In this highly experiential session Jack will guide you trough the fundamentals of NLP (Neuro-Linguistic Programming) and some basic yet practical uses just for you.
NLP utilizes the way your brain naturally works to improve your results and your life. Want to try it? Take this class and see how some basic exercises using NLP can make a difference.
You’ll Learn:

• A Brief History of NLP… where did this stuff come from?
• NLP Presuppositions… those things that good practitioners of NLP believe to do their work.
• Sensory Modalities… How to change your world using your senses
• Eye Movement Patterns… how to tell how someone is thinking
• Circle of Excellence… how to get in that “awesome state” before and important meeting or sales call!

Applications include:

• Sales People
• Communicators
• Parents
• Students
• Managers and Leaders
• And just about everyone else you might be thinking of right now.

Many business owners who are really good at doing what their business does and struggle to do the business, let me explain. Many have plenty of reasons why they do what they do and most have convinced everyone around them of this story. Their customers can see, feel and hear what’s happening and many find new places to do business. This fact is substantiated in a survey conducted in 2006 by the S.B.A. and U.S. Chamber of Commerce. Here are the results to the question, “Why do customer’s leave?”
• 1% die
• 3% move away
• 5% seek alternatives or develop other business relationships
• 9% begin doing business with the competition
• 14% are dissatisfied with the product or service
• 68% upset with the treatment they’ve received
Clearly business owners, managers and employees need to learn how to offer better treatment of customers. The most expensive way to grow a business is the process to get new customers. So, the question to ask is, why would any well meaning, business person mistreat a customer?

Many business owners are so busy they think they are doing just fine or it’s the “other guy” whose employee mistreat the customers. Many don’t realize how things have changed and to what “things” their customers are comparing their experiences too. Many are too busy working in their business not on their business, as Michael Gerber of the E-Myth would say. It reminds me of the story that Stephen Covey tells in the “7 Habits of Highly Effective People” about a man struggling to cut down a tree.

” A man was struggling in the woods to saw down a tree. An old farmer came by, watched for a while, then quietly said, “What are you doing?”
“Can’t you see?” the man impatiently replied, “I’m sawing down this tree.”
“You look exhausted,” said the farmer. “How long have you been at it?”
“Over five hours, and I’m beat,” replied the man. “This is hard work.”
“That saw looks pretty dull,” said the farmer. “Why don’t you take a break for a few minutes and sharpen it? I’m sure it would go a lot faster.”
“I don’t have time to sharpen the saw,” the man says emphatically. “I’m too busy sawing!”

Alvin Toffler, author of Future Shock, is quoted as saying, “The illiterate of the 21st century will not be those who cannot read and write, but those who cannot learn, unlearn, and relearn.”

Have you ever noticed most guys try to match their socks to some other item of clothing their wearing? Many guys try to match their socks with their pants, a shirt, a jacket/sportcoat or tie. I have noticed guys with tan pants and tan socks. Guys with olive-green colored pants and olive-green colored socks. I started noticing how guys choose their socks or clothing. I have discovered that when a gentleman wants to “dress to the nines,” he considers which pair of socks he will wear with his clothing selection. Many times he chooses his favorite pair socks and then coordinates the rest of his clothing with the favorite socks.

Sometimes, guys choose what they wear by which pair of socks are currently clean. I think it’s funny that a pair of five to twenty dollar socks can determine up to a thousand dollars worth of other clothing. Most folks never even see the socks.

So why red socks for me? Back in 1996, I was at a training in Colorado on how to be a better trainer/facilitator using Neuro-Lingustic Programming (NLP). There was a guy their from England who was wearing short ankle boots and bright red socks. When I saw the socks he was wearing, I asked, “What’s with the socks?” He replied, “Well, these shoes are made of leather and if I don’t wear socks, my feet sweat and I don’t like that!” I asked, “Why red?” He replied, “I like red.”

I realized then and there that I need to be more deliberate with the questions I ask. One of the presuppositions of NLP is “The quality of our communication is judged by the results that we get from that communication” I believe that to be true! So, when you and I are communicating with one person or a group and we don’t get the results we want, we have to change our communication style or method.

Think about the information you desire from your audience and craft your questions around that desired outcome.

So in a sense, “Marketing begins with the color of your socks.” Many men, either consciously or unconsciously, choose their wardrobe by first deciding which socks they will wear. The socks are most likely the smallest item of clothing worn during the day but they are the controlling element. Marketing is much like that. Why you buy or behave as you do is determined by something small and behind the scenes.

Sometimes the things that happen to us aren’t the best. What do you do? Here’s an idea that might help change the way you remember a situation for the better.

First, sit and calm yourself… and think of the experience, notice, how do you represent the memory to yourself? Is it a picture? Is it sounds? Is it a feeling?

Once you notice which it is… try changing the attributes of the experience… for better memories, try making the picture in color, make it closer to you… add more light… notice how this changes the memory for you.

If the memory is unpleasant, try changing the picture to black and white, move it away from you… less light, make it “fuzzy” Notice… how does that change it? If it’s a sound and unpleasant, add some circus music… have the words be as if Mickey Mouse or Donald Duck were speaking. Notice, how does that change the situation?

You will soon notice that you have control over your emotions in how you remember events. This is helpful especially if the memory is unpleasant.

Next time you have the opportunity to overhear a conversation begin to notice the words being said. Each person has a preferred way of capturing and then reliving their world. We either use Visual words, Auditory words or Kinesthetic (feeling) words. Do you see what I mean here? How about Does that sound good? or maybe you might prefer… How do you feel about that?

Matching those words will quickly build rapport. Which is usually what the goal of a meeting is all about… there are times when breaking rapport is most helpful. Let’s say you are having a conversation with a person who, just doesn’t get that the conversation is putting you to sleep. Try miss-matching those words… When that person says, “So you see…” You can reply, “Yes, I hear you.”

Watch what happens as you do that a couple of times… The “intruder” will begin to look for a way to exit the conversation. When is feel’s right, you might conclude the conversation first or as you hear others talking, you can listen in to those conversations. Have fun with this… and most importantly, notice the results you get. That’s the key!

To help me be non-judgmental when I am coaching or training… I think of another one of the NLP presuppositions… “Behind every behavior is a positive intention.” I ask myself… “What is the positive intent behind that behavior?” and sometimes I have to go to… “What on earth could be the positive intent behind that behavior?” Most times the behavior does not resonate with my values or morals… but it’s not about me… and there is a positive intent.

I noticed that when I ask myself that question… I am automatically in a place of curiosity or wonderment… not in a place of judgment or condemnation. Judgment and condemnation are not a good place to be to coach or train from… Curiosity and wonderment are a much more resourceful place to come from.

This brings me to another presupposition of NLP which comes from Systems Thinking… The element in a system with the most flexibility will be the controlling element. Being in a place of curiosity and wonderment give me alot of flexibility.