Astounding Results with NLP Training

At the beginning of the year I put up a web page about a man I am really privileged to know. I would argue that Tom Patterson is one of the best NLP Master Practitioners in the world. I say this simply because of the results he has created for himself and others through his use of NLP Techniques.

Tom was in a serious car accident a few years ago that left him in a coma for six weeks. When he awoke he was told he would never walk or talk properly again, he had suffered head injuries that have left him with stroke like symptoms and had broken his pelvis in six different places. I have written about Tom in the past and what he has taught me about applying NLP Techniques in adversity, but even knowing and seeing Tom did not prepare me for the things he has done over the last couple of years.

NLP Practitioner Course

I have been discussing with Tom some input he might do for my NLP Practitioner Courses and as a result I asked him a question of which the answer just blew me away. The questions I asked him was, “I know the big stuff you have achieved since your accident but can you give me a brief run down of some of some of the other things you have been up to over the last couple of years?

Here is the list Tom sent me:

• Learned to do the basics in the kitchen again
• Adjusted my speech to suit the pace, speed, tone and pace of hypnosis
• Had to learn to write again because of the stroke like symptoms
• Was slow writing, now I write at a normal pace. I had to support my left hand when writing but not any more.
• I had a short-term memory problem. NLP learning and coaching created a solution for me to recall things easily.
• Learning and studying generally and getting a focus. Using trance to suit my applications and take away any anxiety

Tom then followed this with another list of accomplishments:

• Learning to walk again, Learn to run again. The most I have run is 16 miles, heading towards a marathon.
• My left hand functioning due to exercises daily,
• My speaking legibly again to suit hypnosis to a high level,
• Learning to drive again and sit a driving test again,
• Learning to study again: ways to remember, systems for learning: what learning position I am coming from and what way suits me the best,
• Team building, class representative for 2 years, student of the year 2003-4.
• Finalist of achiever of the year from Headway in London 2003,
• Learned to swim again properly. The most I have done now is 2 miles.
• I learned how to use the computer efficiently.
• My reading went from a few pages in a book to whole books in one session,
• Improved my co ordination with my body for juggling dancing, singing.
• I have a very attuned sensory awareness. Mainly in the massages I do, I can pick up how the person is by touch, how much pressure, speed and pace to work at. My senses pick up more about people and situations, to give me great clarity of situations.
• I have the strength to look after myself.
• I found voluntary work.
• I started up my company,
• I am networked to all of Glasgow’s stress management centres. Got work at 4 centres, I do work for athletic massage treatments at athletic events in Scotland.
• I mountain walked in 3 areas of the Pyrenees during 3 weeks of camping.
• Provided life coaching with therapies in Grenoble in France on 4 occasions. I know very little French and I still achieved this. Later, I life coached with therapies in Paris.

Just in case you are not completely amazed with this list of accomplishments yet let me reiterate following Tom’s accident he lost his job, his home and his relationship. He broke his pelvis in six places and was in a coma for six weeks which left him with stroke like symptoms. Medical experts were telling Tom that he would not be able to walk or talk normally again. Now have a read of those two lists again.

NLP Practitioner Training Courses

Would you like to understand how Tom Patterson has managed to create such great results through so much adversity?

If you could would you like to be able to have some of whatever Tom has got?

In truth, Tom’s results say more about him as a person than just great use of NLP (although his has taken a lot of NLP and made it his own). But if you could use NLP Modelling Techniques to find out some of how Tom uses his mind to create these results and then were able to implant these strategies in your own head. Or for you coaches and trainers out there, to be able to offer some of this to other people.

Tom has graciously agreed to be part of the October 2008 Accelerated Success Practitioner Course to allow the delegates to practice their new NLP Modelling tools to discover his strategies for converting adversity to success.

NLP Practitioner Courses are generally great events, but consider a course where you learn to model people’s mind sets and then you are given Romilla Ready and Tom Patterson to practice your new skills with…That might be a Practitioner Course to book on. Now, the places are restricted and this will be a popular course so, check the dates on the course calendar and then drop me an email to book. You only need a £500 deposit to secure your place.

