Practical NLP Podcast

This week on the Practical NLP Podcast, more presuppositions: 'People have all the resources they need to succeed', plus 'I am in charge of my mind and therefore my results', and 'The only reliable information about a person is their behaviour'.

An explanation of the single most important presupposition of NLP - 'the map is not the territory', and why you shouldn't eat the menu. Plus, all behaviour is the best choice that is currently available.

Rapport the NLP way, with some backup from psychology - includes matching and mirroring, and 7 things you can match to achieve rapport

Practical NLP Podcast 12 is about sensory acuity - how to 'read' people, and a calibration exercise to try

Practical NLP Podcast 11: NLP presuppositions about change

NLP Presuppositions about communication: respect for the other person's 'map of the world', the 'meaning' of communication is the response you get, you cannot not communicate

How to achieve rapport the NLP way - and how to blow it! Plus crossover matching, pacing and leading, the easy way to achieve rapport, and how to practice your rapport and sensory acuity skills. Practical NLP Podcast 14

'Predicates' is the NLP term for the sensory (visual, auditory, feeling etc) words we use that give a clue to our thought processes - that's what this episode is all about

This week's episode covers representational systems, the difference between 'analogue' and 'digital', and why you should never label anyone (especially yourself) as 'visual', 'auditory', or 'kinesthetic'

Real-world applications of pacing and leading, when to break rapport, and influencing with integrity - Practical NLP Podcast 15

This week's episode of the Practical NLP Podcast is all about one of the most controversial ideas in NLP, eye accessing cues. Includes questions to elicit them and some subtleties that most descriptions don't mention (ignorance of which probably accounts for some of the skepticism)

This week we unpack the NLP Swish Pattern to see the nuts and bolts that you need to get right to make it work

The NLP Swish Pattern is great for defusing the triggers for unwanted behaviours or emotional responses. Here's how to do it, step by step

Mapping Across is a simple NLP submodality technique that will help if you like a particular food too much and want to be able to leave it alone - or, more generally, if you want to move from a particular state to something more resourceful (e.g. confusion to confidence that you will understand).

This week's podcast looks at, or rather listens to, 'auditory submodalities', and shows you a powerful and easy way to apply them to defuse an inner critical voice (also known as the 'chatterbox', 'Self 1', or 'the monkey mind', depending on which school of coaching you went to or which self-help books you've read). Featuring Donald Duck, a gremlin, and what people might say to themselves about internal dialogue if they're not aware of having any.

In this week's episode we start looking at changework interventions, beginning with visual submodalities

Andy Smith interviews NLP trainer and coach Mark Andreas about the Core Transformation method and published research into its effectiveness

When NLP anchoring fails, most often it's because you haven't elicited a strong enough state. Here's how to do state elicitation

With this NLP technique called "The Circle of Excellence", you can feel at your best whenever you need to. This episode talks you through how to have your personal resources ready to access, just one step away.

This episode goes under the hood to find out why NLP anchoring works

A simple NLP exercise to set yourself up with a resource anchor so you can feel more resourceful any time you want.

How NLP can help you develop emotional intelligence, including a focusing exercise to help you increase your self-awareness

The idea of 'genius' approached from an NLP perspective. This is an extract from an NLP Master Practitioner course that I ran in Manchester in about 2009. It starts to introduce the concept of 'modelling' (or 'modeling' in American English) in NLP - a way of rapidly learning some ability from a person who is good at it and stripping that reproduction down to a 'model' that contains the essentials, in a way that allows the skill to be transferred to others.

A guide to linguistic presuppositions - unspoken assumptions that you have to take as true ('presupposed') in order to understand a statement or question. Part 1 - more next time!

To use NLP language patterns well, you need to understand the difference between between 'Deep Structure' (what we mean to say) and 'Surface Structure' (what actually comes out of our mouths).

A step by step guide to chaining anchors, suggest some real-life practical applications for anchoring in business and elsewhere, review the material about anchoring covered in the last few podcasts, and suggest some ways that you can practice and sharpen your anchoring skills.

Practical NLP Podcast 34: chunking up, chunking down, the ladder of abstraction, or 'Hierarchy of Ideas', from big picture to details, and creativity

Presuppositions in language part 2, including Awareness, Time, Adverb/Adjective, Inclusive and exclusive Or, and Ordinal

If you want to influence people in any way, you need to know about the language patterns in NLP's 'Milton Model'. Part 1: Distortions

This episode covers the Meta Model with the group of patterns we can class as Deletions, and the associated questions to recover the missing information. We also include some vital tips for using the Meta Model in practice, so you don't become a 'Meta Model Monster' and annoy everyone around you.

This episode covers the Meta Model Generalisations language patterns - universal quantifiers and modal operators, plus questions that go with them

This episode explains the 'distortion' patterns in the NLP Meta Model: Mind-reads, value judgments, cause and effect, complex equivalences, & presuppositions

Continuing the exploration of the NLP Milton Model - Embedded Suggestions! How to embed a word or phrase in a longer sentence so the unconscious mind takes it as a suggestion

Practical NLP Podcast episode 40: The Milton Model part 3 - Pacing, Utilisation and Four Kinds of Ambiguities

Milton Model part 2: This episode covers language patterns that can be classed as Generalisations and Deletions, with practical examples for business

A quick guide to how metaphors are used in NLP and how to create them

Milton Model part 5 - Switching Referential Index, Selection Restriction Violations, Tag Questions

In this episode we start to get to grips with ‘Strategies’ - our internal ‘programs’ for doing what we do, both problems and the things we’re good at - and the TOTE Model, the standard model used in NLP to make sense of them.

This week in the Practical NLP Podcast, how to use a strategy that you have elicited - or change it so it works better!

