway the next, and all the way by the end of the week. Perhaps in small doses, invite a colleague or two in for lunch, or go to them—arrange it or casually suggest it. Once you’ve built up the courage, try getting to know someone new by deliberately inviting them in or out for lunch. Take advantage of communal eating areas and try to say yes to the next group lunch outing. Go with a friend but sit next to people you’ve never spoken to much.

Most companies and careers are becoming increasingly relationship and team-oriented. If you find you cannot or do not want to take these steps, it may be time to re-evaluate your current job. Are you happy there? Is the communication barrier more than you can handle? Seek your HR department or mentor for quality advice or support. You are there because they value your contributions, so it is not too much for them to support your professional growth also.

We welcome your comments and questions.

*Helen Li is not her real name.