The Forbidden Knowledge Archive

by Matt Bacak and Brother Mesmer

NLP Copywriting in about an Hour

Just the Stuff that Works in Print
- On a Silver Platter!

Table of Contents
PART ONE: THE TRUTH ABOUT NLP!

What Is "NLP"?!

The Deep Roots of NLP!

The NLP Defense: The Meta Model and the Way to Clarity!

Jargon Alert: Meta Model Ahead!!

The Meta Model in Action: Personal Experiences in the Field!

12

A Brief Meta Model Glossary!

13

The NLP Offense: The Milton Model!

14

Covert Persuasion and the Ethical Issue!

15

The Milton Model and the Way of Confusion!

16

Walking on a Dark Path: Overview of the Milton Model!

16

How to Be a Successful "Two-Trick Pony" Like Frank Kern!

17

The Secret Art of Being a Successful "Word Magician"!

18

PART TWO: THE BIG PROBLEM WITH WRITTEN NLP!

19

VAK: The Visual, Auditory, and Kinesthetic Brain!

20

Language Matching for a Specialized Niche!

24

VAK Revisited: How to Reach Almost Everybody!

25

Our First Challenge: Grab the Reader's Attention!!

28

Our Second Challenge: Get the Reader to Identify with Our Message!

29

Our Third Challenge: Communicate the Essence of Our Message! 31

We Are All the "First Person" in a Story!

32

"More Than a Feeling": Buying Decisions and Kinesthetic Conquest!

PART THREE: NLP COPY PERSUASION "COOKBOOK"!

34

35

The Art of "Listening" Like a Customer!

36

Example of an Expert "Loaded" Paragraph!

36
2

NLP Analysis of a Persuasive Blog Post!

38

A Typical Milton Model Style Hypnotic Induction Script!

39

Easy NLP!

40

The Universal Quantier Pattern!

42

The Best Bet Is the "Yes" Set!

43

Storytelling Milton Style!

44

The Most Important Question!

46

Mind Reading for Fun and Prot!

47

It's Not Stupid For You to Be Invested in Nested Loops Today!

48

Attack of the Return of the Nested Loops!

50

Get Your FREE NLP Sales Letter Templates While They're Hot!

51

A Master Level NLP Phone Script from Jay Abraham!

54

The Dazzling Light of a Bright New Beginning S-h-i-n-e-s Now!

56

PART ONE: THE TRUTH ABOUT NLP

To understand NLP, or neuro-linguistic programming, we need to go back to its
roots. In The Structure of Magic, one of their early NLP books (1975), Richard
Bandler and John Grinder, the two founders of NLP, compared NLP to magic.
The label has dogged the fledging psychological discipline ever since. (1)

The Structure of Magic by Bandler and Grinder (1975) (2) (3)

Of the two, Richard Bandler has maintained a more public profile. Known for
his unusual sense of humor, it can be difficult to tell if the highly entertaining
Bandler is joking or is being serious. Here he talks about the double meaning
of "magic."
Some years ago, I was on my way to teach a sales training course in Dallas, Texas. Flying
from San Francisco, I sat down, and when I sat down on the plane, I was going to sit back
and relax, but as I put my chair back and looked over, there it was... the cover of The
Structure of Magic staring back at me, and I peeked over, and I looked at this guy, and this
guy had this look on his face like he could eat shoe leather in a cold second. His ability to
4

stick his foot in his mouth would be unmatched. So I asked the guy. I looked over at him
and I said, "Are you a magician?"
And the guy looked at me and said, "Of course not." Like I could tell. He is reading a book
called The Structure of Magic, and that is where you find The Structure of Magic, by the
way... in the occult section. Because every time I go into a bookstore, that is where it is...
right there in the occult section, where it belongs. So I said to this guy, I said, "If it is not
about magic, what is about?" And he said, "It is about language." (4)

NLP is "word magic." It grew out of studying expert communicators who used
the spoken word in therapeutic settings to achieve remarkable positive
changes in their clients. These expert communicators were the original "word
magicians."
Bandler and Grinder studied them, learned from them, and became master
word magicians themselves. If we want to, we too can become word
magicians. NLP makes that possible.
We were not able to find photographs of Bandler and Grinder with suitable
permissions. However, they have given video interviews, including some very
recent ones. Links to these short videos are in the Notes. (5) (6)

What Is "NLP"?
The gist of what NLP is can be found in the words that make up the acronym.
NLP equals "Neuro" (the brain) plus "Linguistic" (language) plus
"Programming" (behavior patterns). (7)
NEURO: The use of your senses to interpret the world around you. Neurological processes
affect your thoughts and emotions, your physiology, and subsequent behavior.
LINGUISTIC: How you use language to communicate with others and to influence your
experience.
PROGRAMMING: Internal thoughts and patterns of behavior that help you evaluate
situations, solve problems, and make decisions. (8)

NLP is a discipline that is meant to be experienced. To the extent that one

knows how to apply a piece of NLP and get consistent positive results with it,
one can be said to be an expert of that piece. Mere knowledge of NLP
terminology and concepts does not make one an NLP expert.
NLP is largely a collection of practical recipes for persuasion. To benefit from
NLP, we do not have to "master" NLP. We can pick up a few smart NLP "tricks"
and start putting them into our sales letter, email, or blog copy right away. It is
better to become good at applying a few favorite patterns than to read a ton of
NLP books and never applying the knowledge.

The Deep Roots of NLP

Richard Bandler and John Grinder met in California in the early 1970s. It was a
time of experimentation in consciousness. Bandler and Grinder found
themselves in the right place at the right time with the right people.
John Grinder at this time was in the linguistics department at UC Santa Cruz. Bandler
invited Grinder to observe his gestalt group in order to see whether it would be possible to
develop a syntax of behavior analogous to what some linguists had earlier done for cultural
anthropology. What Grinder noticed was that Bandler in his group was applying certain
principles of linguistics...
Bandler and Grinder then decided to observe groups run by Fritz Perls and Virginia Satir,
and they confirmed that Perls and Satir were using the same linguistic patterns... In the
intellectually adventurous atmosphere at UC Santa Cruz, John Grinder was able to offer a
psychology course where he and Bandler taught their approaches to therapy. Among
students, this was reportedly known as "Dr. Grinder's mind-f**k course."
... Bandler and Grinder continued to offer training seminars for therapists and were joined
by several young therapists and graduate students in clinical psychology, including David
Gordon, Judith deLozier, Robert Dilts, and Steve Gilligan. Some time in these early days,
Bandler came up with the name Neuro-Linguistic Programming. (9)

Like other innovators in other fields, Bandler and Grinder stood on the
shoulders of giants who had come before them. Notable among these
formative influences were Alfred Korzybski, Noam Chomsky, and Gregory
Bateson. (10) (11) (12)
As a computer programmer, Richard knew that to program the simplest "mind" in the world
(a computer with off-and-on switches), you break down the behavior into component
pieces and provide clear and unambiguous signals to the system. To this basic metaphor,
John added his extensive knowledge of transformational grammar. From transformational
grammar, we borrow the concepts of deep and surface structure statements that transform
meaning/knowledge in the human brain. From this, they began to put together their model
of how humans get "programmed," so to speak. (13)

Bandler and Grinder began studying two brilliant and highly respected
psychotherapists, Fritz Perls and Virginia Satir. They wanted to know if they
could "model" these expert communicators and then actually duplicate their
exceptional results in a therapeutic setting.
Bandler discovered that he had a "natural" gift for modeling and hearing patterns. He
discovered that he could detect and replicate patterns in Gestalt Therapy from minimum
exposure. He became an editor for several of Fritz Perls' books in Gestalt Therapy. Being
familiar with Perls' work, Bandler began to study Perls' techniques. As he discovered that
he could model Perls' therapeutic procedures, he began experimenting with clients using
the techniques.
After enjoying immediate and powerful results from that modeling, Richard discovered that
he could model others. With the encouragement of Grinder, Bandler got the opportunity to
model the world's foremost family therapist, Virginia Satir. Richard quickly identified the
"seven patterns" that Virginia used. As he and John began to apply those patterns, they
discovered that they could replicate her therapies and obtain similar results. (14)

The pinnacle of this early modeling phase came when Bandler and Grinder
studied Milton Erickson. Unlike Perls and Satir, who asked their patients direct
questions in the context of the normal waking state, Erickson was a master at
clinical hypnosis.

Milton H. Erickson, MD, PhD, 1901 - 1980

(from an interview on helping alcoholics) (15) (16) (17)

Instead of firing off pointed enquiries to confront the fuzzy thinking of his
clients, Erickson took advantage of their confusion. He cleverly manipulated
them into a favorable therapeutic solution by covertly putting them into trance
with brilliant language patterns that were virtually undetectable. (18)
Thereafter, world-renowned anthropologist Gregory Bateson introduced Bandler and
Grinder to Milton Erickson, MD. Erickson developed the model of communication that we
know as "Ericksonian hypnosis." Since 1958, the American Medical Association has
recognized hypnosis as a useful healing tool during surgery. As Bandler and Grinder
modeled Erickson, they discovered that they could obtain similar results. Today, many of
the NLP techniques result from modeling Ericksonian processes. (19)

Since those early days, NLP has fragmented as well as evolved. As a result of
various legal battles, the field is wide open for anyone to say that he/she is an
expert at NLP. The books and courses referenced in the Notes are reliable
resources. (20)
We will do well also to keep in mind Richard Bandler's sage advice. Oft
repeated, it has stood the test of time: "NLP is an attitude and a methodology
that leaves behind a trail of techniques." (21)
We will be studying techniques, and the temptation is to think that the
techniques, especially the really good ones, are the answer. The techniques are
just tools.
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The originality and spontaneous resourcefulness that gave birth to them is the
real secret, the fountain that keeps on flowing and giving. Each of us has this
universal gift within. Milton Erickson called it "the unconscious."
Hypnosis is the ceasing to use your conscious awareness; in hypnosis, you begin to use
your unconscious awareness. Because unconsciously, you know as much and a lot more
than you do consciously. (22)

This is probably a good time to mention that good writing puts the reader into
a light trance. For example, when we are engrossed in a good book, song, TV
show, or movie, where is the rest of the world for us?

The NLP Defense: The Meta Model and the Way to Clarity
The Meta Model was developed by observing two brilliant psychotherapists,
Fritz Perls and Virginia Satir, work with their clients. It's important to
understand that the Meta Model is not a theoretical system. (23)
Bandler's gift was modeling, not theorizing. He was an exceptionally skilled
observer. He studied what they did and was able to extract word patterns from
their verbal communication.
The reason Bandler and Grinder studied Perls and Satir, besides the fact that
they were willing to cooperate, is that, unlike most therapists, they
consistently got results. They changed lives, and they did it routinely.
On the surface, they seemed to be doing what other "talk therapists" did with
their clients, which is just talk. Clearly, since they were getting different
results, they had to be doing something different. That difference is what
expert modeler Richard Bandler set out to uncover.
The questions that make up the Meta Model are the questions that these two
therapists were using in their sessions. The labels for these questions and what
they deal with were added later.
Perls and Satir did not have the ability to teach others what they did. They
literally did not know how they did it. They just knew that they could do it.

Jargon Alert: Meta Model Ahead!