How to use the NLP TOTE Model to elicit a client's strategy - useful in modelling excellence, and also in therapy and coaching

Lots of people who thought they were just 'naturally bad spellers' have improved their spelling with the NLP Spelling Strategy. It turns out they weren't naturally bad at all, they were just using a strategy that didn't work very well. Find out the strategy that works in this week's podcast!

This week's podcast looks in detail at our buying strategies. These can be 'chunked down' into four elements - motivation, decision, convincer and reassurance strategies. In particular, we consider some typical problems in decision strategies, and how convincer strategies work.

Motivation can be 'towards' what you want or 'away from' what you don't want - but which is more effective in achieving your goals, and why? Find out in this week's Practical NLP Podcast.

A new topic for the next series of podcasts: frames! The meaning we attach to what we perceive, and even what we notice versus what we don't notice, is strongly influenced by which 'frames' we are using. This podcast introduces the topic, and explains some commonly used frames in NLP and when they may be useful in a business, training or coaching context. The frames mentioned in this podcast are briefly described in this post, so rather than duplicate it I'll just direct you there if you're interested.

In the last few episodes we’ve been talking about strategies. I'd like to round off this section by mentioning a powerful NLP technique for doing things better or installing new strategies - the New Behaviour Generator. As far as I know, this method was developed by Richard Bandler. It's like positive mental rehearsal on steroids! These are the steps: Describe a behaviour you would like to be able to do, or how you would like to be able to do something better. Start from a belief and internal dialogue of 'I can do this'. Create a mental 'movie' in which you see yourself doing the new behaviour the way you want. Make sure the picture is big, bright and vivid. Add sound so that you see and hear yourself. Adjust the movie until you are satisfied with the new behaviour. (Extra tip: for many people, looking up and to your right as you do this will help. For a few people - usually if you're left-handed - looking up and to your left will work better. And I should probably add that some people won’t notice much of a difference, but you won’t know until you try it.) Step into the 'movie' and check how this feels. Make any further adjustments you need to until you feel the way you want. (Extra tip: for most people, looking down towards your dominant hand will help you get in touch with what you are feeling). Imagine seeing yourself use the new behaviour in three or more opportunities in the future to generalise the new ability out. Again, looking up will help you to visualise. Some extra refinements: Use a role model: When you create your mental movies you can use a 'role model' who you know can do the desired behaviour well. Run a dissociated movie of that person performing the behaviour (Step 2) and then 'become' that person in Step 3. Then repeat Steps 2 and 3 with yourself in the movie, making any changes you need to. Use resources from your past: if you have dealt with similar situations well in the past, see yourself doing that and then transfer that skill into the new situation. 'Chunk' the behaviour down: if you need to, break the desired behaviour down into smaller steps and run through the dissociated and associated mental movies on each. Use a timeline: lay a timeline out on the floor, from past to future. See yourself enjoying the results of the desired behaviour and place this goal on the timeline. Step into it, get the good feelings, and notice the steps and any new behaviours associated with them leading up to the successful achievement of this goal.Step off the timeline and notice where each new behaviour step is on the timeline.Repeat the dissociated and associated mental movies for each new behaviour. Finally walk up the timeline from now, associating into each step, until you reach your goal. Store your goal and the new behaviours associated with it wherever feels right for you. Create alternatives: before you run the mental movies, ask your unconscious mind to create at least 3 options for new behaviours. Try out each and select the most appropriate. So, why not select something you'd like to do better and give the New Behaviour Generator a try? Leave a comment to let us know how you got on!

This week's episode features a format you can use to get lots of viable creative ideas from even the most unpromising groups, or that you can use to generate ideas yourself even if you don't regard yourself as 'creative' - it's the 'Disney Strategy for Creativity', modelled and developed by Robert Dilts. Includes:00.40: How I helped people from the world's least creative professions to generate great ideas!02.18: The three stages of the Disney Strategy02:40: Detailed guide to each stage03:20: A tip from NLP to get yourself into a more creative state05:19: Some different ways of working with the format Plus: 09:09 I talk about the episode of Robyn Stratton-Berkessel's 'Positivity Strategist' podcast where she interviews me about the links between NLP and Appreciative Inquiry - listen to the interview here The format for the Disney Strategy is described here - the blog post is pretty much a transcript for most of the episode.

Metaprograms in NLP are one of the sets of filters we use to create our map of the world. They run 'in the background' so we are usually not consciously aware of them. They drive: what we pay attention to what we respond to what motivates us how we interact with the people around us the kind of language that will influence us This podcast introduces metaprograms (and five reasons you need to know about them!) and takes an in-depth look at one of the most important ones, the "Towards/Away From" motivation filter. In the podcast I mention this book quite a lot – it’s a very accessible must-read for coaches and managers! Words That Change Minds by Shelle Rose Charvet – order it from Amazon via these links:Paperback | Kindle

This week's podcast covers one of the most useful models in NLP - the 'Logical Levels' or 'Neuro-Logical Levels' model developed by Robert Dilts. This is a powerful map for coaching individuals, and is also a useful way to analyse change in a team or organisation. It's even applicable in the field of branding. The podcast includes: Why moving house may not be enough on its own to solve your neighbour problems Why many training courses don't have a lasting effect Why Hollywood produces so many duff copycat films and sequels How to use Levels of Change to improve the performance of your team ... and much more! Show notes: the model is outlined in this post on my other blog: Using the NLP ‘Logical Levels’ model with Appreciative Inquiry (if you're really interested in this model, check the comments section of that post for a snapshot of why some people in NLP say it's not really NLP, and references to some associated critiques of it - only worth doing if you're a real NLP nerd though) Duration: 19m 02s

Parts Integration (also known as the 'Visual Squash') is one of the most powerful changework techniques in NLP. In this episode we guide you through it...

