Language Patterns - NLP

Recognition of language patterns is one of the basic principles of the linguistic element of NLP and NLP uses these language patterns to help people become better communicators, whether the purpose of the communication is simply to inform or educate, or whether to subtly manipulate the subject, for example in advertising.  NLP language patterns are also widely used by hypnotherapists, who, like advertisers, are seeking to influence their subject.

If you really listen to what people say, you start to notice three basic patterns in their language: visual, auditory or kinaesthetic.  A visual person might look into a problem; an auditory person might to make sure everyone is singing from the same hymn sheet whilst a kinaesthetic person might grasp an opportunity.

Effective communication on a one-to-one basis involves the recognition and reciprocal use of the language pattern used by the other person.  Doing this means that they will understand and respond to you more readily and more positively than if you used a different language pattern, one to which they were not instinctively attuned.  In a group situation there will invariably be people representing all three NLP language patterns, therefore the most effective communicators to groups put the same point across in three different ways (visually, auditory and kinaesthetically) to ensure that everyone has grasped it.

At an advanced level, there are literally dozens of language patterns used by NLP practitioners, hypnotherapists, advertisers and sales professionals.  Most of these use presuppositions to “plant” ideas in the mind of the person to be influenced.  A presupposition is a statement that implies an assumption about the subject matter in case.  For example, “Roger no longer plays the clarinet” forces one to assume that Roger used to play the clarinet, even if one did not know that already.  Presuppositions combined with knowledge of advanced NLP language patterns and techniques produce truly powerful communication.

For an advertiser, the ability to covertly plant ideas in the minds of people reading their advertisements is very powerful indeed.  The presupposed ideas might be about the quality of the product or service offered, ways in which the competition is lacking in comparison with the advertiser or benefits that the reader simply must have. 

Whilst it is impossible to make someone do something against their will, hypnotherapists use NLP language patterns to influence their patients to do things that are in their best interests, for example, give up smoking or confront phobias, by using hypnotic language to plant presuppositions in the patient’s mind.