People suffer from "fuzzy" or "stinking" thinking. Their thoughts are flawed,
confused, ill-formed, and self-limiting. The Meta Model systematically
challenges these thoughts and makes it possible for people to be free of them.
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There's no way to avoid the technical jargon of NLP. We will just have to take
the plunge. Here is a good definition of the Meta Model.
A model, developed by John Grinder and Richard Bandler, based on the (but not a direct
copy of) ideas originated by linguist Noam Chomsky. The basic idea behind the meta model
and its use is that we usually say (surface structure) only a relatively small part of what we
are thinking (deep structure). Sometimes, the surface structure version is all that we need
to understand what someone means, but sometimes, we need some additional deep
structure information, and that is when we use the appropriate meta model questions to
open up clearer, more effective communication.
Grouped under three basic headings - Deletions, Distortions, and Generalisations - the
meta model covers a variety of misleading language patterns such as: Unspecified nouns,
unspecified verbs, unqualified comparisons, unqualified absolutes and unquestioned rules,
missing referential indices, etc., etc. (24)

There are 14 Meta Model questions (some sources claim more while other
sources claim less). There are six types of deletion errors, five types of
distortion errors, and three types of generalization errors.
There is a Meta Model question to go with each error in thinking. In essence,
the person is mistaking the constructed "map" in his/her mind for the actual
"territory" or reality outside of him/her. When the appropriate Meta Model
question is used, it challenges the fuzzy dimness of the poorly formed thought
process and escorts it into the sunshine of clarity. (25) (26)
Let's look at deletion first. There are six Meta Model deletion questions.
Deletion is a process by which we selectively pay attention to certain dimensions of our
experience and exclude others. Take, for example, the ability that people have to filter out
or exclude all other sound in a room full of people talking in order to listen to one particular
person's voice. Using the same process, people are able to block themselves from hearing
messages of caring from other people who are important to them.
For example, a man who was convinced that he was not worth caring about complained to
us that his wife never gave him messages of caring. When we visited this man's home, we
became aware that the man's wife did, indeed, express messages of caring to him.
However, as these messages conflicted with the generalization that the man had made
about his own self-worth, he literally did not hear his wife. This was verified when we called
the man's attention to some of these messages, and the man stated that he had not even
heard his wife when she had said those things. Deletion reduces the world to proportions
which we feel capable of handling. The reduction may be useful in some contexts and yet
be the source of pain for us in others. (27)

Here are the six Meta Model deletion questions. Unlike most trainers, we are
presenting the questions first. One reason we are doing this is that the
questions themselves are actually quite simple. (28) (29)
Another reason is that the whole point is to use the questions in real life. Why
swamp the reader with jazzed up jargon? We don't have a $3,000 to $15,000
NLP training program to sell, so we can cut to the chase. (30) (31) (32)
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We use these questions ourselves, and we know that they are easy to use. A
few Meta Model questions go a long way. The best way to understand them is
to get started using them with yourself, your family, and your friends. Just a
few questions at a time, though. Some people may feel like they're being put
on the spot.

THE SIX META MODEL DELETION QUESTIONS

The linguistic labels for what we are seeking to tease out and clarify are (a)
Unspecified nouns, (b) Unspecified verbs, (c) Nominalization (the static
"decision" vs. the dynamic action of deciding), (d) Lack of referential index, (e)
Simple deletion, and (f) Comparative deletion.
These labels are in the same order as the Meta Model questions below. For
example, the unique purpose of asking "What specifically?" is to discover the
unspecified noun that the communicator has unknowingly deleted.
(1) What specifically?
(2) How specifically?
(3) Who, how, what is ...ing?
(4) Who specifically?
(5) About whom? About what?
(6) Compared to whom? Compared to what?
Example (Unspecified verb)
"I feel bad."
"How specifically do you feel bad?"

Let's look at distortion next. There are five Meta Model distortion questions.
Distortion is the process which allows us to make shifts in our experience of sensory data.
Fantasy, for example, allows us to prepare for experiences which we may have before they
occur... Similarly, all the great novels, all the revolutionary discoveries of the sciences,
involve the ability to distort and misrepresent present reality. Using the same technique,
people can limit the richness of their experience.
For example, when our friend mentioned earlier (who had made the generalization that he
was not worth caring for) had the caring messages from his wife pointed out to him, he
immediately distorted them. Specifically, each time that he heard a caring message that he
had previously been deleting, he turned to us, smiling, and said, "She just says that
because she wants something."
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In this way, the man was able to avoid allowing his experience to contradict the model of
the world he had created, and, thereby, he prevented himself from having a richer
representation, blocking himself from a more intimate and satisfying relationship with his
wife. (33)

THE FIVE META MODEL DISTORTION QUESTIONS

The stock NLP linguistic labels for what we are seeking to tease out and clarify
here are (a) Complex equivalence, (b) Lost performative, (c) Mind reading, (d)
Cause and effect, and (e) Presuppositions.
These labels are in the same order as the Meta Model questions below. So, the
unique purpose of asking "How does doing X mean that Y?" is to discover the
complex equivalence that the communicator has unknowingly formulated as a
distortion of the evidence.
(1) "How does doing X mean that Y?"
(2) "How do you know that...?"
(3) "How do you know that...? (The duplication here is correct).
(4) "How does his/her doing X cause you to Y?"
(5) "How would X lead to Y"?
Example (Lost performative)
"It's bad to get angry."
"How [exactly] do you know it's bad?"
Also: "Who says it's bad to be angry?"
Also: "According to who?"

Now let's look at generalization. There are three Meta Model generalization
questions.
Generalization is the process by which elements or pieces of a person's model become
detached from his/her original experience and come to represent the entire category of
which the experience is an example. Our ability to generalize is essential to coping with the
world.
For example, it is useful for us to be able to generalize from the experience of being burned
when we touch a hot stove to a rule that hot stoves are not to be touched. But to
generalize this experience to a perception that stoves are dangerous and, therefore, to
11

refuse to be in the same room with one is to limit unnecessarily our movement in the
world. (34)

THE THREE META MODEL GENERALIZATION QUESTIONS

The NLP labels for what we are seeking to tease out and clarify are (a)
Universal quantifiers, (b) Modal operator of necessity, and (c) Modal operator
of possibility.
These labels are in the same order as the Meta Model questions below. So the
unique purpose asking "Do you really mean all/every/never?" is to discover the
Universal quantifier(s) that the communicator has unknowingly used to make a
generalization that is not supported by the information at hand.
(1) "Do you really mean all/every/never?"
Alternates: "Has there ever been a time when X?"
"Are you saying there are no exceptions at all? There must be some
exceptions!"
(2) "What would happen if you did/didn't?"
Alternate: "Have you ever been able to do that?"
(3) "What would happen if you did/didn't?"
Alternate: "What is stopping [preventing] you from...?"

Example (Modal operator of possibility)

"My husband never listens to me."
"Do you really mean never?"
Also: "Has there ever been a time when he listened to you?"

The Meta Model in Action: Personal Experiences in the Field

The Meta Model can be overwhelming at first. That is why we recommend that
the reader take a few questions for a test drive. Personally, we like the Meta
Model questions and use them often in our communications.

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We have blended some of the similar questions together, as the principle

behind them is the same. These things become obvious through practice. Here
are the Meta Model questions that we personally use most often.
(1) "Who/what/how specifically are you talking about?"
(2) "How [exactly] do you know that?"
(3) "Do you really mean all/every/never?"
(4) "What [specifically] is preventing you from doing/choosing/having that?"
Using the Meta Model questions is a lot like learning to ride a bike. After a
while, we get the hang of it and doing it becomes straightforward.
The Meta Model questions can be applied to our own language. In fact, they
can be used with our own internal dialog or self-talk.
When we feel confused or stuck, it is likely that we are committing Meta Model
violations in our own thinking. We can function as our own coach and get
ourselves moving forward again with new energy just by asking ourselves Meta
Model questions.
Finally, smart NLP adepts employ the Meta Model questions to challenge
persuasion attempts by Internet sellers, print ads, radio and television
commercials, live sales events, and corporate or government propaganda. Our
best recommendation is to start using the questions in daily life and experience
firsthand the benefits that come from using them.

A Brief Meta Model Glossary

These definitions are presented in the same order as above. This is linguist
"shop talk." Just keep in mind the practical application of these terms. (35)

Deletions:
Unspecified nouns: any noun that has as many meanings as there are people using that
noun.
Unspecified verbs: verbs that delete the specifics of the process.
Nominalizations: verbs made into nouns, thus deleting the process or action. Very often
creating a sense of 'stuckness'... Turn the nominalization back into a verb.
Lack of referential index: the pronoun is not specified, thus deleting who or what it refers
to.

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Simple deletions: information is simply missed out.

Comparative deletions: the standard of comparison is deleted. (36)

Distortions:
Complex equivalence: where two experiences are interpreted as synonymous; x means y.
Lost performative: value judgements, rules and opinion in which the source of the assertion
is missing.
Mind reading: assuming that you know another person's internal state.
Cause and effect: belief or implication that one person's action can cause another's
emotional reaction.
Presuppositions: basic assumptions that must be true for a model to make sense. (37)

Generalizations:
Universal quantifiers: generalizations that preclude any exceptions.
Modal operator of necessity: words that require particular action, e.g. should, shouldn't,
must, must not, have to.
Modal operator of possibility: words that imply no choice, e.g. can't, haven't, won't. (38)

To close this section, we would like to call the reader's attention to a unique
online Meta Model resource. California NLP coach and therapist John David
Hoag provides interactive NLP Meta Model flashcards on his website.
These cards go into more depth and detail than we have provided here. The
presentation is quite sophisticated. It is offered completely free as a "public
service to NLP students everywhere." (39)

The NLP Offense: The Milton Model

We covered the Meta Model in detail first because it exposes the human
vulnerabilities that the Milton Model exploits. NLP persuasion is largely based
on Milton Erickson's work. Violations of the Meta Model can be found lurking
under most of his expert strategies.
The Meta Model is for therapists and those who want to clarify their own
thinking and communications. While it can be quite helpful in business and
personal relationships, that did not end up being NLP's main application of it.
The Milton Model is for professional persuaders who want to master covert
methods of verbal manipulation. Though developed in the context of live
dialogs, much of the material can be applied to written persuasion.
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Without at least a basic grasp of the Meta Model, the Milton Model can appear
to be all smoke and mirrors, an intuitive and mysterious system created by a
mad genius. Studied closely, the Milton Model is a systematic probing and
exploitation of the ill-formed language patterns identified by the Meta Model.
When we work with the Meta Model, we use questions to elicit the poorly
formed thinking. When we apply the Milton Model, we reverse this process.
Knowing in advance the distortions, deletions, and generalizations that our
audience is prone to, we target those tendencies in verbal stealth mode. To get
the most from these methods, we still need to do our homework and get to
know our market in depth.
Specifically, we will need to do the research that tells us the thought patterns
and emotional push buttons of our target niche. These persuasion tools were
developed in the context of therapists, including Erickson, who adapted and
varied their approach moment to moment based on the feedback they received
from their clients during the live session.
Since we do not have the luxury of live feedback, we must make up for it by
digging deep into our market. We need to really know the people in our market
what they think, how they feel, and their hopes and frustrations.

Covert Persuasion and the Ethical Issue

Since the Milton Model is covert, the marketer must come to terms with the
ethical issue. In our understanding, the key is motivation. If our motivation is
first and foremost to truly help and benefit our customer, then we are justified
to use every tool at our disposal to persuade that customer.
The Milton Model is all about being "artfully vague," but that doesn't mean that
our motivations should be vague. Ideally, our motivations are crystal clear and
pure as a mountain stream. What goes around comes around.
In the case of Milton Erickson, he was congruent with his motivation to help
and transform the lives of his patients for the better. He wanted good results
for them. These were the same results they paid him to produce for them.
He understood that they saw themselves as stuck and without options. He felt
justified in using his magic bag of covert persuasion tricks to get them where
they wanted to be.
It was okay with him if they were clueless about how it happened. In fact, it
turned out better that way.
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The Milton Model and the Way of Confusion

To quote The Wizard of Oz, "Dorothy, we're not in Kansas anymore."
Milton Erickson was a unique genius. Some consider him to have been the
greatest psychotherapist of all time. One leading NLP teacher compares him to
a Zen master, one who has realized the ultimate insight. (40)
To get into the spirit of things Milton-style, here is an overview of Erickson's
"confusion technique" as a four-stage process. We are not saying that, in a
selling context, that we control the customer. The point is that confusion is a
powerful covert method that we can learn to apply with potent results.
Consciousness focuses on this or that, ever shifting from moment to moment. At any given
moment, it can only be focused on a limited range of information. Erickson utilizes this
limitation by continually introducing changes in areas outside that momentary focus of
consciousness. If he can be sure that the patient's consciousness is focused in area A, then
he will introduce a change in area B. When the patient's consciousness returns to refocus
on B, the patient is in for a surprise: an unexpected change has been introduced. This
surprise throws off patients' usual reality sense, they become confused, and they reach for
and accept any suggestions that the therapist can introduce to restructure the lost reality...
The basic process required for the acceptance of suggestions by the confusion-restructuring
approach, then, is as follows.
CONFUSION due to shock, stress, uncertainty, etc. > UNSTRUCTURING of usual frames
of reference > RESTRUCTURING needed > RECEPTIVITY to therapeutic suggestions.
(41)

The "confusion technique" may seem counterintuitive, but confusion in

Erickson's hands was a path to healing and transformation. In our hands as
marketers, it is a way to overcome resistance without confronting it. We then
redirect the customer to our solution for the problem that he is presenting.
Erickson stands out even in the cast of fascinating characters that are
associated with the development of NLP. If Bandler and Grinder had not been
able to model Erickson and to tap his extraordinary genius for covert verbal
persuasion, NLP today would likely be but a shadow of itself.