'Incongruence' is when someone is in two minds about something, or when their behaviour doesn't match their words.

A useful way to look at 'problem' behaviours is to remember there is a positive intention behind them. Separating the intention from the results (which may be unwanted) opens up the possibility of change without 'resistance'. John Grinder's 'Six Step Reframe' process is an elegant format that uses this principle. You can use this format to change your own habits - or if you're a therapist, add it to your toolkit for use with others. When I was a hypnotherapist 20 years ago, discovering that this process (from the book Trance-Formations) worked better than anything I'd been taught on my original (admittedly low-quality) hypnosis training was what first pointed me in the direction of learning NLP. Featuring: why demonising 'bad habits' makes them more resistant to change how a snake with its tail in its mouth advanced science making a deal with your unconscious mind .... and much more! The steps of the process are outlined in the show notes below. Show notes: You can try this approach with a behaviour, an unwanted response, a habit, or even a physical symptom, and see what happens. Identify a behaviour or a symptom that you would like to have more choices around. Since everyone listening has a different thing, we're going to give it a code letter - "X". Set up a signal with your unconscious mind. Ask your unconscious mind if it would be OK to communicate directly about "X" using yes or no signals.If at first the answer is "no", thank it for communicating with you and reassure it that you are only trying to get some information in order to help it have more choices.If it's OK, ask your unconscious mind to give you a signal that means 'yes'.Leave some space for the signal to appear. It could be an image that comes into your mind, it could be a word, it could be a feeling, or a physical movement. Just leave some space until you get a signal.When you get a signal, of course you need to be sure that it actually is a signal and not something that's popped into your mind randomly. So ask your unconscious mind, if that is the signal for "Yes", please make it stronger.Again, allow some space for this to happen. When you get a reliable "Yes" signal, thank your unconscious mind for communicating with you.Now ask your unconscious mind for another signal to mean "No". Again, leave some space for the signal to appear, make sure it is actually a signal, and thank your unconscious mind for providing it. Discover the positive intention. Ask your unconscious mind what is the positive intention behind "X". Your unconscious mind may let you know what the intention is, or it may want to keep it hidden from your conscious awareness at the moment. Either way is fine.Thank your unconscious mind for positive intention, whether you consciously know it or not, and let it know that you appreciate that there is a positive intention. Generate alternatives. Ask your unconscious mind “Would it be OK to have more choices in this situation?" Ask the creative aspect of your unconscious mind to generate at least three alternatives to X that would satisfy the positive intention. These new choices can be on an unconscious level — ask unconscious mind to give you a "yes" signal each time it generates an alternative.Thank the unconscious mind. Future pace. Ask your unconscious mind to fully imagine trying out each new choice in the type of situation where previously it would have done behaviour X. For each one, ask: “Are you willing to use this alternative choice instead of behaviour X?" Get the Yes/No signal. If the answer is yes, thank your unconscious mind and go on. If it's no, put a time limit on your request (e.g. 2 weeks) to try out the alternatives to make sure they work. If the answer is still no, repeat step 4 to generate some more alternatives.Thank the unconscious mind. Ecology and congruence check. Check with the whole unconscious mind to make sure it is completely comfortable and accepts the entire process and the alternatives. If yes, and your conscious mind also feels OK, thank your unconscious mind. If there is an objection or if you don't feel completely comfortable, go back to step 3 and discover positive intention of not trying out the new choices. Go on to ask the unconscious mind if it will take responsibility for trying the new behaviours out.Come back, and notice what's different for you now when you think about "X".

All meaning is context-dependent - so when we place events, things or qualities in a different frame, our emotional responses and probably behavioural responses can also change to something more helpful. This podcast explains the two types of 'standard' reframing in NLP (context and meaning reframes) and adds a third, the 'figure-ground' reframe. It also shows how preframing can save you a lot of trouble. Featuring: Why it's not necessarily a bad thing when your horse runs away The key distinction to make your reframes effective My impression of Rorschach from 'Watchmen' ... and much more!

Perceptual Positions is one of the most useful NLP patterns. It looks at any interpersonal problem from 3 viewpoints for new insights

In this episode, some of the most useful metaprograms for business, covering 'Sameness/Difference' and 'Options/Procedures'

In this episode of the Practical NLP Podcast we look at the General/Specific, Proactive/Reactive and Internal/External Frame of Reference metaprograms

This week on the Practical NLP Podcast, the most important thing you need to know about changing people's minds - something that many of those 'Influence with NLP' and 'Get anyone to do anything you want' courses out there don't tell you.

NLP has a useful set of classifications for the behaviour patterns of 'difficult' people, known as the 'Satir Categories'. Learn how to recognise them...

Ideas from NLP for giving effective feedback (and what not to do) - plus how to learn from criticism while maintaining a good emotional state

Interview with psychologist and NLP Trainer Sarah Makinde about using the Logical Levels model in coaching, how she blends psychology and NLP, how she grew a successful Facebook community, and more