Addendum

After writing the above article I obviously sent it to Tom for his approval. Here is the email he replied with:

Hi Rintu

Those attachments were brilliant, although it may paint a picture to some of being in the category of disabled severely and still am. As you know I am far from that. Maybe categorising them in segments to make it more catching.

I am also in an advanced swimming class called the masters and I also coach the local amateur swimming team. I am big at coaching athletics which I do a lot of myself.

I am in for the Glasgow half marathon and I just missed the Triathlon in Greenock.

I also am good a sports massage connected with physio.

Also, as you have probably guessed, I am good with female attraction and covert hypnosis. That’s a winner.

I am certified Cognitive and behavioural therapist on my way to a diploma.

If we can get together to go over interview procedure for myself to see it from another angle, that would be great. I can get to hear what your direction is with this training.

For an interview I done recently I had to do a presentation, it was received very well and was highly motivational. Your training has paid off really well with that.

Thanks.

Tom.

If you think you might have something to learn about how to use NLP to improve your life then consider how much benefit you could get from learning how to model a mind set and have Tom to practice your new skills with.

The October Accelerated Success Practitioner Course is running from the 4^th to the 12^th of October in Glasgow and all you have to do to secure your place is pay a £500 deposit. A third of the course has already been booked.

What is NLP?

Neuro Linguistic Programming (NLP) was created by Richard Bandler and John Grinder as a methodology to model excellence and then be able to install it in others. This could be excellence in any field, skill or ability.

Out of this came a mass of ideas and tools but the core of NLP is about an attitude and a methodology leading to a trail of techniques. For this reason good NLP Practitioner Courses deal more with developing your attitude and methodology than with the techniques themselves.

Using this approach our Accelerated Success NLP Practitioner Course has been developed to train practitioners to be able to model others even though this is usually a master practitioner subject. The reason we can do this is that firstly the course has more days than the usual practitioner course, but also because of the time and effort that has gone in to developing the course with new ideas, concepts and processes.

Standing on the Shoulders of Giants

Bandler and Grinder were looking for a way of modelling expertise to be able to improve our results quickly. By modelling good NLP Practitioners and turning that in to a course in itself is a short cut to even greater NLP Practitioner Courses. This is the thought process and work that has been carried out to create The Accelerated Success NLP Practitioner Course.

NLP Books - Romilla Ready

Romilla Ready the co author of NLP for Dummies and the NLP Workbook for Dummieswill be appearing exclusively on our October 2008 NLP Practitioner Course. Whilst it is always great to have guest speakers Romilla Ready will be at the course for a very specific reason.

Romilla has now co-authored two of the most successful NLP Books in the UK. Her first book NLP for Dummies is a UK Best Seller and the second book NLP Workbook for Dummies is likely to do even better. Now she is developing her own brand of training and coaching courses, as well as producing DVDs, documentaries and writing even more books.

Using NLP Modelling techniques the students on the October 2008 NLP Practitioner Course will have the opportunity to model various aspects of Romilla’s mindset, skills and abilities. For example a budding author might want to model Romilla’s discipline to write a little every day or her technical research ability. Others might want to model her ability to think big and persevere even when faced with what appears to be insurmountable odds. You might even want to model her ability to learn and develop from her experience, since she seems to be able to do this very quickly.

Ultimately the reason for Romilla being on the course is that she is an excellent NLP Role Model and the delegates on the course can get live practice with a model of excellence. A good NLP Practitioner Course will give you these skills. A great course will give you the opportunity to practice these skills but only a once in a life time truly remarkable NLP Practitioner Course will give you a live Role Model of Excellence to practice on.

If you are looking in to NLP Practitioner Courses then feel free to check the dates on the course calendar for the October course, make a decision and drop me a line to book on to a once in a lifetime expereince. You only need a £500 deposit to confirm your place. 

NLP Language Pattern Example

Lots of people have baggage about NLP and Conversational Hypnosis thinking that it is manipulative and being used for bad purposes. The truth is, people with this sort of baggage are really telling you something about themselves, about their fears and even more about the direction their minds think in.

Are Hypnotic Language Patterns Manipulative?