Walking on a Dark Path: Overview of the Milton Model

Our goal is to show tips, tricks, and techniques from the Milton Model in action
in a sales copy system. So we are not going to go over the Milton Model in
great detail here.
Milton Erickson was a communication magician. Like other professional
illusionists, his magic "tricks" can be exposed, observed, and duplicated. Since
his approach to hypnosis involved using conversation to put his subject into a
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trance without a formal induction, it is also called conversational hypnosis or

naturalistic trance. (42)
We will list the tools from his hypnotic therapy toolbox. We invite you to go
into a deeper study using the excellent resources that are listed in the Notes.
(43)
From the Table of Contents of a comprehensive new guide to NLP, The Big Book
Of NLP Techniques, here is a list of the 21 main Ericksonian covert persuasion
strategies: Pacing Current Experience, Pacing and Leading, Linking Words,
Disjunction, Implied Causes, Tag Questions, Double Binds, Embedded
Commands, Analogue Marking, Utilization, Nesting, Extended Quotes, Spell
Out Words, Conversational Postulate, Selectional Restriction Violations,
Ambiguities, Phonological Ambiguities, Syntactic Ambiguities, Scope
Ambiguities, Punctuation Ambiguities, and Metaphors. Most of these
techniques involve some kind of Meta Model violation. (44) (45) (46)

How to Be a Successful "Two-Trick Pony" Like Frank Kern

Unfortunately for the person who wants to incorporate NLP methods into his/
her sales copy, many of Erickson's spoken word strategies do not translate well
to the written page. According to Harlan Kilstein, a top NLP copywriter and
copywriting mentor, there is serious confusion about what works and what
does not work when NLP is applied to the written word.
Up until now, most people have been using NLP in a pretty lame manner on their websites.
Sorry for being blunt, but its true. I hope by now that you arent using cheap tricks like
buy now in bold letters and thinking that its effective NLP. Its not. Its manipulative and it
sucks. And if you go ahead and do it anyway, I hope Karma bites your butt.
Seriously however, NLP works really well in sales in persuasion. It works really well in
person and works really well in print and in video. Heck, Frank Kern knows just two
patterns, and they work pretty damn well for him. (47)

That's pretty funny that Frank Kern only knows two NLP patterns! Maybe we
should give him a special NLP nickname: Two-Trick Pony. (Even so, he's riding
that prosperity pony to the bank and laughing all the way).
Whether that's true or not, Kern does a great job of applying what he knows.
That is our main point about NLP in print: success comes from mastering a
handful of techniques and using them skillfully with great effect in written and
verbal sales copy.
As Kilstein pointed out, on the multimedia Internet, we are scripting video and
audio sales pitches. While this situation is not as limiting as print only, we don't
have the benefit of getting live feedback.

17

Implicit in the conversational hypnosis influence model is the idea that we are
not trying to overcome sales resistance. Instead, we are redirecting it.

The Secret Art of Being a Successful "Word Magician"

We can redirect the prospect's sales resistance in at least four ways. To make
sense out of these approaches, think of a stage magician's act. No matter how
closely we watch him, he still fools us.
Think of his magic trick as how he gets his "sales message" across to us, his
customers. He uses misdirection, deception, distraction, and/or illusion. After
the smoke and mirrors, he delivers his "product" entertainment with a
shocking twist and we laugh with surprise and delight.
(1) We can literally misdirect the reader or listener outright from the beginning
and tell him to pay attention to X when our real message is Y.
(2) We can offer up something for the reader or listener to resist or judge or
dislike at a superficial level while we press forward at a deeper level.
(3) We can present the reader or listener with sales copy that sounds so
friendly, so neutral, and so unlike ordinary, "pushy" sales copy that the
prospect never realizes what happened to him.
(4) We can effectively and repeatedly overload the conscious mind of the
reader or listener so that our message moves directly into his subconscious
mind without being challenged or filtered by his critical faculty.
The reader and his conscious mind are habituated to pay attention to the
surface structure of the sales copy (written or spoken). The deep structure is
where the influence takes places (the subconscious mind).
The art of NLP writing is, in sum, the art of occupying the conscious mind so
that the subconscious mind becomes optimally available to our sales message.
This unfiltered direct access is the goal of our sales methodology, and it is
definitely achievable via covert persuasion methods.
It is a moot point whether or not the reader or listener goes into a "trance"
during the persuasion process. The subject goes into a slightly altered state of
heightened receptivity to our message. That is enough of a state change to
suit our purposes.
Based on our experience, some of the best strategies for use in written copy
from Ericksonian conversational hypnosis and the Milton Model are pacing and
leading, presuppositions, point of view shift, future pacing, double binds,
complex equivalence, mind reading, universal quantifiers, nominalizations, and
18

embedded commands. This is not a comprehensive list, but this stuff works in
print and is not too hard to apply, e.g. an expensive NLP copywriting seminar
is not needed. However, if the reader is interested in further study of NLP
copywriting, we recommend some resources in the Notes. (48) (49) (50) (51)

PART TWO: THE BIG PROBLEM WITH WRITTEN NLP

There is very little information published in books, video, audio, or on the
Internet on how to apply NLP to written copy. Yet, written copy in the form of
website content, articles, emails, and sales letters (including audio and video
sales copy scripts) plays a massive role in Internet marketing. (52)
Since there is so much information about NLP, this might not seem like a big
deal. The reality is that spoken NLP does not translate well to the written word.
NLP was designed by communication geniuses who adjusted their
communication "on the fly" by perceiving live feedback, like facial expressions
and body language signals, so subtle that they escape the average person.
So the process of rapport is important, but we're not going to spend a lot of time on it. Any
matching you do needs to be tested ASAP and regularly. Like driving your car. You drive
down the highway. You make sure that it's between the lines. Then what, you go to sleep? I
don't think so. You make sure that you keep it between the lines. And you adjust.
Constantly. (53)

When we are using words to persuade, we cannot, as Bandler advises, get our
results "tested ASAP" and then "adjust constantly." When we commit to our
words on our website or in an email, we do not have the opportunity to talk
face to face or over the telephone with our customer. Our words, like it or not,
are "written in stone."
The art of written NLP is in its infancy. Much of the information being taught
about written NLP is, in our opinion, simply inaccurate.
The number one rule of copywriting by "copywriting" we mean any form of
written persuasion, an email for instance is to never ever give our reader an
opportunity to leave our copy.
Yes, he may decide to leave for his own reasons. He may get interrupted by his
kids, his spouse, a dog barking outside. We have no control over these
variables.
What we do have control over is our copy, our words. In those words, so
carefully constructed and sequenced, we do not want to just hand to him a
good reason to say goodbye to us.

19

One way to invite the reader to leave us is to ask him a question. This is very
common in sales copy, probably because sales copy tends to imitate live verbal
sales communications: Mr. Customer, do you like green widgets?
In order to answer this question, the customer must leave the experience of
reading the sales copy and go into his head. Once he does that, his subjective
thought stream can run wild and go anywhere including a new state where
he forgets about or loses interest in the sales message.
There is another way, the "secret" NLP way, that works much better in writing.
It does not require a question mark. It is a "stealth" question, and it will go
undetected by pretty much everyone except for NLP experts.
Another way to make this error in our writing is to tell our reader that he is
having X experience or having X thoughts when the likelihood of this being
true is seriously slim. If we know our market extremely well, then we can place
successful mind reading language in our copy... but only then.
The key to understanding how to keep the reader reading our copy on the
page is one of the greatest and most original contributions of NLP: internal
representation systems. Whether we are composing a long sales letter for a
high-ticket item or just writing an online article, this NLP discovery is
absolutely vital to our success at written persuasion.

VAK: The Visual, Auditory, and Kinesthetic Brain

It is self-evident that we function through our senses of sight, hearing, touch,
smell, and taste. A person in a coma does not have access to this input. As a
result, they cannot function in the world.
What is considerably less obvious is an insight delivered by the founders of NLP
that goes something like this: our subjective experience is coded or structured
quite literally in terms of our five senses.
The basic elements from which the patterns of human behavior are formed are the
perceptual systems through which the members of the species operate on their
environment: vision (sight), audition (hearing), kinesthesis (body sensations) and
olfaction/gustation (smell/taste). The neurolinguistic programming model presupposes that
all of the distinctions we as human beings are able to make concerning our environment
(internal and external) and our behavior can be usefully represented in terms of these
systems. These perceptual classes constitute the structural parameters of human
knowledge. (54)

This may or may not sound like something worthy of an "aha." But it really is
revolutionary.

20

Here's why. The customer is making his buying decision(s) based upon a
uniquely personal internal sequence of sensory constructs, and he is not even
slightly aware of this fact!
Although all five senses are involved in memory and recall, only the visual (V),
auditory (A), and kinesthetic (K) senses play key roles in daily life. So although
we are all probably familiar with a memory being stimulated by a fragrance,
odor, or other kind of smell, most people do not factor smell (or taste) into
their daily decision processes. The exception would be people who make a
living by maximizing these underutilized senses, such as florists, wine tasters,
or celebrated chefs. (55) (56)
"Behavior" in neurolinguistic programming refers to activity within any representational
system complex at any of these stages. The acts of seeing, listening, or feeling are
behavior. So is "thinking," which, if broken down to its constituent parts, would include
sensory specific processes like seeing in the mind's eye, listening to internal dialogue,
having feelings about something, and so on. All output, of course, is behavior-ranging from
micro-behavioral outputs, such as lateral eye movements, tonal shifts in the voice and
breathing rates, to macro-behavioral outputs, such as arguing, disease, and kicking a
football. (57)

Not only do people limit themselves to V(isual) and A(uditory) and K

(inesthetic) internal representations, they tend to be biased for one of these.
Another of these three dominant sense modes acts as a secondary strength.
The third sense factor tends to be neglected.
Finally, customers (and, of course, sellers as well) construct internal sequences
based on the V-A-K factors. So V-A-K are like three ingredients that go into a
cooking recipe. This recipe is fairly unique to each person.
The outcome, the cooked food, is the experience the person has at a conscious
level. In sales persuasion, this outcome would be that they purchase our
product.
This order is likely to be different, such as AVK. Not only that, there can be
many repetitions of these letters (subjective sensory states), there can be
loops (looping back), and there can be checks (checking for the congruity of
something earlier in the sequence).
This sounds pretty complicated, but the first chunk of gold to take away from
this seemingly esoteric NLP insight is the fact that our readers are experiencing
our written persuasion in just one of three different ways: as pictures, as
spoken words, or as feelings. At any given moment, these are the only
possibilities.
Now, there are 3 ways, 3 primary ways, what are called modalities, 3 primary ways that
people share information with each other, that they represent the world. And also, in these
3 primary ways, the people primarily experience the world. And these are visual, auditory,
and kinesthetic or feeling, and people who are primarily visual mostly see the world. (58)

21

Most people are visual. About two out of every three people we meet are
biased to experiencing the world in a visual way. This is easily validated, at
least in the United States, by the massive popularity of visual mass media like
television, movies, and online video.
And, in our culture, about 70% more or less of people live primarily in a visual world, and
the way that you can spot this, if you're visual, or you can hear it if you are auditory, you
can get a sense of it if you're kinesthetic, the way that you can notice this is by listening
carefully to how they speak.
They [visual people] will say things like, "I see what you are talking about." Well, how can
you see what somebody is talking about? Do you imagine their words as type running
across the screen? No, but they somehow do, they actually do. They say, "Well that's very
clear to me, yes, I see your point. Hey, it's great to see you! I'll see you later." In fact,
they'll say on the telephone, you know, things like, you know, "I'll see you later." And, wait
a minute, we were talking, weren't we? (59)

The next largest group is auditory. Roughly one in five experience the world in
an auditory way.
Auditory folks make up maybe 10 or 15% of our population. Auditory folks are more likely
to be listening to the radio than watching television, for example. Auditory people live in a
sea of sound. It's their primary way of experiencing the world. Now, all of us have all of
these things by the way, and all of us are capable of all of these things. But most people
have one primary one that they just kind of hang on to. Auditory people say things like, "I
hear what you are saying. That sounds good to me. I like the sound of that. Hey! It's great
hearing your voice again. I'll talk to you later." And when you hear language from
somebody that is using primarily auditory metaphor, auditory predicates, you know that
you're speaking to somebody that has the auditory, the hearing sense as their primary way
of sensing, interpreting, and understanding, filtering the world. (60)

