The trick that I've used is saying the name 3 times in the initial conversation. That usually works for me, and people like to hear their own name in conversation. Otherwise I have to use the "Have you met..." introducing them to someone else, then hearing them reintroduce themselves.
Standard blog fare: The real "trick" could be boiled down to a tweet without losing any fidelity.
I like how he rode in a friend's care.
Maybe, the author wrote the two stories as interesting anchors around the principle in order to help you recall it when you need to. Maybe. Or something.