Of course they are…all communications is manipulative. And people asking that question are usually trying to manipulate you in to thinking that it’s a bad thing and that we should all be like them. 

I am only talking to you to be heard, amongst my many other agendas, such as seeking approval, selling courses and wanting to be understood. The issue is not manipulation but intent. In the same way as any tools you can use them with good intent helping yourself and others or by mistake, negligence or intent use them to harm. The tool is not the issue, just your intent when using it.

Perfect Language Pattern Example

A little while ago I was sent a perfect example of a set of language patterns from Dr Tom. I am not going to explain the patterns because you will find them on the free persuasion skills course. There are several sets of patterns going through this that I don’t think Dr Tom is even aware of, but anyone who mails me with a good analysis of all the things going on in this example will get published. Anyway here is Dr Tom’s email in full as a perfect example of when to use a set of patterns, perfect delivery of those patterns and a perfect result. It really doesn’t get better than this.

Hi Rintu,

Thank you again for providing such great and useful information. Here is how it was applies and you have my full permission to use, print or publish any part of this email, without using my real name.

My daughter came home from school with a low test grade (a 73). We have to sign off on all of her tests, (she is an excellent student) and I could tell she was a little nervous and uncomfortable/upset about showing me this one. I said to her:

“Sweetheart (she is 12 years old), I agree that this is not a very good grade, but you have made the Honor Roll for the past three semesters, you are a very smart girl, and I am very proud of you.

The issue isn’t how you did on this one test, but how excellent you have done in all of your other classes, you have a perfect attendance record and you have excelled in band (she plays the saxophone), chorus, softball, and basketball. And after we go over this test together, you will know the material as well as anyone who scored an A on the test, and that’s what’s really important, isn’t it?

I love you and know you will do better the next time.”

Well, she went from being nervous and worrying that I would be disappointed in her, to beaming with confidence and being proud of herself. She gave me a big hug and a kiss and said, “Thanks dad, I love you.”

It doesn’t get any better than that.

Thanks Rintu.

Sincerely,

Dr. Tom

Using NLP Anchoring to Win at Poker

I went to play poker in my local casino the other night and had the opportunity to try out a specific NLP Technique I had read about in Doyle Brunson’s Super System: A Course in Power Poker!

NLP Poker

Before all you NLPers out there start looking for this new super NLP Trainer…Doyle Brunson is a poker player and has written up anchoring in his book without knowing anything about NLP. I am putting the NLP jargon on something he does.

For those of you that don’t play poker stay with this example because it deconstructs a specific process to set an anchor in a live environment. Once you understand the process you will easily find other ways of using these principles.

Strategic Thinking with NLP Persuasion Techniques

One of the things that is worth considering is how can you manoeuvre a situation so that you don’t need to use your techniques in the first place. When playing poker I very deliberately set out to create an image of being a tight aggressive player. For those of you that don’t play poker this is the sort of player that does not play very many hands, but when he does they are played with very aggressive bets. I do this for a reason.

If the players think I only play strong hands and I play them very strongly it is easy to bluff them in the later stages of the game. I use this image when the conditions are right to steal the pot by placing a big bet and watching everyone fold to me. Unfortunately this only works for as long as I can keep the image. Eventually in a game someone will call my bluff, I will have to show people my hand and they will realise that I am bluffing. From that point people tend to think that I am bluffing and don’t respect my bets anymore. I expect this to happen at some point of a game and usually change the way I play when I have been found out.

For all of you that are interested in persuasion tactics consider the issue here. I am deliberately setting out to create an image where my actions are not going to be challenged. Think about how many different ways you can apply this for yourself just by repeating a certain action in a particular what a few times people will start to assume this is how the world works. And for those of you that know some NLP, yes, this is an anchor…but it is not the one I want to talk about specifically.

Creativity from Disaster

In this particular game disaster struck and I got found out very early on in the game completely destroying my attempt at creating the table image I wanted. Normally this would be a major challenge for me and I would find it very difficult to get back in the game. On this occasion I suddenly remembered some of the things I had read from Doyle Brunson.