In this episode of the Practical NLP Podcast I interview Duff McDuffee, one of the most thoughtful people in modern NLP. He specialises in helping creative and neurodivergent people who ‘think different’, as that classic Apple ad used to say. In our wide-ranging conversation we talk about: Duff's first introduction to NLP - as for many people, it was via Tony Robbins What it was like working for Ken Wilber What it was like working for Steve and Connirae Andreas (very different) The two 'paradigms' (or ways of seeing the world) A technique for reducing the pain of learning from your mistakes Reframing failure The importance of joy in motivation An easy 'pattern interrupt' process for loosening fears around money or getting yourself out of a stressful state ... and much more! This episode is sponsored by Duff's Transforming Money Fears Masterclass, that starts on 18 May 2024.In this live class on Zoom, you'll learn specific methods for transforming any fears you have around money. The goal is to go from feeling worried and stuck to feeling safe and optimistic!And when you feel good about money, you're more likely to try things that will bring in more money. This is especially helpful for those of us who are entrepreneurs, as we create our own fortunes. So hopefully this class will pay for itself! Links mentioned in the podcast: Duff's website: boulderhypnosisworks.com Free instructions and demo for the 'Clear Your Money Fears' exercise Duff described in the podcast The 'Resolving Grief' process by Steve and Connirae Andreas Transcript of the interview (generated by Riverside.fm, and only very lightly edited. Its transcript AI is pretty good, although it struggled with 'Connirae') Duration: 1h 16m 32s How to Listen or Subscribe to the Practical NLP Podcast Listen and/or subscribe to this podcast via Apple Podcasts here If you want to subscribe using something other than Apple Podcasts (e.g. if you have an Android phone), here’s the RSS feed:  https://nlppod.com/feed/podcast/ Finally, it would really help me out if you review the podcast on Apple Podcasts (or wherever you found this podcast, if it takes reviews) to raise its profile so more people can benefit from it! Thanks.

NLP has a number of ways to help people get over traumatic incidents. Let's delve into them to see how they work.

Everyone wants tips on how to get what they want, but it's more important to find your direction so you get to the right place. This interview with Andy Smith tells you how!

https://youtu.be/6aYnXIGWpPk This is the video version - listen / subscribe to the podcast version below Andy Smith in conversation with NLP Trainer, coach and author Margaret Nash. Here are some of the things we talk about: Why smoking cessation or maybe weight loss is the thing to specialise in if you want to make money as a hypnotherapist, and helping people with deeper problems is probably a terrible business model My theory about how 'manifestation' actually works (when it does work) How to improve your performance and be your best self more often with self-modelling - three easy steps The crucial importance of exploring your 'recovery strategy' (if there's something you think you're not good at, maybe it's because you don't have one in that context!) Why 'Good job!' should be the start of the conversation when a team member does something you like, rather than then end as it so often is (hat tip to Marcus Buckingham here) 'Uptime' and 'downtime' - and why you need to be in 'uptime' when you're talking with a client or presenting to an audience The importance of persistence (this reminded me of Carol Dweck's work on 'mindset') How Margaret 'found her Zen' as a coach, and some tips on how you can too, as described in her latest book The difference in approach between coaching and 'classic' NLP changework. Here's my take on the three steps of 'self-modelling', to improve your performance and be your best self more often: Think of something you do well. And really examine in detail what you're doing when you perform that skill - not just what you do and say, but what you're thinking about, what you're saying to yourself, how you're feeling, how you're standing, how you're breathing, what feedback you're looking for that tells you if you're doing well or badly - everything.In particular, what's your recovery strategy if you're knocked off track? (for example, if you're doing an important presentation and there's a technical failure on your PowerPoint) Now do the same thing with a skill you want to improve. Notice the differences between all these aspects of how you do this, your recovery strategy, etc, and the way you do the thing you're good at. Now map the qualities of the way you do the thing you're good at over to the thing you're not so good at. What happens if you start doing this thing with the same confidence, internal dialogue etc that you use with the thing you're good at? Then try it out! You can contact Margaret here: margaretnashcoach.com Margaret has written seven books on various aspects of personal development, managing the stages of your life, and coaching - you can find them at her Amazon author page. Duration: 44m 07s https://podcasts.apple.com/podcast/id551693038 Listen and/or subscribe to this podcast via Apple Podcasts here If you want to subscribe using something other than Apple Podcasts (e.g. if you have an Android phone), here’s the feed:  https://nlppod.com/feed/podcast/ Finally, it would really help me out if you review the podcast on Apple Podcasts (or wherever you found this podcast, if it takes reviews) to raise its profile so more people can benefit from it! Thanks.

https://youtu.be/4LEQl3Mu7jU A bit of a rant this week, inspired by the many, many posts I've seen on NLP forums from rookie NLP practitioners who ask what technique they should be using with a particular client problem. They're going about it all wrong, and their NLP trainers should have showed them the right way! Here's how to approach any client problem so you'll know what to do... (for SEO purposes I should probably mention that it's to do with strategy elicitation) You can find a transcript for this podcast, or pretty close anyway, here. Listen and/or subscribe to this podcast via Apple Podcasts here If you want to subscribe using something other than Apple Podcasts (e.g. if you have an Android phone), here’s the feed:  https://nlppod.com/feed/podcast/ Finally, it would really help me out if you review the podcast on Apple Podcasts to raise its profile so more people can benefit from it! Thanks Mentioned in the podcast: my Kindle ebook, Practical NLP 5: Strategies (now in its second edition) Also worth reading: Magic In Action by Richard Bandler

Andy Smith in conversation with Debra Heslin, NLP Trainer, High Performance Coach, and Yoga teacher. Here are some of the things we talk about: Jack Canfield's work (you may know him as the Chicken Soup For The Soul guy) is mostly based on NLP Corporates can benefit from NLP (even something as simple as a representational systems test) There's some interesting real-time interactive technology out there now for corporate training 'Cause and Effect': reasons and excuses vs results What to do when you're hanging off a cliff and you can't find your next handhold All of a sudden, a decent online NLP Practitioner training is possible after all! An exercise for using submodalities to enhance a resourceful stateHow to use questions to influence someone's state A brief intervention from Dakota the golden retriever ... and much more! We talked extensively about submodalities for enhancing a resourceful state - here's a submodalities checklist you can download for visual, auditory, and kinaesthetic submodalities. (For more about submodalities, check out this introductory article) We mentioned a couple of previous interviewees - you can hear the interview with Doug O'Brien here, and Gemma Bailey of NLP4Kids here. You can find Debra, and details of her upcoming online NLP Practitioner training, at https://debraheslinwellness.com/. Duration: 32m 44s Listen and/or subscribe to this podcast via Apple Podcasts here If you want to subscribe using something other than Apple Podcasts (e.g. if you have an Android phone), here’s the feed:  https://nlppod.com/feed/podcast/ Finally, it would really help me out if you review the podcast on Apple Podcasts to raise its profile so more people can benefit from it! Thanks