The kinesthetic type is the minority. At most, one in ten is mainly kinesthetic in
how they experience the world. This number is probably higher in less
developed cultures that prize kinesthetic experiences and skills. In our modern
world, for example, the kinesthetic type would be the one who is interested in
learning massage and has a natural talent for it.
Now the third type of person are kinesthetics. People who are primarily live in their
feelings, hang out in their feelings, understand their world through their feelings.
Kinesthetics will say, and this is maybe 5%, it's a relatively small percentage, maybe 5 or
10% of our population in, you know, modern civilization. Kinesthetics will say things like,
"Yeah, I can get my hands around that. That's a good, solid idea. I like the feel of that. You
know, I have a good sense for this. Hey, it's great to be in touch. Stay in touch. I'll catch
you later." And they say things like that. And it's their way of expressing their experience of
the world. (61)

The mistake is often made when writing to sell of telling our reader that they
see, hear, or feel something. The challenge in written persuasion is that we are
not there with our reader. Our words are there with our reader, and they must
do our job for us.
Aside from the obvious error that the reader may not be having that
experience at that time, if the reader is naturally biased to processing things
visually (V), it will not make sense for him to read that his process is hearing
22

or feeling something. He experiences his life in terms of the sense of sight and
images. Not only is it true that he generally experiences life in visual terms, it
is also likely that he is not aware of that fact.
Auditory (A) and the kinesthetic (K) people have similar biases. When we are
selling in person or over the telephone, we are able to ask discovery questions
and adjust our strategies to their personal modality (V, A or K). In the case of
written persuasion, this is not possible.
The reader is the customer in written persuasion. We are starting at the very
beginning and asking a key question: "How exactly does the act of reading
words become an influential sales message in the brain of the reader?"
Before NLP was invented, this might not have had an answer. Now, thanks to
NLP, we have a fascinating, elegant, and very useful answer to this
fundamental question about "salesmanship in print."
Each of you reading this sentence has a strategy for taking the peculiar patterns of black
ink on this white page and making meaning out of them for yourself. These sequences of
letters, like the other visualization phenomena just described, are meaningless outside of
the sensory experiences from your own personal history that you apply to them. Words,
both written and spoken, are simply codes that trigger primary sensory representations in
us. A word that we have never seen or heard before will have no meaning to us because
we have no sensory experience to apply to it...
As you read these words, you may, for example, be hearing your own voice inside your
head saying the words as your eye reports the visual patterns formed by letters in this
sentence. Perhaps you are remembering words that someone else has spoken to you
before that sounded similar to those printed here. Perhaps these visual patterns have
accessed some feelings of delight or recognition within you. (62)

To solidify our understanding of how people use V-A-K to construct their

internal "maps" or sensory representations, here are a few examples from
sales situations. Though NLP can be used to cure phobias and achieve other
therapeutic goals, here, we are sticking to the sales applications.
Below is a description of the internal strategy of a person whose decisionmaking process operates with an AVK sequence. That is, he initiates his
process with Auditory (A) questioning, follows it with a subjective Visual (V)
experience of looking at "all of the options," and concludes it with a subjective
Kinesthetic (K) experience of feeling "sure," e.g. a decision.
All of this occurs with lightning quickness. As a result, most people are
oblivious to how they arrive at their own decisions. In the example below, the
customer casually articulates his decision-making strategy with impressive
precision. Unless he is an NLP student or expert, though, he will not know the
significance of what he just said. A salesman trained in NLP, however, would
know, and he could immediately use it to his advantage.

23

"When I shop, I like to ask a lot of questions. That way, I can feel sure that I've seen all of
the options and am really making the best choice. Product X has the best quality I've
seen..."
The strategy is essentially one for information gathering in which the person asks questions
and is shown samples of the product, which are then evaluated kinesthetically with respect
to the sample size that is required for the person's decision strategy. (63)

Here is a different customer strategy: VKA. We know immediately that the

customer's decision-making process starts with a visual stimulus, then
proceeds to a kinesthetic experience, and concludes with an auditory
experience. The conclusion of this sequence triggers the customer into a
buying or other sales positive action, such as asking to see a salesman,
agreeing to a sales appointment, or signing up for a newsletter.
A statement which would pace a different shopping strategy might go something like: "I
don't like to feel pressured when I'm shopping. When I see someone really coming on with
all that phony show, I just keep telling myself, "Who needs it?" and get out of there as fast
as possible. The people at company X have never tried to put on any glitter. It's a good
feeling to see people that really care. I can say from the bottom of my heart, "They know
how to treat their customers...." (64)

The reader may want to take a moment to reflect on what his buying decision
strategy is. Does he start out with a visual, auditory, or kinesthetic stimulus?
If he starts out with visual input, then his preference will be to first look at
things. If he initiates with auditory input, then his preference will be to ask
questions. If he begins with a kinesthetic input, then his preference will
probably be to touch the object first (not easy to do at a website!).
This first input creates an internal response. It has to be one of the other two.
If we start out with V, only A and K are left. If we start out with A, only V and
K are left.
This question is easier to answer than it appears. After the initial input of V or
A (rarely K), does the reader immediately get a feeling or not?
If he immediately has a feeling result from the initiating input, then the second
step for him is K (kinesthetic). If not, then it's either V or A.
To be accurate about this requires paying very close attention to subjective
sensations, but it can be done. Doing this is useful because there is no better
way to drive the point home about how V-A-K works. We have done this
introspective exercise, and it has convinced us.

Language Matching for a Specialized Niche

If each person is unique in his/her decision-making process, and this process
involves the senses of sight, hearing, and feeling, then how are we as writers
24

going to speak to a wide audience? Beyond that, what if the product is

specialized and has a lot to do with the sense of smell or the sense of taste?
In specialized situations, the answer is easier than it might seem. For example,
if we are selling to people in the commercial flower industry, we are selling to
people with a refined olfactory (smelling) sense.
It will be to our considerable advantage to put specialized words just for
florists into our sales copy. Note the clever usage of flower-oriented words in
the quoted paragraph just before the list of flower terms below. The unnamed
NLP expert skillfully incorporates this floral terminology: "wilting... healthy
growth... fresh, fertile... blossom... grow... transplanted." (65)
One of the authors, for example, was recently consulting for a floral brokerage. The
primary marketing targets of this company were florists, whose very job demands sensory
refinements (olfactory) not common in the general population. One of the
recommendations made to them, as a means to help their sales department branch out to
new areas, was to mix in an assortment of floral idioms and terms, and olfactory
predicates, into their advertising and sales arrangements. This would provide an enjoyable
way to pace customers, to keep rapport from wilting, and to insure healthy growth. It
would also provide a fresh, fertile, and satisfying environment for the creativity of sales
personnel to blossom and even help morale to grow. A sample list of floral terms easily
transplanted into everyday speech could include:
Smell, process, wilt, moist, assortment, mix, bloom, shrivel, light, fertile, sort, blossom,
rot, petal, fresh, transplant, arrange, fade, root, firm, grow, stem, fragrant, arrangement,
texture, budding, branch, odor, bouquet, nip in the bud. (66)

VAK Revisited: How to Reach Almost Everybody

If the number one rule of written persuasion is "Don't lose your reader" or
"Never ever offer your reader a way to go off of the page," then how do we
reach our V-A-K reader?
If we talk in visual terms, and we pace or match our visual readers, we risk
losing our auditory and kinesthetic readers (roughly 30 percent). If we talk in
auditory terms, we risk losing our visual and kinesthetic readers (roughly 80
percent). If we talk in kinesthetic language, we risk losing our visual and
auditory readers (90 percent).
When we write a sales letter, we do not expect 100 percent conversion. That
is, we would be surprised, perhaps even shocked, if every single person who
reads the sales letter purchases the product or service.
Some claim a 2 percent conversion with their online sales letter. Some claim
10 percent or 20 percent. But 50 percent or 80 percent or 100 percent is very
rare. It happens, but like a royal flush in the game of poker, it doesn't happen
very often.
25

In a sense, then, writing sales copy is a gamble. We are betting that we will
convert enough people that it will be worth our while. Our profits should
exceed our cost of getting leads and our other expenses. We are not expecting
to convert everybody. There is no way to plan for that outcome.
The above statistics regarding the percentages of visual, auditory, and
kinesthetic people in our audience lead to a simple, street-smart plan of
attack. If about 70 percent of readers are visual, our high percentage play is to
stack the deck with visual language.
While we're at it, we can toss in some good strong auditory words. We are
favoring the visual as we acknowledge the auditory sense in our audience.
As for the kinesthetic response in our audience, we can utilize that when we
talk about how "delighted" our customers are with our product. We want to
build up to this kinesthetic state and make it seem like a natural outcome. So
we use words to stimulate the kinesthetic sense or the feelings at the latest
stage of the copy.
This logic gives us a simple formula that is simple and easy to follow:

V --> A --> K
We lead with the visual input, follow with auditory input, and build up to a
kinesthetic or feeling outcome. In other words, even though people vary
tremendously as to their exact internal decision sequence, this VAK formula is
the fishing net with the broadest sweep. It is likely to catch the most fish.
One of the reasons the VAK works is that even though most people are biased
towards visual or auditory processing, they still make their decisions based on
their feelings. Since the feeling part of their experience is the area they are
least conscious of, this sequence is able to successfully move them towards the
persuader's desired outcome. This outcome is a feeling state.
Now, here's the thing though that's most important. People generally make decisions based
on feelings. They organize their logic to agree with their feelings more often than they
organize their feelings to agree with their logic... the first and most important thing to do is
to identify the primary feeling, what's called in psychology the state, or in NLP the state.
What is the state that you want to convey to people? What is the feeling that you want to
convey? And then you craft all of your messages around that. (67)

The V--> A--> K Formula in Action

Here is a current example of one of the world's top copywriters using the VAK
sequence formula. Harlan Kilstein is generally thought to be the leading expert
on NLP copywriting. (68) (69) (70)
26

Harlan Kilstein, Top NLP Copywriter (71)

Harlan knows the weight loss market very well. As he employs the all-purpose
V-A-K sequence to hit all of the visual readers, and then all of the auditory
readers, and then all of the kinesthetic readers, he is also pacing them or
matching them with their experience based on in-depth market research. In
sum, Harlan knows the emotional triggers of his market inside and out.
Here are the first two paragraphs from his website on how to lose weight with
yoga. He uses his own story. Once, he was seriously overweight. He was finally
able to lose most of his excess weight after he started doing yoga. (72)
Daddy, youre fat! My face burned with embarrassment when my little daughter said
these words. But I knew she wasnt saying them to be mean. I was fat. More than 50
pounds overweight and completely frustrated.
Every time my wife looked at me, I heard her unspoken words. Youre overweight. All I
heard was nagging, but deep beneath the surface, I knew she was worried. (73)

Before we analyze Harlan's NLP-enhanced sales letter, please take a minute or

two to go over the above two paragraphs. Look for the V-A-K master sequence
in action. The search is not in vain. We guarantee that it's there.
Hint: Good writers use word pictures. Harlan is a good writer. Here are his
visual code words: "My face burned with embarrassment...." This powerful
phrase paints a vivid picture that instantly pops up into our minds.
A skilled writer doesn't need to insert words like "see, look, bright, clear,
colorful, focus, paint a picture" into his copy to indicate a visual coding to the
visual reader. However, he should know a visual person's code words. (74)
To the auditory reader, we can say, "listen, sounds like, shout, ring, talk, voice,
whisper, yell." But we will risk being too obvious if that's our entire NLP
modality activation strategy. (75)
27

We could hand the kinesthetic reader warm fuzzy word strokes like "balance,
bliss, connect, crush, cut, feel, feverish, grab, hot, handle, heart, hit, love,
reach, push, rock solid, rough, rub, scratch, stroke, tap, touch, tranquil." (76)
Kilstein used "burned." This kinesthetic code word amps up the emotion of the
mental picture created by "My face burned with embarrassment...."
The key? Use good sensory code words in small concentrated doses.
When we make our sales strategy too obvious, we risk staying at the surface
level of persuasion when we could secretly operate undetected at its depths.
We could dive beneath and deliver devastating jolts of copy dynamite in the
deep structure of the reader's undefended subjective experience.
Used sparingly and in the right places, these handy sensory trigger words are
fine. But it's easy to go overboard with them, and when we do, it becomes
known to the reader that we are trying to "sell" them. When a person realizes
that he/she is being "sold," this may bring up resistance.
Depending on the sophistication market, "obvious" NLP sales copy that uses
explicit hypnotic language and simplistic VAK modality code terms may
succeed. If the niche is skin care and the market consists almost entirely of
women, for example, those word tricks may work just fine. (77) (78)
If the average reader can identify the strategies, then they are too obvious.
The reader should be oblivious to what we're doing. He will, perhaps, feel
entertained, educated, awed, inspired, confused, captivated, or curious but
the "how" as in how exactly did we do that will not be at all obvious to him. If
it is, then even if the sales message is successful in terms of conversions, we
know that it can be made better by being more subtle or elegant.
We want to take the reader on a special journey. We want the reader to
identify so much with what we are saying that he has the experience that we
really know him and understand him. Ultimately, we want to be perceived as a
wise and helpful ally and friend. True, we will somehow make it clear that we
are an expert. But first and foremost, we want to be a trusted friend.