I had put a large bet in as normal. When another player called me and I knew the game was up and I had been caught I stretched in a big and obvious manner. When I turned over my cards and everyone saw I had been bluffing I stretched again. Here is why.

My hope was that on an unconscious level I was making an association in the other player’s heads that when I stretch I am bluffing. I made the gesture twice. Once when I knew I was going to be found out and again when it was immediately obvious to everyone that I had been bluffing. For those of you that like the jargon, this is me setting the anchor.

At this stage I was left with very few chips and no option but to wait for strong cards to play with. Usually when this happens to a player everyone knows that you are waiting for good cards so when you bet they automatically fold and you don’t win many chips back.

A short while later I got my good cards. I put in a bet and stretched. Normally in this situation everyone would assume I had good cards and would have folded to me. Three people called me. The next set of cards came down and I discovered I had an unbeatable hand. I stretched again and all three started a frenzy of placing bets raising each other with no regard to me at all. I put all my chips in and stretched again. This time one person called me and the others folded. I won the hand and doubled up my money.

Presuppositions in NLP

One of the presuppositions in NLP is that the person with the most flexibility has control over the system. Twice more I stretched with good cards and noticed people wanting to bet against me…obviously thinking I was bluffing. But I went on to win the hand each time. On the third occasion I noticed that the other players folded instead of playing against me when I stretched.

I switched…the next time I stretched I had poor cards and was bluffing. All the other players folded. It was now the middle stages of the game, I had a healthy chip stack and I had my table image back. The association I had created an association for the other players that when I stretched I had good cards. This allowed me to control the betting more easily whenever I was in a hand.

NLP Techniques and Applications

So this is an Anchoring Example specifically for poker, you will find other examples of anchoring in other contexts throughout the NLP Techniques section of this website. But here are a few basic variations on a theme that you might want to consider.

As a manager when someone in your team has done a good job make a grand thank you that makes them feel really good. As part of this you might use some unique stimulus such as a tone of voice. When you want to get that person to do something for you might thank them in advance (assumptive close) and use the same tone of voice. This should give them the effect of feeling good about something they are about to do for you.

If you deal with prospects and customers and they are telling you their problems and they are feeling bad nod your head with the rhythm of their speech. When you tell them about your competitors use the same rhythm and nod your head the same way.

If you are a trainer talk to your delegates about the good experiences they have had in training from where you normally sit or stand to deliver your material. Move to another spot where you don’t normally stand and talk to them about bad experiences. Now you can start controlling the emotions of the group. When they are going the wrong direction or doing things that you rather they didn’t start moving towards the bad spot. As they start to do things well start moving towards the feel good spot.

Obviously there is a little more to artful anchoring that just this, but hopefully this will have sparked a few thoughts of how you can use anchors in everyday situations. Tom and Kim from Essential Skills have a very comprehensive DVD covering Anchoring in a way that many normal NLP Courses don’t really cover. Of course a good NLP Practitioner Course will give you a wealth of information but more importantly the skills to use anchors in everyday situations.

Finally, there is one thing I have misrepresented in this article. The anchor certainly worked the way I described and it was not a stretch. I am not about to tell you my real anchor…I might be facing you across a poker table one day

;-p

Getting what you want from your Senior ManagementUsing NLP Persuasion Tactics

It is one thing to use NLP Techniques to build great programmes and projects that can have a serious impact results, but often it is key individuals that will either make or break the project. Particularly when dealing with culture change you need all your influential managers working for you. Sometimes this can be a challenge, particularly if they are senior to you.

Below are the edited highlights of an email interchange I have had with an extremely good manager who leads a team and has created some fabulous results. Barry has wanted to take this further but has been having some trouble convincing more senior managers to commit their time, energy and resources. This is how he got their commitment.

NLP Business Tactics, the Results

As this is an on going story and some of the people involved would not be pleased if they knew how easily they can be swayed in to doing the right thing for the company all the names (including Barry) have been changed.

Here is the testimonial I received and below it the strategies I suggested to Barry to create these results:

Thanks Rintu your help is really appreciated.

Things are on the up!  

