NLP enables us to learn new complex skills by watching and learning from top performers’ strategies. If you are looking to learn a new skill, NLP modelling is just the right tool to help you learn from a master!
What is NLP Modelling?
NLP modelling helps you learn how to take on the thoughts and behaviours of successful people to learn a new skill that they are already good at. It is one of the most important NLP skills!
You can think of it how children develop their thoughts, feelings and behaviour before their cognitive faculties have completely kicked in – around eight years old. Children see and do what their parents and others do to learn how to reason or perform certain tasks.
Modelling involves three main phases:
- Unconsciously taking up behavioural patterns
- Effectively coding those patterns
- Effectively installing those patterns in others
How To Learn A New Skill Through Modeling
The three modelling phases can be broken down into six steps for learning a new skill quickly and effectively:
1. Find a Genius
Find someone you can emulate over time to become as good as they are or better. They should be someone who consistently produces outstanding results in the skill you are looking to learn.
For example, if you are interested in learning how to be a better salesperson, you should find someone good at closing sales and model them. Remember, we can also always ask this person how they do something for further insight!
2. Use Mirroring to Assimilate their Behavioural Patterns Unconsciously
After identifying your model, your next step is to do as they do so you can become just like them in that area or skill. Mirroring refers to mimicking the other person’s behavioural patterns and mannerisms. When mirroring a person, you need to focus on the following:
Their physiology: This refers to physical body movements. For example, if you’re modelling a salesperson, take note and mimic where they look as they address the customer, how they breathe as they speak, their body posture, and where they place their hands as they communicate.
Their vocal behaviour: This includes volume, tone, and pitch. Mimicking the person’s intonation gives you access to their internal experience.
Strategy: Every top performer does things to achieve the same great results every time. Make note of how they approach people or what they say first and how they finish conversations.
Beliefs: A person’s beliefs are the gateway to unleashing possibilities, potential, ability to bounce back from failure and to keep going during difficult times.
3. Produce Similar Results as that Person
Once you have chosen your person and started to understand how they do what they do and how you can mirror that, it is time to practice your skill! You will know that you have successfully modelled the person when you can produce the same results in a similar amount of time as them.
4. Clean Up the Pattern
You’ve picked your person and successfully modelled their skill but now it is time to make it your own. To do this you want to test the skill and see if there is any ‘white noise’ or unnecessary steps that you could remove. Experiment with it and observe how these changes affect your overall result.
5. Code the Model
You have cleaned up your pattern and now know how to succeed at your chosen skill. It is now time to describe what you and the master do to produce these results. Your description should be enough to help someone interested in learning the same skills to do the same things and become successful.
6. Teach the Skill to Someone Else
Teaching the model you learned will not only help you get better at your skill but it will also help you identify the parts of your description that need more refinement. Once you can teach your model to someone else you have effectively learnt your skill and created a model that can be transferred to someone new.
Overall, people often need to wear many caps and learn new skills fast. NLP modelling enables you to do just that by copying what people who came before you have done. It is a powerful process that can help you learn new skills quickly and efficiently!
Check out my blog ‘The Five Principles of Success’ for extra help and taking the next step for guaranteeing success in every area of your life!