Our First Challenge: Grab the Reader's Attention!

In a sales letter or other persuasive copy, the first paragraphs are the most
important. The headline sells the reader on reading the first paragraphs. The
first paragraphs sell the reader on reading the rest of the sales letter.
The first paragraphs, then, are critical. They absolutely must be loaded with
persuasion dynamite. They have the tough triple-loaded job of grabbing the
28

reader's attention, getting him to identify with the message, and

communicating to him the real essence of that message. Whew!
Since Harlan has done the hard work for us, let's dissect his copy to reveal the
V-A-K formula skeleton beneath. Above, on the surface, we are moved swiftly
forward by his hard-working storytelling muscular language.
It is like we are being swept up by a strong current. We are being taken in a
very definite direction. Effective written persuasion talks to the reader's
unconscious in such a way that his conscious mind is bypassed and the
attention and energies of the unconscious are captured and directed.
Kilstein's words accomplish this difficult task with casual elegance and
scintillating subtlety. What we really like about Harlan's copy is how the words
seem so ordinary and everyday. It is like a letter from or to a concerned friend.
Yes, it is a "sales letter," but the emphasis is on the "letter" side, on the role of
the letter as a caring message between equals.
Daddy, youre fat! My face burned with embarrassment when my little daughter said
these words. But I knew she wasnt saying them to be mean. I was fat. More than 50
pounds overweight and completely frustrated.
Every time my wife looked at me, I heard her unspoken words. Youre overweight. All I
heard was nagging, but deep beneath the surface, I knew she was worried. (79)

Now we will do a phrase-by-phrase analysis of Kilstein's copy. His copy is so

good that nearly every word is worth looking at for its intent and effects.
In brief, Kilstein's sales letter is one, big, fat, sneaky, magical "misdirection."
Misdirection is a term that is used by stage magicians. We are directed to look
at A while the magician does B. Then he pulls a rabbit out of his hat or reveals
playing cards from empty hands. In the hands of a master, misdirection is
devastatingly effective.
Few readers, even Internet marketers, are trained in the knowledge that there
is a "surface structure" and a "deep structure" to a written communication. The
words themselves constitute the surface structure. The deep structure is what
the reader actually sees, hears, and feels at a subjective level as a result of
reading the surface structure message.

Our Second Challenge: Get the Reader to Identify with Our Message
Misdirection takes place when the surface content appears to be about an
innocent neutral message when in fact it is supercharged with persuasive
patterns and stealthy psychological tricks and traps. This is exactly the case
with Kilstein's sales letter here. He misdirects the reader from the very
beginning with the first three words of his first paragraph.
29

(1) Daddy, youre fat!

These words are like a "shout" in writing. Kilstein knows that he must grab the
reader's attention with his very first words. He succeeds brilliantly.
In NLP language, this is an "embedded command" or "embedded suggestion."
The conscious mind hears, "Daddy, you're fat!"
The critical faculty ignores it as it is supposedly about "Daddy." But the
subconscious of the reader hears loud and clear, "You're fat!" The word "daddy"
fades away like an echo. "You're fat!" are probably the two most dreaded
words for most overweight women (and maybe men too).
Also, she knows that the words are being spoken by a child. Children are
known to tell the truth, which makes her more vulnerable to the message.
Women are deeply attracted to children and feel tender towards them, further
amplifying the impact of the deep structure word shout.
Kilstein has cleverly reminded his reader that she is fat. This will definitely
trigger the subjective state where she feels her pain, her negative feeling
about that. He has done this in a very subtle way as part of a simple story.
The reader thinks that she is reading a story about someone else, about Harlan
Kilstein, who is a fat father. In reality, her subconscious has immediately
picked up that this story is about the reader and her fat problem. At the deep
structure level, she "knows" that this letter is about her and her weight!

(2) My face burned with embarrassment when my little daughter

said these words.
This is a kinesthetic statement in that it describes feelings, but the impact of
the sentence is in how it paints a visual word picture of someone whose face is
burning with embarrassment. So this is a visual coding.
This sentence reinforces the shame feelings that are likely to be brought up
from the poignant moment when your very own flesh and blood loudly
announces to your face, "You're fat!" Kilstein is stimulating the reader's pain,
but he is doing it very subtly via a story or metaphor.
The words, "said these words," is an auditory reference. So we are
transitioning into the auditory step of the V-A-K formula.

(3) But I knew she wasnt saying them to be mean.

Now we are definitely into the auditory portion of the formula. This phrasing is
interesting.
30

When we feel it out, what is really being said is something like, "I know she
didn't mean for it to be mean, but it was mean, or at least, it felt really mean."
This stirs up more pain for the reader.

(4) I was fat. More than 50 pounds overweight and completely

frustrated.
"Completely frustrated" completes the hidden V-A-K sequence that is the
invisible spine of Kilstein's persuasion structure. This is an obvious feeling or
kinesthetic statement.
"Completely" is an interesting choice. He could have said totally or deeply or
seriously. He chose "completely." We have to assume that it is for a good
reason. Maybe in his market research, this phrase popped up again and again.
As the reader absorbs these words, she doesn't really hear the "was" in "I was
fat." She knows that she is fat! She hears this as, "I am fat."
Here, Kilstein is specific and gives a number, but he is careful to not exclude
readers who are 100 or 200 pounds overweight. They, too, are "more than 50
pounds overweight."
Kilstein knows from his market research that overweight people in search of a
diet cure or weight loss method have tried many things in the past. He knows
that his reader has failed. She is reading his copy and still searching for an
answer. He knows that she is definitely "completely frustrated."
He is "mind reading." If he had not done his research, this would be very
dangerous. He could lose his reader right here forever. But he has done the
research, so he knows the reader's response will instead be, "This guy really
understands me. He is like me. I believe I can trust this guy."

Our Third Challenge: Communicate the Essence of Our Message

This next NLP pattern is called the Universal quantifier. The pattern goes like
this: "Every time (you) [PROBLEM or BENEFIT]." (80)

(5) Every time my wife looked at me, I heard her unspoken words.
Youre overweight. All I heard was nagging, but deep beneath the
surface, I knew she was worried.
This pattern intensifies the reader's feelings by suggesting that the situation is
so extreme that there will be no escape from it now or in the future. It works
because it sounds completely reasonable to us. Most of us have heard

31

Universal quantifier-type statements. They are one of the most common Meta
Model violations.
The familiar words "every time" slip past the conscious mind censor and make
a direct hit on the emotional center of the reader. This is her deepest fear, that
she will never ever lose weight. She will always forever stay fat.
Here, we see the secret V-A-K formula in full flight: looked (visual) + heard +
unspoken words + "You're overweight" + nagging (auditory) + worried
(kinesthetic emotional state).
Here, we have more simple, yet brilliant, writing from Kilstein. How does
someone hear someone else's "unspoken words"? The answer is... they can't!
But the experience is a familiar one for obese people who are likely to think
that the other person, especially if he/she is slim, is thinking, "You're
overweight" when he/she looks at them. This functions as a hypnotic reminder
that the reader is overweight.
It also strongly resonates with this market, as they are very self-conscious
socially because of their excess pounds. They are affected by what other
people think of them or what they imagine people are thinking about them.
Next, Kilstein builds a bridge from the auditory to the kinesthetic in which he
actually suggests to the reader that she enters into the deep structure of her
reading experience (her subconscious). In hypnotic terms, he is telling her to
go into a trance or into a deeper trance. He actually says "... deep beneath the
surface." His suggestion is hidden or embedded. It is indirect.
The "she" in the story is the female reader, and she can certainly identify with
the negative emotions found in "worrying." One of the known characteristics of
this market is that they are worried about their health. So here, Kilstein is
pushing their "worry button," just as earlier, he pushed their "frustration
button."
Kilstein has completed the deep V-A-K pattern. He has hit all of the main
emotional triggers and pushed all of the big emotional push buttons. He has
succeeded in these first few sentences to communicate the essence of his
message to his readers so that they really do feel it (K).

We Are All the "First Person" in a Story

Kilstein used the storytelling method. In Ericksonian hypnosis, it is called a
therapeutic metaphor. As we showed, story elements enable us to embed
strong commands in conversational quotes. They can "hide in plain sight" and
speak directly to the deep structure without risk of resistance.
32

One of NLP's insights is that when we read a story written in the first person,
as "I," we have a strong tendency to identify with the "character" in the story.
Many hugely successful fiction pieces are written in the first person.
To show just how powerful and automatic this identification is, here is a
stunning example from the famed American poet and short story writer Edgar
Alan Poe. Here are the first two paragraphs of his classic work of horror short
fiction, "The Tell-Tale Heart." There are many, many clever and deeply
influential Meta Model violations in the story.
TRUE! nervous very, very dreadfully nervous I had been and am; but why will you say
that I am mad? The disease had sharpened my senses not destroyed not dulled them.
Above all was the sense of hearing acute. I heard all things in the heaven and in the Earth.
I heard many things in hell. How, then, am I mad? Hearken! and observe how healthily
how calmly I can tell you the whole story.
It is impossible to say how first the idea entered my brain; but once conceived, it haunted
me day and night. Object there was none. Passion there was none. I loved the old man. He
had never wronged me. He had never given me insult. For his gold I had no desire. I think
it was his eye! Yes, it was this! He had the eye of a vulture a pale blue eye, with a film
over it. Whenever it fell upon me, my blood ran cold; and so by degrees very gradually I
made up my mind to take the life of the old man, and thus, rid myself of the eye forever.
(81)

Powerful stuff!
Note that Poe starts off with the same "shout" opening that Kilstein used. Even
though Poe is talking to us, saying "you," we are still caught up in his dramatic
story as if it is happening to us, to the "I" of the story.
Poe's character does sound like a man who is going mad, yet we cannot stop
reading about him or identifying with him. We are hooked. As crazy as the "I"
who is telling the story sounds to us, we are swept away by the intensity of
Poe's visual, auditory, and emotional (kinesthetic) imagery.
Poe follows the V-K-A formula in a very interesting way. After shouting "TRUE!"
all in caps, he writes "nervous - very, very dreadfully nervous." This is followed
by "say" (auditory) and "sharpened... destroyed... dulled" all powerful
kinesthetic words.
The word "nervous" performs triple duty as a visual word picture, an emotional
state, and a pattern of physical sensation. Yes, all in one word!
Since we don't know who or what is "nervous," our mind has to come up with a
picture of "nervous" in order to make sense out of it. Our mind may tap into a
memory. It may construct the picture anew.
When someone says that he/she is "dreadfully nervous," we know exactly what
he/she means for us. We cannot know what it means for him/her, especially
33

when he/she is a fictional character that we don't even know about yet. To
make sense of Poe's sentence, we literally have to become a little nervous
ourselves.
Where Kilstein wrote "completely frustrated," Poe's equivalent is "dreadfully
nervous." Notice the use of a "-ly" word here. Words that end in "-ly" create a
synergy with the next word. For example, "happily married," "pleasantly
plump," "sinfully delicious," "tastefully decorated," "painfully true," "richly
deserved." There is something hypnotic about words that end in "-ly."

