How to Use Neuro-linguistic Programming (NLP) Modeling in Business

Eight years ago before launching Maximum Potential, I worked in a call center for short period of time and sold an Accessory Package for Ron Popeil's Rotisserie Oven. When I first began selling at the call center, I had a difficult time with this type of selling. I was much better at face-to-face selling, so this was very different. It was more of a "one-shot" closing of a product over the telephone rather than consultative selling, which I was used to. There was an individual at the call center, who I will call Ron for the purpose of this article. Ron was the top salesperson in the company and was out-producing every else in the call center at a ratio of two-to-one.

Before defining modeling, I should explain what Neuro-linguistic Programming (NLP) is. NLP is a concept that was developed back in the 1970s by Robert Bandler and John Grinder. Neuro-Linguistic Programming is the study and coding of subjective human experience that results in your self-programming. It is also a study of the conscious and subconscious processes of your mind that combine to enable you to do what you want to do with your life.

After working there for a week or so and struggling (this was before I tried the Modeling technique), I decided to interview and record Ron and see what he was saying to close so effectively.

I had just read about the concept of NLP Modeling. In a nutshell, Modeling means "find out what successful people do exactly and do it exactly as they do it." So I audiotaped John's presentation over the telephone, took it home and studied it. At first, I only copied and used his script, which was basically the same as everyone else's in the call center, except for some very minor changes. I did a little better than before, but still not as well as he was doing.

I then took two tape recorders and put them side-by-side. I listened not only to "what" Ron said, but also to "how" he said it exactly. When I heard him breathe on the tape, I breathed. When his voice went up, mine went up. When he spoke softly, so did I. I tried to model every one of his nuances while tape recording myself saying, the very same words. I then played it back at the same time as the tape of John's voice. When my voice sounded exactly the same as his, I tried it on the phone with live customers. The results were phenomenal!

My sales immediately shot up. By adding closing techniques, anchoring, and embedded commands... I became the number one telemarketer in the company was promoted to corporate trainer. It wasn't until I modeled Ron's nuances, "precisely" that it worked. I think sometimes people feel that if they just say the same words as another person, they will work for them as well as they did for the person they took a script from. If that were true, everyone would be successful, because they all would be saying the same words. It's not just "what" you say, that is important... it's all so "how" you say it that makes all the difference in the world.

If you look at your wife, partner or significant other and say "I love you" with the same tonality as "pass the mustard" she won't hear "I love you" (even though that's exactly what you said), she will hear "pass the mustard."

During my interview with Ron, I also discovered that he came across as a very caring individual on the telephone. He unknowingly applied the concept of "people don't care how much you know, until they know how much you care." When I asked Ron why he felt he was so successful, he asked me if I'd ever tried the product? I told him no! He said try it and then get on the telephone. A couple of us at the call center tried the product, which is designed to enhance the flavor of the meat you cooked in the rotisserie oven. What we discovered is that it really did enhance the flavor of the meat... considerably!

So another lesson learned was that "you have to believe that what you are selling really works and will benefit the customer" before you can sell it with conviction. In other words, "know your product" ...intimately!

Precise Modeling is not easy to do, but it is well worth the effort. As the corporate trainer of this call center, I used Modeling to train all the people at the call center and currently teach it at at virtually, every sales seminar I present. Robert Dilts book titled "Modeling with NLP." Is an excellent resource to learn the techniques of Modeling.

Bob LaBrie