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gRQQA5StB1M&list=PLTPfitvHf-yqV6P9F4Lq2TrwiS-yGbBJW Andy Smith interviews coaching specialist and NLP and Ericksonian hypnosis trainer Doug O'Brien. In this interview: Doug tells us about NLP Practitioner training with Tony Robbins in the eighties Takes a dig at the shortness of most NLP Practitioner courses these days (compared to the 28 days they originally took) Shares the basics of one of his favourite client interventions, the 'Havening' technique Talks about modelling the skills of a great jazz pianist ... and much more! You can find Doug at https://ericksonian.com and his Essential Coaching Skills membership site is at https://www.essentialcoachingskills.com/ See Doug's introductory video about the Havening Techniques here (it also includes a good, accessible overview of the amygdala's role in how trauma responses are formed). Doug also has a new podcast, Essential Coaching Skills. (Episode 5, where he interviews Andy about using Appreciative Inquiry for coaching teams and individuals, is particularly good) It would really help me out if you review the podcast on Apple Podcasts to raise its profile so more people can benefit from it! Thanks.

This week we have the second half of an interview that we did about how to apply the principles or ‘presuppositions’ of NLP to improve your life and work. In the first half we explored the principle that “The map is not the territory”. In this interview we look at another principle that flows naturally from that one: “Respect for the other person’s map of the world”. Among other things, we talk about: Why you can't change someone's mind unless you start from where they are now The importance of establishing credibility in a business context If you focus too much on achieving a desired outcome from every communication, you will miss out on more open conversations where both parties learn from each other. Appreciative Inquiry, a method of change that focuses on doing more of what is already working rather than trying to analyse problems, and the difference that can make in your life (OK it's not NLP but it's worth knowing about) How to use the ‘scaling’ tool from the related field of Solution Focus in coaching and self-improvement (also not NLP, also worth knowing about) How to use ‘chunking’ to overcome inertia ... and much more! My interviewer is NLP coach Deb Johnstone, and the interview was originally conducted as part of her ‘Better Balance Greater Business’ summit - contact her at debjohnstone.com.au to find out more about that. The free gift she mentions is my audiobook Practical NLP: How to use NLP principles to improve your life and work, even if you’re not NLP trained yet - download it from nlppod.com! More about the 'Respect For The Other Person's Map Of The World' presupposition More about establishing your credibility More about outcome-focused persuasion versus learning conversations here: 'Is NLP Manipulative?' More about how to use scaling questions More about Appreciative Inquiry here - I run a two-day course in how to get started with using it in group facilitation or one-to-one coaching. Duration: 25m 40s Listen and/or subscribe to this podcast via Apple Podcasts here If you want to subscribe using something other than Apple Podcasts (e.g. if you have an Android phone), here’s the feed: https://nlppod.com/feed/podcast/ Finally, it would really help me out if you review the podcast on Apple Podcasts to raise its profile so more people can benefit from it! Thanks.

This week’s episode is something a bit different. Instead of me interviewing a prominent member of the NLP community, it’s someone interviewing me – about the principles or ‘presuppositions’ of NLP and how you can use them to be more effective in your life and work, even if you’re not NLP trained. My interviewer is Deb Johnstone, an NLP coach based in Cairns City, Australia. Deb specialises in helping women business owners to achieve more with less stress, and to this end she put together the ‘Better Balance Greater Business’ summit, a series of video interviews with 23 experts, one of which was me. You may have seen my messages and blog posts about this last month – it was a wonderful opportunity for people who signed up to get a lot of knowledge for free. Now that the summit has finished, my interview has become available for release. I think it’s the best interview I’ve done so far. This is the first half of the audio from the interview – if you want to see the video (it’s pretty much two ‘talking heads’), I have now put that up on my YouTube channel. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kS2LQSpZTDE&t=3s It was supposed to be a half-hour interview, but we ended up talking for over an hour. That’s a bit long for a podcast (or longer than my listeners are used to anyway) so this episode is part one, with part two coming next week. This episode is all about the most important (in my view) presupposition of NLP, the idea that ‘the map is not the territory’. In other words, what you are experiencing right now, your reality, is not actually the real world around you, but a filtered and partial representation of it, that bears the same relation to objective reality as a map does to the territory that it represents. Most people confuse the map with the territory. In the interview, we talk about the various problems that can cause, and how to avoid those problems. To explore this topic further, you may be interested in the earlier article about this presupposition, the story of ‘The Ultimate Map’, and of course my free audiobook ‘Practical NLP: how to use NLP principles to improve your life and work, even if you're not NLP trained’ that covers this and the other 'presuppositions' of NLP in depth. Duration: 31m 16s Listen and/or subscribe to this podcast via Apple Podcasts here If you want to subscribe using something other than Apple Podcasts (e.g. if you have an Android phone), here’s the feed: https://nlppod.com/feed/podcast/ Finally, it would really help me out if you review the podcast on Apple Podcasts to raise its profile so more people can benefit from it! Thanks.