Sharon sent me a note about the presentation with a bit tagged on about what our targets were. (I have given her these previously so the fact she asked I knew she wasn’t reading what I was sending!)   I suggested we get together to discuss the coaching and targets and how this will improve her centre’s results.  

I used some of your techniques and got her full agreement that the managers need to do more to manage their teams and that my team is pivotal to increasing results.   It was a great meeting so thanks for your help.

I also used the opportunity to involve her in a selection process I was going through for recruiting a new team member.   Of course I knew who I wanted but I got her thinking it was her decision.    

I also showed her some applications forms I had received that were very poor but had been signed off by one of her senior managers.  Again I made her feel it was her that was surprised at the poor quality being recommended and got her to agree we need the best possible people coaching the operational teams.

All in all I am making progress!

Thanks Barry

The NLP Techniques and Hypnotic Patterns that I described to Barry in my email below are a mixture of techniques from two great persuasion artists that anyone serious about this field should read although approach this from a psychological rather than NLP or Hypnosis angle..

NLP Persuasion Resources

The first is a book by Robert Cialdini called Influence: Science and Practice . This is required reading for anyone that is interested in how to persuade or influence others. In the patterns I explain below there are several of Cialdini’s principles involved.

The second book is by David Lieberman and is called Get Anyone to Do Anything . This book approaches persuasion from a traditional psychological perspective and has some great tactics. When you read this book you will see Lieberman’s tactics on getting people to return your calls as part of the structure of what I suggested Barry try out on his senior manager.

The parts of the email that I sent Barry with the tactics and patterns I suggested are pasted in below:

Hi Barry

I can sense your frustration and here is a thought…Instead of fighting it, work with it. So if you can get that meeting with Sharon here are a couple of things you can add in to the mix.

The meeting objectives (not necessarily for anyone else’s eyes) would be something like:

• Getting Sharon to openly and publicly praise the results your team has got.
• Getting Sharon to buy in (publicly) to the ideas you have for moving this forward.
• Turning around or at least negating the attitude of her senior managers.

Here is structure for the meeting (without content, sorry I’m not that good):
 
1.        Benefit statement of what can be achieved by implementing new ideas
2.        How we got to where we are…including a quick run through of your current presentation
3.        Feedback Sandwich for one of senior managers for supporting the coaching team…I’ll explain this bit a little lower down
4.        New ideas Coach and facilitate this so she feels like she is creating or contributing to these ideas.
5.        Get agreement and seal commitment to the ideas (easy to do if you get point 4 right.
6.        Future Pace the benefits again.
 
Okay, point 3. Let’s say for example you are targeting Richard as the senior manager you want to deal with and you want him to release more time from his team managers so you can coach them. A cut down version of the feedback sandwich in your discussion with Sharon would be:
 
Praising Richard for his support of the work you are doing specifically by…fill in examples (they don’t have to be right, just plausible and connected)

The phrase so far is open, public and specific to things that he is doing to completely support the aims and objectives of your coaching team…AND WHAT WOULD MAKE IT EVEN BETTER IS WHEN he…(fill in what you want him to do).
 
Then to seal it down you tell Sharon it was Richard who gave you the idea in the first place.
 
Now the statement looks like
 
Praise supporting the team by specific behaviours, what will make this even better is when Richard releases his managers on a regular basis to be coached by you. This was an idea Richard gave you when you had a coffee with him a month ago when he was talking about…fill in any plausible connected conversation you have had with him…
Anyway this works because people are unlikely to turn away open praise…particularly when it is specific and targeted at their behaviour. I have used this sort of pattern to build cult like followings out of managers when I worked in the corporate world. Basically agree with whatever they do, openly praise them for it AND link it to supporting whatever it is you want from them.
 
Hope it helps

NLP Patterns of Persuasion to Manage Authority 

As patterns go this works well when having to deal with people in positions of authority over you or you have no direct control over.

By going to their manager with criticisms you risk alienating yourself and creating enemies.

By walking in with open praise for their actions, making them thing the good ideas were theirs and then linking all this to actions you want them to take almost guarantees they will work for you.

If you want to learn more about this sort of approach there are two books where I developed this sort of pattern from.

Influence: Science and Practice

Get Anyone to Do Anything