"More Than a Feeling": Buying Decisions and Kinesthetic Conquest

The rock group Boston had it right when they sang that a strong desire is
"more than a feeling." It can be all consuming and literally take us over. (82)
In the moment of the buying decision, it is not the visual or auditory mode that
triumphs. It is the feeling mode, the kinesthetic mode that kicks in.
Let's summarize what we've learned here. The vast majority of the population
is visual. Therefore, we want to lead with visual language.
The next biggest group of readers is auditory. So next, we connect with them.
The last group is the kinesthetics, the "feeling" types. Not only do they
logically come last because they are the fewest in numbers, the conclusion of
the sequence has to be a feeling.
Buyers make buying decisions based on their feelings, not their thoughts or
logic or rational mind. So the feeling state or kinesthetic state acts as the
punch line for the V-A-K sequence.
Richard Bandler, co-creator of NLP, is a leader in applying NLP in sales. He is
not just a trainer and seminar leader. He has personally sold many products in
many niches. He has been in the sales trenches, and he has triumphed.
Though he is possibly the world's leading expert on the technical application of
NLP to sales situations, the thing that we must understand according to him
has nothing to do with the intricacies of NLP. (83)
If you don't know what you really sell, you're wasting your time. Take this as an example.
We've conducted sales training seminars for one of the larger new home builders. And in
"the recession" over the past few years, in one of those years, they sold a mountain of
homes. Because they understand that they don't sell homes. They sell feelings. They sell
comfort. They sell value. They sell safety. They sell security. They sell convenience. They
sell peace of mind. They sell, in some cases, lifestyle. In other cases, they sell school
systems. They sell education, and they sell everything else, except houses. And they sold
more homes that year because they understand that all you sell are feelings. Now, how you
get to those feelings, how you help the customer to feel right about what it is that he/she
wants is one of the other skills we'll get to. (84)
34

Whatever the selling medium or method, what we are selling is feelings.

We need to get the emotions of the reader going and we need to access their
subconscious (or unconscious) mind. When we can do that, we can take the
reader by the hand and walk him straight to our cash register.
On our websites, we can cover all of the sensory bases. We can make sure that
we reach visual, auditory, and kinesthetic types.
Take a moment and imagine being each type. How do they experience the
website as a visual, auditory, or kinesthetic experience? Is the website giving
each of them what he/she wants?
With "multi-sensory" marketing, we can reach out in a way that each type
(modality) recognizes and achieve rapport with them. We can give out some
kind of "eye, ear, and feeling candy" and feed the needs of all three types.
Knowing these basic NLP cues will not make you a mind reader, but they just might give
you some insight into the way your customer is thinking. Just keep in mind: although most
people have a prominent thinking style, they cannot be put into neat little boxes.
The most important takeaway? Make your marketing and sales messages multi-sensory.
Your website, for example: include auditory (podcasts, etc), visual (graphics, print sales
letters, etc.), and kinesthetic (how-to/demonstration videos). It'll help you build rapport,
strengthen relationships, and communicate more effectively with your customers no matter
what their sensory style is. (85)

In the next section, we will talk about how to reach our reader's feelings and
access the deep structure of his/her mind the so-called "unconscious"
using a variety of simple, but devastatingly effective, NLP writing techniques.
There will be plenty to take away that can be applied right away. All it takes is
action.

PART THREE: NLP COPY PERSUASION "COOKBOOK"

In this section, we will go over how to apply Milton Model NLP strategies in
print. We will give examples and offer practical tips and techniques.
To become a full-blown NLP copywriter will take more than just reading this
report. Think of these techniques as "tweaks" for regular copy in emails,
squeeze pages, audio or video scripts, articles, and other Web page content, as
well as sales letters.

35

We recommend writing the copy in the usual way that is the most comfortable.
Then go back over the words and look for places where the copy can be
rewritten and amped up with an NLP strategy.

The Art of "Listening" Like a Customer

The easy test to know if the copy was improved or not is to read it out loud.
Pay close attention to somatic reactions and subtle shifts of the attention.
The ideal check is to have someone else read the copy. Then listen closely and
notice its effect. This feedback will simulate being the reader or listener.
If we don't have someone else to read out loud to us, we can record the copy
ourselves. In this way, we join the prospect as a listener and simulate their
sub-vocalization of our copy the so-called "voice in the head." This will give
us more chances to hear the copy as our readers or listeners might hear it and
figure out what works and what doesn't work.
Take notes and make the needed changes until the copy flows smoothly. Really
good copy has a magnetic undercurrent that pulls the reader through the copy
to the desired action.
We will be working with a wide variety of NLP in print techniques, including
pacing and leading, presuppositions, point of view (I/you) shift, future pacing,
double binds, complex equivalence, universal quantifiers, nominalizations,
nested loops, mind reading, and embedded commands. We repeat our
recommendation that the reader should become familiar with Milton Erickson's
work on his own, as it is impossible for us to convey here the breathtaking
brilliance of his unique methods. (86) (87) (88)

Example of an Expert "Loaded" Paragraph

Harlan Kilstein wrote a series of "newsletters" sales letters disguised as
informative "reports" to promote an NLP copywriting training. These
"reports" are a great example of the "guru formula" giving out good
information of real value to promote a high-ticket course. Here is one of his
paragraphs, which he later analyzed for its NLP patterns. (89) (90) (91)
The text is Times New Roman font, point size 14, as displayed on the Web
page. It strikes us that Kilstein's choice of Times New Roman font makes good
sense. A newspaper font, it implies that his content is reliable and newsworthy
(which, for the most part, it was, at least for NLP newbies).

36

Please read the paragraph below a few times. Forget about NLP and the Milton
Model for a moment. Just read the paragraph as if NLP is an acronym for
"Never Liked Pajamas" or some other nonsense. Be an "NLP virgin."

You might want to do it like this, "so as you begin to think about applying the
principles of NLP in print to your copy, perhaps you'll think of using them in the
next sales letter you write. And I wonder if you can imagine the voice of
excitement as your client calls to tell you about the response your letter received,
and you begin to feel really good about yourself." (92)
That was an NLP-enhanced paragraph. We have taken it out of contextual flow
of the copy, so some of the strategies stand out more. Even so, it probably still
seems fairly smooth, well-formed, and non-pushy. The last thing that we want
is to turn our reader off so that he/she doesn't read our copy. Ideally, we are
interesting, educational, and entertaining, as well as subtle.
Here is Kilstein's analysis of the 21 written NLP techniques that he employed in
that one paragraph. The copy is in the same Times New Roman font. As an
optional exercise, readers can take out a piece of paper and write down the
patterns that they notice before they read his analysis.
Note that the embedded command is in 16-point Times New Roman, two
points bigger than the body of the copy. In other sales copy, we've seen
Kilstein reduce the text two points to 12-point font. This font change is a subtle
way of calling attention to the command without putting up a red flag.
In contrast, a person practicing "obvious NLP" would have bolded the text,
possibly drawing too much attention to it. Remember, if it registers on the
conscious mind, then it can kindle reader resistance and even abandonment.

You might want to do it like this - permissive language, embedded command

"so as you begin to think - pacing and leading, presupposition
to your copy - presupposition
perhaps you'll think - permissive language, future pacing
the next sales letter you write - presupposition
And I wonder - connecting strategy, trance induction
imagine the voice of excitement - future pacing, embedded command,
presupposition
as your client calls - 2 presuppositions
to tell you about the response your letter received - future pacing, 2
presuppositions
and you begin to feel really good about yourself - connecting strategy,
leading, embedded command (93)
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One of the tricks in written NLP is to take advantage of apparent print errors.
People are used to a certain number of mistakes and misspellings in sales
letters, emails, and other text messages.
Written NLP takes advantage of that by doing "ugly" things in print that stand
out without looking like a strategy. They just look like a mistake. In fact, they
are embedded commands and other powerful NLP methods. (94) (95)
By the way, in this sales letter/newsletter, Kilstein repeated that same
embedded command, "you begin to feel really good about yourself," three
times close together once in a story and twice directly to the reader. Then
he repeated it as a simple variation "feel really good" using the same 16point font for emphasis. Obviously, this is a command to the reader to "feel
really good." Studies have found that readers who feel... really... good tend to
buy more products. (96)

Because if you can make someone feel really good, you will reach through the
letter and build incredible rapport. Enough rapport in fact to really make a sale.
(97)
The secret, according to Kilstein, is to stay subtle and repeat often. Bold is not
gold. It's a new science, so experiment, test, and have fun. (98)
The Milton Model hypnotic language strategies covered in this section included
permissive language, embedded commands, pacing and leading,
presuppositions, future pacing, connecting strategies, and trance induction.

NLP Analysis of a Persuasive Blog Post

Tobias, an enthusiastic student of British NLP teacher Rintu Basu, wrote a
concentrated blog post to encourage readers to visit Basu's website. We cite
this example to show the variety of online NLP in print possibilities. (99)
When you have finished looking, real achievement comes from doing, I had read every
scrap of free NLP information on the Web, but until your hand goes into your pocket and
counts out the cash, you will find yourself struggling with the commitment required. There
are Hundreds of books that are about theorizing with NLP. The one I found that was best
for getting actual helpful phrases with numerous examples and simple exercises was The
Persuasion Skills Black Book. I am sure that if you search, you will find a book entitled
NLP Writing for Business, but the Persuasion Skills Black Book is the place to start. If
you try this book, let me know how it helps. If you can see yourself receiving a big
Christmas bonus because your skills at writing had become more focused and inspiring,
then you are ready to try this site and buy. (100)

Here is Rintu Basu's analysis of his student's post.

38

Pacing and leading: When you have finished looking, real achievement comes from doing.
Authority statement: "I have read every scrap of free information."
Persona (I/you) shift with embedded command: "But until YOUR hand goes into YOUR
pocket."
Scope (chunk down) comparison [plus value contrast "theorizing" vs. "helpful"]: "hundreds
of books the one I found the best."
Deletion with "but" followed by an embedded command: "if you search, you will find a book
entitled NLP Writing for business, but the Persuasion Skills Black Book is the place to
start...."
Presupposition (that this book will help): "If you try this book, let me know how it helps...."
Future pacing: "If you can see yourself receiving a big Christmas bonus because your skills
at writing had become more focused and inspiring, then you are ready to try this site and
buy." (101)

There is even more going on in this paragraph. We invite you to uncover more
of the strategies employed by this gifted NLP student.

A Typical Milton Model Style Hypnotic Induction Script

Here is a short sample script for inducing hypnosis in the listener using Milton
Model style deletions, distortions, and generalizations. We thought it might be
helpful to see an example of "pure" hypnotic language. This text, from
professional hypnotist Frank Valente, is just one of the free hypnotic scripts he
offers on his website. (102) (103)
In the hypnotic sales/email letter template we will reveal shortly, some of this
kind of language is used. Naturally, we cannot lay it on as "thick" in print as we
do here in a script that is designed for use by a professional NLP hypnotist
during a live or recorded session.
In this short sample, the Milton Model techniques are in parentheses. These
strategies are deliberate Meta Model violations. Were this an actual hypnotic
induction script for a live hypnosis session, it would be much longer.
I know (mind reading) that you have come to gain new learnings (nominalization) about a
great many subjects (unspecified nouns) of significance to you. And, it is a good thing to
learn (lost performative), to really learn For, as you gain new learnings (presupposition),
you have already begun to change (cause-effect) and I don't know how you feel that, now
but you can. And, the fact that you have begun to change in ever so slight ways means
that healing (complex equivalence) has begun. And you might experience these changes
(presuppositions) by how you feel or just by how you talk to yourself. Since you have
begun to make changes (nominalization), that means all (universal quantifier) other areas
needing healing can begin to change (entire sentence - a complex equivalence). And you
can change (modal operator of possibility and unspecified verb), as you should (modal
operator of necessity). It is more or less the right thing to do, that is to change
(comparative deletion). (104)
39

"Do you want fries with that?"

"Do you want fries with that?"

Visitors to McDonald's are greeted with this phrase when they step up to the
counter. (105) (106)
It seems like maybe McDonald's is using NLP.
This power NLP phrase is only six words long.
Find the embedded command.
Don't look yet.
What is the embedded command.
Ready...?
Here's the answer from renegade NLP expert Glenn Osborn. (107) (108)
You ever eat fries? You ever eat french fries at McDonalds? If you go in, you KNOW you'll
hear, "Do you want fries with that?" Lots of our consulting clients say, "I go in there
swearing that THIS time - No Fries. But I always Buy Fries."
Wanna' know WHY you Buy, Buy, Buy those fries? Because McDonalds hired the top
psychologists and NLP experts in the world to make sure you "Buy Fries." NLP stands for
"neuro linguistic programming." Some call it, "Invisible influence." Or... "Hypnosis with your
eyes open."
Cuz McDonalds sells many 1000's of tons of fries. By influencing YOUR unconscious mind.
And the minds of millions of others. It ain't an accident you hear the same "hidden
command" in 100% of their restaurants.
COMMAND? What else would you call it? You consciously HEAR, "Do You Want Fries with
that?" But your UNconscious mind is much sharper. IT hears the hidden command words,
"Do **You Want Fries** with that?" You say, "Son of a gun. THAT'S why I buy so many
fries." Yes sir ree. (109)

Easy NLP
Consider the humble words "and, because, still, as, while, but, yet."
These little words are connecting words. In a sentence, they can be used to
connect two things that together powerfully persuade.