This week's episode is an interview with LAB Profile® queen Shelle Rose Charvet - with a very special offer included! One of the most respected figures in NLP, (and probably the most entertaining speaker), and bestselling author, Shelle has been researching and using the LAB Profile® (a more user-friendly development of metaprograms) for over 25 years. In our conversation, we discover: how Shelle got into NLP what she's excited about in the field now the existence of software that can analyse people's LAB Profile patterns from their emails and tell you how to reply in a way that matches their patterns why the LAB Profile is not about putting people in boxes how to recruit proactive people a tip for influencing 'internally referenced' people that won't put off 'externally referenced' people ... and much more! Special offer for podcast listeners - valid until 16 April 2018: Take the Online LAB Practitioner certification course for half price - visit this link to check it out and should you decide to go ahead, use the coupon code FROMANDY50% (I am taking this course myself and I can confirm that it's really useful and high quality) Sites Shelle mentions in the podcast: The NLP Research and Recognition Project The NLP Leadership Summit Books by Shelle: If you are at all interested in NLP, you probably have Shelle's first book, Words That Change Minds: Mastering The Language Of Influence, already (and if you haven't read it yet, I highly recommend it). Shelle tells me that her second book, The Customer Is Bothering Me, is really the one that the NLP reader will be interested in, as it takes the insights of the LAB Profile to the next level (which has given me the nudge I needed to finally start reading it myself). Duration: 43m 29s Listen and/or subscribe to this podcast via Apple Podcasts here If you want to subscribe using something other than Apple Podcasts (e.g. if you have an Android phone), here’s the feed: https://nlppod.com/feed/podcast/ Only the most recent 10 episodes of the podcast are available free on Apple Podcasts. You can download back episodes (with transcripts!) from the online store. Finally, it would really help me out if you review the podcast on Apple Podcasts to raise its profile so more people can benefit from it! Thanks

This week's guest is the inspirational Gemma Bailey! Gemma is an NLP trainer and director of NLP4Kids - a company which specialises in bringing NLP to children, their families and schools to help them with mild to moderate mental health and emotional challenges. With a background in childcare Gemma has translated NLP into child friendly language for delivery by over 20 NLP4Kids practitioners who are working throughout the UK and soon to be overseas too. Among other things, Gemma talks about how she got NLP4Kids started, why parents and teachers need NLP skills too, and she talks us through her 'Path of Life' technique for getting kids to take a responsible look at their future choices (download the instructions here). And, of course, loads more! If you're interested in training as an NLP4Kids practitioner, here's the information about it that Gemma mentions. There are more links to useful information with the Path of Life instructions. The Superheroes non-profit that Gemma mentions has a Facebook page. Duration: 47m 27s Listen and/or subscribe to this podcast via Apple Podcasts here If you want to subscribe using something other than Apple Podcasts (e.g. if you have an Android phone), here’s the feed:  https://nlppod.com/feed/podcast/ Finally, it would really help me out if you review the podcast on Apple Podcasts to raise its profile so more people can benefit from it! Thanks

This week's interview is with a real innovator in NLP, my old friend and occasional mentor Jonathan Altfeld, international NLP trainer and developer of Genius Mapping and many other useful tools and patterns. In the interview, Jonathan shares with us an important distinction that will make you a better coach, therapist or even mechanic: the difference between inductive and deductive reasoning, and when to use each. He also recommends some of the people he thinks are doing really worthwhile and original work in NLP, how working in different cultures makes you a better NLP trainer, and why you need to select your first NLP course and trainer carefully (with a couple of pointers on how to do that). Here's the link to Jonathan's article explaining the difference between inductive and deductive reasoning: How to Rock Two Different Styles of Reasoning, and Why If you are inspired to train with Jonathan, here are his upcoming courses. Finally, it would really help me out if you review the podcast on Apple Podcasts and/or anywhere else you can leave a review to raise its profile so more people can benefit from it. Thanks in advance!

This episode marks a new direction for the Practical NLP Podcast! Up to now we've been talking you through various aspects of NLP in a structured way - essentially the episodes build up into an audio home study pack for an NLP Practitioner course (contact me if you'd like to license them for your own Practitioner courses). From now on, I'll be interviewing various stars of the NLP field - people I rate and admire. The episodes will be quite a bit longer - rather than the 10 minutes or so of most of the episodes so far, we could go up to an hour. A couple of weeks ago I was running some corporate trainings in Malaysia, so while I was in a closer time zone than usual to Australia I took the opportunity to interview someone I've wanted to talk with for a long time - Melbourne-based NLP trainer and innovator James Tsakalos. James is somewhat unusual in the NLP field these days because he runs super in-depth NLP Practitioner trainings that are 28 days long! He's also developed some exciting new approaches, notably Spiral Somatics. Our conversation ranged far and wide, covering among other things: Why it's not easy to choose an NLP Practitioner course until you've already had quite a lot of experience of NLP, so you just have to hope you get lucky unless you do some research beforehand Who James really admires in the NLP field A great process for making perfect choices - the 'Trousers of Time'! (process notes to follow but James explains the steps pretty clearly in the podcast) Why reading Terry Pratchett's books about witches is a great preparation for being an effective NLP Practitioner Duration: 46m 28s Listen and/or subscribe to this podcast via Apple Podcasts here If you want to subscribe using something other than Apple Podcasts (e.g. if you have an Android phone), here’s the feed:  https://nlppod.com/feed/podcast/ Links to some of the things we mentioned in the conversation: Jonathan Altfeld's Knowledge EngineeringNotes for running the Trousers of Time process (to follow) Where to catch James running a course in the near future:NLP in MelbourneSpiral Somatics in MelbourneSpiral Somatics in IndiaSpiral Somatics in DubaiSpiral Somatics in the UK Books mentioned in this episode: Spiral Dynamics by Don Beck and Chris Cowan Books by Terry Pratchett

The SCORE model is not taught on that many NLP Practitioner courses, which is a shame as it's very useful in coaching and problem solving and doesn't require superhuman sensory acuity to use (although that helps of course). This episode introduces the model and gives some sample questions and tips on how to use it successfully when coaching individuals. In this week's podcast: How Robert Dilts and Todd Epstein developed the SCORE model Why it's better than the 'Present State to Desired State' model it evolved from How the elements in the model relate to time Sample questions for each element in the model A brief description of a client breakthrough ... and much more! For a fuller description, more tips, and how to use it with teams in a business setting and with an Appreciative Frame, get my little e-book How To Work With The SCORE Model, the first in the Practical Coaching Guides series.

