3 Common myths & misconceptions about NLP
It is possible that you will have heard all sorts of interesting things about neuro-linguistic programming (NLP). There certainly are a lot of misconceptions about NLP out there, but here today we will go through the 3 most common ones.
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First misconception – It is manipulative and mind-control
While it is true to say that NLP can influence others it is certainly not possible to control their thoughts and actions with it. You will never make people think and do things that they don’t want to. As for controlling them, well most people cannot even control themselves.
With the rapport techniques in NLP, you will be able to assert influence on the unconscious mind, and this will increase your chances of getting the result that you want. But this is far from manipulation and mind control.
It is in your interest to connect unconsciously with individuals so that you have a better chance of influencing them. NLP has helped many salespeople make more sales. In order to do this, you need to examine your current sales techniques and tweak them so that you can connect with the emotions of your prospects.
By doing this you are not controlling anyone’s mind, you are making a connection at an emotional level which increases your chances of making a decision in your favor. Your prospects will not be consciously aware that you are doing this.
The linguistics side of NLP is also very important. To get the best results you need to strive for perfection and intent when it comes to the words that you speak and think, the tone in your voice used, and your physiology. It is true that more is said through the use of voice tonality and body language than words alone.
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Second misconception – It doesn’t work
These misconceptions about NLP mainly come from people that have studied a little NLP, tried one or two NLP techniques and then been unable to achieve the results that they were looking for. What they failed to do was to tailor their behaviors and actions so that they could make it work for them.
In NLP parlance this is “behavioral flexibility” and requires that you observe, listen and watch out for signs of what is happening to you, or the clues that you are receiving from the individual that you desire to influence. It is then a matter of using your sensory and perceptual skills so that you can make adjustments to your approach.
It is likely that through the use of NLP, you are already achieving improvements in different areas of your life. It is also possible that you are not aware of some of the strategies and approaches that are having the desired effect.
What NLP does is assist you to comprehend how things work and make them work for you in a better way. If you discover that something is not working as it should, then a few tweaks to a strategy or process is all that is required to get the result that you desire.
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Third misconception – It is the same as Therapy
If you read the history of NLP, you will find that the first models were all therapy based. As the practice developed so did the skills, and it was discovered that a number of the skills, techniques, and behaviors were very important in other human behavior contexts.
This is especially true when it comes to change, communication, and influence. NLP is concerned with the “how” and not the “why” that therapy relies upon. You can use NLP techniques to make rapid changes in sales, persuasion, coaching, sports public speaking, and a lot more besides.
There have also been examples where new students of NLP have been able to assist individuals to overcome bad habits or eradicate their limiting beliefs only after one session. Can you imagine how long this would take with conventional therapy methods? At the end of the day, NLP is not therapy – it is the opposite. You are looking forward to NLP rather than looking back with therapy.
Conclusion
We hope that we were able to clear common myths & misconceptions about NLP, and now you can focus very well on learning NLP.