40

Below is an example of a pacing statement followed by a leading statement.

The barely noticed "and" (underlined for emphasis) connects them. There
really is no logical or rational cause and effect involved in the described
scenario... yet. (Note how placing "yet" at the end of the sentence acts as a
suggestion to look for their connection).
"You've been reading these words about NLP and finally beginning to realize
the power of using these patterns in print." (110)
That is a believable transition. We're not trying to do too much with it.
The first part paces or matches our current experience. The second part is a
leading statement that takes the reader somewhere new. The "and" works as a
bridge between the two.
"You've been reading these messages on NLP and Copywriting and finally
understand the importance of buying my advanced NLP course." (111)
This is too big of a leap. It doesn't work. The reader's experience is not being
paced and matched.
Let's try these other NLP connectors now.
"You've been reading these words about NLP because you're excited about
learning to be a better marketer."
"You've been reading these words about NLP and finally beginning to realize
the power of using these patterns in print... still, it can get even better."
"You've been reading these words about NLP as your unconscious self
understands everything at an even deeper level."
"You've been reading these words about NLP while the future grows bigger and
brighter."
"But" is also a power connector, but it has a very different effect.
Consider the following sentence.
"Mike is a handsome multimillionaire known for his contributions to the arts."
Mike sounds like a great guy.
Now we add the amnesia-inducing connector "but" and see what happens!
"Mike is a handsome multimillionaire known for his contributions to the arts,
but he is a convicted murderer who killed his wife."
41

Gruesome, and we apologize for that. But we wanted to make our point.
Adding the "but" changed everything.
Specifically, what happened to all of Mike's wonderful qualities?
Somehow, this simple connector word induces amnesia for the earlier part of
the sentence. We "forgot" about all of the good stuff and we focused on the
negative stuff that followed the "but."
The "but" is a powerful little attention magician. For this reason, we need to be
careful with it. We want the negative or limiting part of the sentence, the part
we want to cancel, set up in the front. We want the positive, our message,
delivered in the back.

The Universal Quantier Pattern

The universal quantifier was introduced in Part Two in our analysis of Harlan
Kilstein's sales letter copy. The universal quantifier is a Meta Model
generalization error and a common conversational pattern. We will use it to
piggyback on the confusion inherent in the pattern, intensify the pain of our
reader, then point them in a direction of our choosing.
The universal quantifier pattern is very easy to use. To review, here is this NLP
pattern again: "Every time (you) [PROBLEM or BENEFIT]." (112) (113)
New York-based NLP copywriter Lou Larsen provides these examples of
negative future pacing (to show the problem will continue if they don't take
action now):
Every time you feed your dog, you don't know what are you feeding him or her. Is it
melamine? Is it some sort of industrial waste?
Every time you look at your dwindling bank account statement, your heart sinks.
Every time it rains, you have to worry about whether your roof will hold up or not. (114)

The universal quantifier pattern can be used for positive future pacing, too.
The example below from Larsen about seeing "Notification of Payment
Received" is, in our opinion, a bit abrupt all by itself. Just three (negative)
pacing statements in the copy ahead of this powerful pacing and leading
pattern makes a big difference in the reader's readiness to make that
psychological leap. The italicized words are Larsen's copy. (115)
For example, "Every time you look in your email inbox, you see your money
going out... every time you look in your email inbox, you see people trying to
sell you... every time you look in your email inbox, you wonder what you can
do... but what if.... every time you look at your email inbox, you see another
42

'Notification of Payment Received.' Once you realize the power of this method,
you'll be on top of the world!" (116)
We are beginning to wonder here if every time you use NLP in your writing,
you will remember how useful this report was for you, and feel really good
about that. The universal quantifier is a very versatile pattern. (117)

The Best Bet Is the "Yes" Set

It's easier to say yes than no. It's easier to agree and to be compliant.
The more we say yes to someone, the easier it gets to say yes to them
again. The "Yes" set, a favorite of Milton Erickson, takes advantage of this
psychological tendency.
Here is an example of a "yes" set.
"Right now, you are breathing. You are reading this report, and as you read it,
you are likely to be thinking about certain things. Because you are interested
in many things that have led you here right now, it means that you will be able
to learn these kinds of things more easily from now on." (118)
The embedded command is "you will be able to learn these kinds of things
more easily from now on." Prior to that command, we did a "Yes" set. In this
"Yes" set, there were four natural, spontaneous "Yes" answers. When the fifth
statement was delivered, it was virtually automatic for the subconscious mind
to say "Yes" to it as well. (119)
Usually three to five pacing (state matching) statements are needed so that
the leading statement receives agreement. This is especially true at the
beginning of the written communication when we are establishing rapport.
After we have rapport, we can pace and lead in a much more creative way. The
reader will go right along with us because now they are "into" our message.
They are very interested in what is coming next. In hypnotic theory, this
means the critical part of their mind has been set aside.
"Tag" questions can enhance the effect of "Yes" sets by producing a "double
yes" response. Because they are a familiar part of everyday conversation, they
can be slipped in quite easily at the end of a statement.
Here are some standard tag questions: "Isnt it? Is it not? Arent you? Wasnt
it? Wouldnt you agree? Havent you? Dont you?" (120)

43

Here is a typical sequence using tag questions. Note that the initial sentence is
a statement, and not a question. Yet the use of the tag question renders the
statement as an agreement-generating question.
It is nice to get away from the office every now and then, isnt it?
Youd like to be in a stress free environment more often, wouldnt you?
Sometimes, wed like all our problems to just float away, wouldnt we?
When I go in the sauna at my gym, it feels like they are all melting away, it is nice and
comfortable to melt away, isnt it? (121)

Four statements with tag questions in a row like this is a bit much for written
copy, but it works fine in a live one-to-one setting. Just imagine how effective
these tag questions will be with good pacing questions placed in between
them.
For example, we could be selling sauna equipment or a membership to a gym
or spa that includes a state-of-the-art sauna. We would be building up to the
pleasurable kinesthetic experience of feeling our problems floating and melting
away in the first-class spa.
Milton Erickson has been quoted as saying, "Tag questions displace resistance
to the end of a sentence." (122)
It's true, isn't it?
Tag questions have an amnesia effect similar to that of the "but" connector,
don't they?
Also, they install what is called an "agreement frame" while enhancing the
effectiveness of the verbal pacing. Overall, it's an extremely useful technique,
wouldn't you agree? (123)

Storytelling Milton Style

This is a story that Milton Erickson told an alcoholic patient. The result? The
man stopped drinking.
Since we cannot tell the story better than Erickson, we will let him tell it. Do
not be distracted by the simplicity of this story called "Cacti."
If a simple story like this can make a man turn sober, then what amazing
powers of influence might the stories we tell in our emails, blog posts, squeeze
pages, audios and videos, and sales letters have on our readers?

44

Usually I send alcoholic patients to AA because AA can do a better job than I can do. An
alcoholic came to me and he said, "My grandparents on both sides were alcoholics; my
parents were alcoholics; my wife's parents were alcoholics; my wife is an alcoholic, and I
have had delirium tremors eleven times. I am sick of being an alcoholic. My brother is an
alcoholic too. Now that is a hell of a job for you. What do you think you can do about it?"
I asked him what his occupation was.
"When I am sober, I work on a newspaper. And alcohol is an occupational hazard there."
I said, "All right, you want me to do something about it---with that history. Now, the thing I
am going to suggest to you won't seem the right thing. You go out to the Botanical
Gardens. You look at all the cacti there and marvel at cacti that can survive three years
without water, without rain. And do a lot of thinking."
Many years later, a young woman came in and said, "Dr. Erickson, you knew me when I
was three years old. I moved to California when I was three years old. Now I am in Phoenix
and I came to see what kind of a man you were---what you looked like."
I said, "Take a good look, and I'm curious to know why you want to look at me."
She said, "Any man who would send an alcoholic out to the Botanical Gardens to look
around, to learn how to get around without alcohol, and have it work, is the kind of man I
want to see! My mother and father have been sober ever since you sent my father out
there."
"What is your father doing now?"
"He's working for a magazine. He got out of the newspaper business. He says the
newspaper business has an occupational hazard of alcoholism."
Now, that was a nice way to cure an alcoholic. Get him to respect cacti that survive three
years without rain. You see that you can talk about your textbooks. Today, you take up this
much. Tomorrow, you take up that much. They say you do such and such. But actually, you
ought to look at your patient to figure out what kind of a man he is ---or woman--then deal
with the patient in a way that fits his or her problem, his or her unique problem. (124)
(125)

This is a symbolic story, of course. The symbol is the cactus, a tough, strong,
self-reliant plant that can go without "drinking" [water] for a long time. The
hypnotic suggestion is indirect, not direct.
Direct suggestions would have been resisted by the conscious mind. Since a
cactus does not appear on the surface to have anything to do with
drinking, it went right into the patient's unconscious and spoke to it. (126)
Erickson points out that knowing the person is the key to telling the right
healing story. Likewise, knowing our market is the key to telling the right
selling story.
In the NLP community, this kind of symbolic story is called a "therapeutic
metaphor." That term is often used when referring to a sales story too. (127)

45

The Most Important Question

In order to know our market, what is the single most important question we
can ask?
Imagine for a moment that we have a chance to interview a dozen people who
are typical of our target market. What is the question that we should ask
them? This is standard NLP, by the way. (128) (129)
"What's important to you about X?"
Now, the first answer they give may not dig deep enough. But we can K.I.S.S.
(Keep It Simple, Sexy). We just repeat the question with whatever content
they give as their answer until we get an answer from a deeper level that
works for us.
For example, we could be selling a hot tub or an exercise club membership
that includes access to a hot tub. Here it goes.
Q: "What's important to you about being in a hot tub?"
A: "I like the heat. I can handle the heat better than most people."
Q: "What's important to you about feeling the heat?"
A: "I feel it with my whole body. The heat really penetrates."
Q: "What's important to you about feeling the heat with your whole body?"
A: "It's really relaxing. I can forget about all of my problems."
Q: "What's important to you about forgetting all of your problems?"
A: "It just feels really good. For once in my day, I can be sure of feeling really
good. Plus, my headaches go away, the tension headaches I get sometimes."
That last answer sounds like a winner: (1) it feels really good, (2) it relieves
worry and stress, and (3) it cancels tension and the symptoms of tension, such
as headaches. This is a very powerful question, and it really does work to ask
it over and over just like in the example. (130)
We can do this same exercise in our imagination, becoming the person. Via our
imagination, we can think and feel the same way that our market does. This
information will find its way into our copy when we pace the customer and
preempt his objections.

46

Mind Reading for Fun and Prot

"Mind reading" is not a psychic trick. The term refers to a Milton Model strategy
of appearing to intimately understand the listener or reader. What is offered
are "educated guesses," not established facts or hard data. (131)
In the Meta Model, mind reading is a violation. Handled skillfully, though, it is
one of the most potent tricks in the word magician's magic bag.
The "secret" is to sound specific without asserting details that the recipient will
reject. This, of course, is our old friend pacing and leading again. When we do
this in a written sales communication, we are not just matching their
experience; we are establishing credibility with our customer. (132)
In the Harlan Kilstein weight loss sales letter studied in Part Two of this report,
Kilstein used, "I know," in the voice of the father character. In fact, "I know"
then gets repeated by the reader in her head (sub-vocalization). This is
automatically transformed into a "me statement" by the reader. Very sneaky,
yes, and very effective.
Mind reading is actually very simple. Just don't get too fancy. Here are a
couple of examples. The bolding is for emphasis. In practice, the text would be
plain.
"I know you are wondering how much you will learn from this training."
"You may be curious about how you will use these patterns." (133) (134)

As we mentioned earlier, asking a question outright in the text can invite some
readers to get lost in their heads and forget our message. The covert NLP way
to ask a question is to place "I wonder..." before the question.
For example, we would like to ask, "Are you fed up with diet products that
don't work?"
The NLP way to express this with a parallel impact is, "I wonder if you are fed
up with diet products that don't work."
The same format can be used to gain compliance with an embedded
command: "I wonder how quickly you will realize you're good at NLP." The
command, of course, is, "you will realize you're good at NLP." (135)
It can also be used to set up a linguistic double bind: "I wonder if you would
prefer to buy our product now or wait until it's too late and it is completely sold
out." (136) (137)

47

Using "I wonder..." softens the assertiveness of the statement. It sounds like
accurate mind reading, but like other verbal softeners such as "probably,
maybe, likely," it creates wide latitude for what can be said.