This week, the end of an era as we come to the end of the 'scripted' Practical NLP Podcast episodes. From next episode we'll be switching to a longer format where I interview thought leaders and practitioners applying NLP in original ways to solve real-world problems. So, a short and sweet episode in two parts. I show you a process you can use on the timeline to clear anxiety about an upcoming event. And for those of you who have been following the podcast since its early days (or who have bought and listened to the back episodes), I guide you through planning what you will use your NLP knowledge for in the future. Clearing Anxiety Process (Note: this is worded as you would say it to a client) “Float up above the timeline and into the future to 15 minutes after the successful completion of the event about which you thought you were anxious. Tell me when you’re there.” “Good. Turn and look back towards now.” “Now, where’s the anxiety?” “Come back to now, only as quickly as you learn what you need to learn from all of the actions you took took to prepare for the successful completion of that event.” Test by thinking about the future event. "Where is that anxiety now? Try to feel it - what happens?" This process works even better if unresolved fear has been cleared from the past timeline, but you should still notice a significant reduction in anxiety. This episode also mentions the SYDER model for well-formed outcomes, which you can find in the show notes for episode 73. How to listen to this Practical NLP Podcast Episode Listen and/or subscribe to this podcast via Apple Podcasts here – and if you like the podcast, please leave a review! If you want to subscribe using something other than Apple Podcasts (e.g. if you have an Android phone), here’s the feed:  https://nlppod.com/feed/podcast/ Or, simply listen online using the player embedded in this post, or download the episode. Duration: 04m 20s If you like the podcast, please review it on Apple Podcasts. Even if you’re not an Apple Podcasts subscriber yourself, that’s where most people still find their podcasts, so that’s where your review will make the most difference. If you’re currently studying or on a training course, this guided visualization MP3 is for you! Originally developed as part of the forthcoming NLP Practitioner home study pack, it’s designed to help you review and integrate everything you’ve learned on any course or training that you’re undertaking. Find out more and download Using Your Timeline For Learning And Review here

Having elicited the timeline in the previous episode, this week we take it for a 'test drive'. In this week's episode: Two ways people may experience their timeline - as moving or static Step by step instructions for how to guide people through this exercise (also see the show notes below) Why this also works as an instant relaxation and clarity exercise ... and much more! If you're doing any kind of timeline emotional clearing (e.g. Time Line Therapy) that involves the client 'floating' above their timeline, this exercise is very helpful in flushing out any little 'blocks' that might get in the way. The two most common are "I can't float up above my timeline", which I have found is usually caused by the client viewing time something that moves past them while they stay still (like a river, or traffic on a road) rather than something still that they move along, like a canal or the road itself. The process outlined here preframes this 'objection' out by suggesting they can float above the timeline, or they may prefer to stay still while the timeline sinks away below them. The end result - gaining vertical distance from the timeline - is the same. The other commonly heard 'block' becomes apparent when you ask the client to float back a short way towards the direction of the past, and they find that they can't float in that direction. You can usually help them get over this (literally) by asking them to float up as high as they need to until they can float in that direction - the implication being that they are rising above the metaphorical block. As many emotional clearing processes involve floating back towards the past above the timeline, it is best to find out if there is any problem floating back during the preliminary 'test drive', rather than waiting until you're conducting the actual intervention. Here's the wording that I use for 'test driving' the timeline. In the second paragraph of step 1, for precision I am assuming the listener is familiar with the NLP meaning of 'associated' - if your client isn't familiar with NLP (as most real-world clients won't be) I would say something like "It's important that you're looking down on the timeline through your own eyes". The 'induction' is in italics, explanatory asides (in step 6) are in normal text : Close your eyes and float up above the timeline to a height at which you are completely comfortable. Or, you may want to stay where you are and let the timeline sink away below you - in either case, just get some vertical distance between yourself and the timeline. It’s important that you're associated into floating above the timeline rather than watching yourself. Now float up even higher - way up high - and notice what happens as you do. Now turn towards the past, staying at the same comfortable hight, and float a short distance in that direction. Now float a similar short distance towards the direction of the future. And come back to above now and practice floating up a little and down a little and notice what happens as you do. Notice the difference between this experience and your normal everyday experience as you went about your life down at timeline level. And now bring back everything you liked about that sensation as you come back down to now, back into the room, and when your unconscious mind is ready to move on to the next stage you can open your eyes. And “Welcome back” (which of course presupposes that you've been somewhere). What was that like - in particular, how did it compare with normal everyday experience? Most people will say they felt “calm” or “detached” - this is what we are looking for. How to listen to Practical NLP Podcast Episode 76: How To Test-Drive Your Timeline Listen and/or subscribe to this podcast via Apple Podcasts here – and if you like the podcast, please leave a review! If you want to subscribe using something other than Apple Podcasts (e.g. if you have an Android phone), here’s the feed:  https://nlppod.com/feed/podcast/ Or, simply listen online using the player embedded in this post, or download the episode. Duration: 07m 56s If you like the podcast, please review it on Apple Podcasts. Even if you’re not an Apple Podcasts subscriber yourself, that’s where most people still find their podcasts, so that’s where your review will make the most difference. If you’re currently studying or on a training course, this guided visualization MP3 is for you!Originally developed as part of the forthcoming NLP Practitioner home study pack, it’s designed to help you review and integrate everything you’ve learned on any course or training that you’re undertaking.Find out more and download Using Your Timeline For Learning And Review here

