Switching Those Directions - Sequencing

John La Valle

Another of the elements we teach in Persuasion Engineering® is about direction.

One of the things you'll hear lots about in the land of NLP is about setting direction. But I've found that while many people talk about it, most don't really know how to use it in everyday conversation. It's one of the most useful patterns to track for many different reasons.

It first requires you to have the ability to listen, I mean really listen. Track each and every word in sequence as the speaker speaks. This is the skill that works best. I've even heard various and different arguments about different "models", "expressions", etc. of NLP, and such. And there are some people who do understand that there is a distinction between the skills of NLP, and the techniques, or *recipes*. While the recipes are one way to understand ways of *using* NLP, without open sensory channels, you're apt to put what *you* want in your prospect's mind without considering how exactly to make it fit in there. And if it doesn't exactly fit for them, then it doesn't exactly fit for them. Period.

So, Pure NLP® is about those fine basics, making those fine distinctions at the sensory based level, the way the originators of NLP intended (and not what other naysayers think it is). In fact, Pure NLP® is the most systemic of all, as it keeps things easy. The deep structures (internal representations) are best influenced through surface structures (sentences, utterances). Other modalities can and may be used, of course, but since what we use most in Sales & Marketing is language, both verbal and written, we'll use language for an an example.

Now, let's look at something a client, or customer, may say: "I really want it, but I can't see buying it."

In this example, there are 2 very critical elements in this example. The first and most critical is the sequence. When you say this sentence, notice that there is a *stop in the process* after saying it. There's no place to go from here.
When you change the sequence to: "I can't see buying it, but I really want it." Notice what happens to your internal representation(s)! It leaves open the direction, a place to go to next. So, there are different ways to have the customer/client do this. One way is to tell them to tell you that they can't see buying it and listen to them finish the rest of the sequence.

The second critical element is the submodality shift opportunity in the sentence: "Can't see buying it." Again, in most cases, not all, but most, the generalization is that when associated to the image in the future, they most likely will *not* engage the activity. When they are dissociated in the future, they most likely *will* engage the activity. Most of you have heard or said, "I can't see myself doing that", as the presenting challenge. Well, if they could see themselves, they'd be doing it easily. Simple.

So, to change this, when they say, "I can't see buying it", you've got to challenge it with: having them say back to you: "I can't see myself buying it?" and let them finish the sequence. The interesting part here is that because of the submodality shift from "see buying it" to "see myself buying it", whether they can or can't, the submodality shift happens anyway. Now the remainder of the sequence kicks in and takes over into the new direction.

So, have fun with this!! And keep things easy! You'll be more successful as a result!