We use spatial, linear metaphors to think about time (e.g. time is like a road, or like a river) without even thinking about it. How your unconscious mind represents time has a big effect on how you experience life - and that's what this week's podcast is about. Including: How to elicit the timeline "In Time" and "Through Time", and their effects on how you think and behave Why time management courses often don't stick ... and much more! If you’re currently studying or on a training course, this guided visualization MP3 is for you!Originally developed as part of the forthcoming NLP Practitioner home study pack, it’s designed to help you review and integrate everything you’ve learned on any course or training that you’re undertaking.Find out more and download Using Your Timeline For Learning And Review here   How to listen to Practical NLP Podcast Episode 75: Eliciting Your Timeline Listen and/or subscribe to this podcast via Apple Podcasts here – and if you like the podcast, please leave a review! If you want to subscribe using something other than Apple Podcasts (e.g. if you have an Android phone), here’s the feed:  https://nlppod.com/feed/podcast/ Or, simply listen online using the player embedded in this post, or download the episode. Duration: 08m 51s If you like the podcast, please review it on Apple Podcasts. Even if you’re not an Apple Podcasts subscriber yourself, that’s where most people still find their podcasts, so that’s where your review will make the most difference.

This week's podcast shows you two ways to install goals into your future, plus (if you're using this for coaching or facilitating other individuals or groups) when you would use each method. Includes: How to discover your unconscious mind's typical way of thinking about time How to make the image of your goal as compelling as possible The difference between goal setting and daydreaming How to 'float' a goal into your timeline How to 'walk' a goal into your timeline ... and much more! How to listen to Practical NLP Podcast Episode 74: Two Ways To Install A Goal On Your Timeline Listen and/or subscribe to this podcast via Apple Podcasts here – and if you like the podcast, please leave a review! If you want to subscribe using something other than Apple Podcasts (e.g. if you have an Android phone), here’s the feed:  https://nlppod.com/feed/podcast/ Or, simply listen online using the player embedded in this post, or download the episode. Duration: 08m 04s If you like the podcast, please review it on Apple Podcasts or anywhere else that lets you review podcasts!

This week's podcast exposes the missing piece from the SMART goals model, and gives you a better model that takes account of your motivations and how you feel about the goal. Forget SMART, meet SYDER! Including: Why you don't have to achieve every goal entirely by your own efforts Why you need to put a date on your goal, and what will happen if you don't What the Treaty of Versailles has to do with goal setting, and why you need to know about it Why you need a rich sensory representation of your goal A quick and easy way to find the route to your goal ... and much more! Show Notes - The SYDER Model For Well-Formed Outcomes S - Stated positively Always set goals in the positive sense. That is, what do you want, rather than what you don't want. Y - You own it "What can you do to bring this about by your own actions?" "What can you do to influence the outcome?" "What do you need to do to achieve this goal?" D – Defined in sensory specific terms (a) "What date do you intend to have this outcome by?" (b) "Put yourself in the situation of having it. What do you see/hear/feel when you have it?" Make sure that your image of the goal is sensory- rich, vivid and compelling. E – "Ecology" (Effects on every area of your life) This is a 'risk assessment' on how the goal will affect every area of your life. (a)  "What will happen when you have it?" "What won't happen when you have it?" "Are there any downsides to achieving it?" (b)  "How would having this outcome affect each area of your life?" "Who else would be affected by you having this outcome?" "How would you having this outcome affect the planet?" (c)  Congruence check: "How do you feel about this goal?" "Do you want it 100%?" "Does your energy increase when you think about it?" If not, adjust the goal until you feel enthusiastic about it! R – Resources and Route What resources do you have that will help you reach your goal? What additional resources do you need? It's much easier to work out how to get to your goal once you've got there! Put yourself in the position of having achieved the goal. What had to be in place immediately before to allow your goal to happen? And what had to be in place before that? Continue all the way back to the very first step. How to listen to Practical NLP Podcast Episode 73: What's Missing From S.M.A.R.T Goals Listen and/or subscribe to this podcast via Apple Podcasts here – and if you like the podcast, please leave a review! If you want to subscribe using something other than Apple Podcasts (e.g. if you have an Android phone), here’s the feed:  https://nlppod.com/feed/podcast/ Or, simply listen online using the player embedded in this post, or download the episode. Duration: 11m 44s If you like the podcast, please review it on Apple Podcasts. Even if you’re not an Apple Podcasts subscriber yourself, that’s where most people still find their podcasts, so that’s where your review will make the most difference.

In this episode we look at the different effects of 'towards' and 'away-from' motivation, and which is better for achieving your goals

Prioritising your values list and checking for conflicts - do this before you set any goals! Practical NLP Podcast with Andy Smith episode 71

In this week's episode we learn how to elicit values the NLP way, and why values are important for motivation. This is useful for coaching and for personal development, and essential for successful goal-setting.

Discover some uses of NLP for leadership. Includes the importance of congruence (and some pointers to achieving it) + how to lead by example

Ideas on how to use NLP for selling and influencing, plus the CRAFT model for influence and sales.

Follow the steps in the 123-XL Model to be a better negotiator. With some tips on how you can use your NLP skills to get better results in negotiation

Tips from NLP (and a few other areas like Emotional Intelligence and Appreciative Inquiry) to run more effective meetings

Social media expert Sarah Arrow interviews Andy Smith about how NLP can help bloggers and people using social media in their marketing.