It's Not Stupid For You to Be Invested in Nested Loops Today

Another Milton Erickson innovation, nested loops, is hardly his invention.
However, it would be difficult to find a verbal communicator as skillful as
Erickson at using nested loops in their storytelling, hypnotic or otherwise.
Since it is optimal to use nested loops in storytelling, here is a reminder about
the power of stories and why they work. Remember, we do not want the reader
to react with resistance. We prefer that they enjoy what we are talking about,
and so enter into agreement without ever feeling "sold."
So, how do we keep the critical factor out of the way, and at the same time, get someone
concentrating powerfully on an idea? A powerful, compelling story (a metaphor) does just
that. The critical factor does not get activated because youre not talking about them! Yet,
the unconscious mind gets involved emotionally. In other words, the mind concentrates on
the ideas presented in the metaphor (acceptable selective thinking).
The unconscious mind is also a lot better than the conscious mind at spotting symbolism.
So, if a metaphor is symbolic of a situation in a persons life, the person will relate the
story to their situation. You dont even have to consciously point it out! Their unconscious
mind does that for you! Cool, eh? (138)

Nested loops can be open or closed. There is lots of "hush-hush" talk about
nested loops in NLP because it is such a powerful technique. Combined with
the rest of the NLP arsenal, such as presuppositions, double binds, symbolic
metaphors, and all of the rest, it is an incredibly powerful persuasion method.
Rather than go on and on about nested loops, here is an extended quote that
will explain nested loops and their role in hypnotic storytelling much better
than we can. In fact, this article is one of the best we've seen. The author is
definitely an expert in NLP persuasion. (139)
I would like to really share some insights about nested loops, but before I begin, I am
reminded of the time that I attended my first NLP training, and I remember the trainer
sharing this wonderful tale about Milton H. Erickson, M.D., of Phoenix, Arizona.
Now I have never been to Phoenix, although I remember reading that the real estate boom
that took place there, a few years back, made a lot of people quite wealthy, including
financial educator, Robert Kiyosaki. If you have ever read any of Kiyosakis work or
attended his seminars, you may recall a very powerful distinction he teaches. The
difference between an asset and a liability. It is such a crucial distinction that that alone
can make a person prosperous beyond belief. Now it really does come down to the beliefs
you hold. And for Kiyosaki, the belief that an asset is anything that puts money into your
pocket, while a liability is something takes money out of it, is quite a useful belief to have.
It is like when someone says they will give you 10 bucks to walk across a board that is one
foot wide and ten feet long while suspended three feet above the ground. Simple right? An
48

easy ten bucks! Then they say now, Ill give you ten times the amount if you walk across
the same board when it rests between two 50-story building rooftops. Still simple? Come
on! The only thing that has changed is the altitude and wind velocity. Or is there something
else that has changed as well. Perhaps your own perceptions, your belief on what is and
what is not possible, or perhaps it all comes down to as Bob Barker would say, If the price
is right.
If our beliefs can have such an impact on us, consider what kind of beliefs you are holding
on to. Are they the ones that are keeping you poor and unfulfilled or can they be the ones
that fill your life with never-ending joy and the greatest of riches?
It is like that experiment with caterpillars that only follow one another or something to that
effect. And the researcher places them one behind the other until they form a circle, and
then places their favorite food a few inches inside the circle, but unfortunately, their focus
is only on the caterpillar in front of them, and in a day or so, they all die from starvation,
while being only inches away from food.
Now, that is the kind of loop you dont want to be in. But people do that kind of stuff all of
the time, they go inside and start the record up and play the same few tracks they already
know all too well. They usually even know the words by heart. Yet, this is how the brain
works. It likes things that are the same, but learns from what is different. So what does
this mean? Are you stuck in a loop? Oh no, how will you get out! Thats when you go inside
and shut up! And listen to that voice over there that is saying, Hey dumb-dumb, over
here! I have been calling you for months. You need to listen better. Now, go this way!
And it really doesnt matter which way you go if you are not in a hurry, but if you are, then
picking the appropriate path can make a huge difference and save a lot of time and energy.
When I was driving cross-country, I was taking Interstate 40, which is straight shot from
California to North Carolina. However, it doesnt pass through Phoenix, so I have never
made it down there. I mean, that is a whole other state to be in.
But fortunately for Erickson, he was just as good of a patient as he was a doctor. So when
his doctor had told him that the only thing that would help his condition was to move to a
drier state, he obliged quite willingly and made the transition without any hesitation. And it
is the kind of intensity Erickson had that made him such a remarkable person. From
Wisconsin, he could have moved to one of the Dakotas or even Utah, but no, not Erickson.
When he changes states, he really changes states. And that is how he got to Phoenix,
Arizona, at least according to my trainer.
So back to nested loops. Now, the first question you may want to ask yourself is how does
it feel to be in a nested loop. From that feeling, you may discover a great many things you
thought you knew in a totally new way; understand them differently, not like before. See
the difference. Thats how you learned and can continue to do so. Now, this is the easy way
to learn it. Read it again to make sure. (140)

We apologize for the length, but maybe this quote did a great job of explaining
exactly how nested loops operate. In fact, we are sure it did.
So, please read it again... every word, if possible. Pay special attention to the
multiple stories and embedded quotes that are in this fine NLP essay.
What makes nested loop storytelling so devastatingly effective is that even as
it influences and persuades, it can be quite entertaining, e.g. hypnotic.

49

Attack of the Return of the Nested Loops

We hope the reader went through the extended NLP essay we just quoted. It's
very important.
Okay, good. We appreciate that, and we know it's going to be very helpful, as
this is possibly the most powerful single technique in all of the NLP Milton
Model arsenal. Great storytellers, including the writers for movies and
television, use nested loops. Maybe we should too.
Now that we have the full attention of you, the reader, we must confess to a
little bit of trickery. Quite possibly, it's been detected, but since perhaps it was
not, here is what it was: the "essay" in the previous section consisted of many
skillfully interwoven nested loops!
We figured what better way to learn than by "doing," which, in this case,
meant personally experiencing what it's like to read, follow, and be influenced
by a story or series of stories with nested loops in them.
Nested loops can be kept open or they can be closed. Please go back over the
nested loop example. Identify the loops and find out if they stayed open or if
they got closed. It can help to print the essay out and use a pen to mark the
different loops, where they begin or open and where they end or get closed (if
they do).
There is a powerful beneficial suggestion or command nested in the center or
"heart" (core) of all those nested loops. Take a moment to look for it.
Here is that paragraph taken from the above essay. Note that although there is
a slightly chaotic quality to the essay, it nonetheless is very focused in terms of
what it seeks to get across, which is this positive suggestion to us, the readers.
If our beliefs can have such an impact on us, consider what kind of beliefs you are holding
on to. Are they the ones that are keeping you poor and unfulfilled or can they be the ones
that fill your life with never-ending joy and the greatest of riches? (141)

Please read the final paragraph too. It is also a positive, focused affirmation.
Now that we know what is going on, we can see that this whole thing was very
carefully planned and executed. So an NLP story is not just a wild tale. It is
carefully constructed for maximum focused effect.
As a person gets more technically advanced in NLP, they learn about the "five
loop" method. Here's a taste of that approach, which is very popular right now
in NLP circles. Said to be practiced by the NLP "top dogs," it is state-of-the-art,
the acme of conversational hypnosis.

50

In very simple terms, with the story telling method that he [Erickson] often used, you are
building anticipation and intrigue. You pick up to five stories that are interesting to your
listener, and you begin to tell them. Milton Erickson once told a group of people he was
teaching that you open one story after the other, and on a particular break away point in
that story, you switch to the next story.
Once you eventually open and tell the fifth of your stories, you deliver your hypnotic
message and then you close the fifth story, and you proceed to complete and close the
remaining stories in reverse order... I also learned that you tell the first section of your five
stories and open them all up. Well worth bearing in mind here that you should do your best
for them to be entertaining and ideally captivating in some way. It is much better if the
stories you use are from your own life; that way, you attach natural feelings to them and
you do not have to struggle to remember them.
Once you have your five stories, choose the place where it would be enticing to break off
from that story, yet is still piquing the interest of the listener; so they want to hear more
and discover what happens in the end.... when you get to the break off point for your first
story, you then use a linking phrase of some kind to move on to the beginning of the next
story.
When you subsequently get to your fifth story, that is the time for delivering your
message.... in the middle or at the end of your fifth story, you deliver your message or give
some suggestions that you want your listener to absorb fully. It is so easy you wont
believe me until you get out there and use this technique. Almost always, your listener will
not even realise what is occurring. Your previous stories have already overloaded their
conscious mind and your suggestion or your message is not being observed consciously.
You just observe what is usual, the stories that you want to hear the end of...
Your mind does not really like loose ends such as the loops of stories in this technique
your mind looks for the completion of the story, and while it waits, there is another story
and yet another that are being methodically opened, causing a conscious mind overload to
keep track of. In the middle of it all, you embed your message and more often that not, the
listener (or reader) allows that message to be nested in their unconscious mind and has no
conscious recall of it. Pretty cool, eh? (142)

To summarize, the master NLP method of telling hypnotic nested loop stories
to communicate a powerful hypnotic command is to tell five separate stories,
opening them one right after the other. This is done cleverly so that the reader
or listener doesn't understand that his/her conscious mind and critical factor
are, in fact, being purposefully and systematically overloaded in order to
influence him/her. (143)
Think of the "confusion technique" as being like a sandwich. The confusion is
the bread, and the meat of the sandwich is the meat your message. The
message goes smack dab in the middle of the "confusion sandwich," that is,
literally in the middle or center halfway through the NLP storytelling text.
NLP is not the first use of storytelling and nested loops to influence people.
This tradition goes way back to the origins of religion, mythology, and
mysticism. That said, NLP is one of the most explicit, detailed, and methodical
revelations of this kind of stealth persuasion in recorded history.

Get Your FREE NLP Sales Letter Templates While They're Hot!
51

Joe Vitale is the father of "hypnotic writing." We're pretty sure he coined the
term. We know he wrote the book!

Hypnotic Writing by Joe Vitale (144) (145)

We recommend his work and find his approach to be a good introduction to

NLP. It isn't strictly NLP, but it's a good way to get the feet wet. Vitale has his
own unique style that incorporates his many written persuasion studies.

Joe Vitale (146) (147) (148)

Joe has been very generous in the way he provides quality free information.
We are in luck, as one of his best free offerings is called "Hypnotic Sales
Letters." Here's how he describes it on his website.
Here are 92 Hypnotic Sales Letter Templates written by Joe Vitale and Larry Dotson. They
are yours free. Feel free to download them, forward them to friends, and use as you will.
(149)

Since the entire ebook is available for free download, we will give just one
sample here. Now that the reader has some experience with NLP or
Ericksonian hypnotic language, he will probably recognize at least a few of the
hypnotic patterns right away. (150)

52

Hypnotic Sales Letters by Joe Vitale and Larry Dotson (151) (152)

SAMPLE HYPNOTIC SALES LETTER

...Exposed!
Dear ,
As you scan every word of this page you will begin
to discover new ways of...
Wouldn't it be amazing if...
(Introduce Your Product Here)
Here's just a small list of the resources you'll have:
(bullet/benefit/feature)
(bullet/benefit/feature)
(bullet/benefit/feature)
(bullet/benefit/feature)
(bullet/benefit/feature)
Here are comments from some satisfied customers...
(testimonial/endorsement/letter/client)
(testimonial/endorsement/letter/client)
(testimonial/endorsement/letter/client)
(testimonial/endorsement/letter/client)
Limited Time Price! All this for only ($)! Click Here
To Order Now!
If you order in the next (No.) minutes, I'll throw in
these (No.) bonuses:
(bonus & value)
(bonus & value)
(bonus & value)
(bonus & value)
Picture yourself having all the power because you
have one full year to try out our product without
any risk.
Sincerely,
(your name)
P.S. Now that you're at the end of this ad, you're
just minutes away from the feeling of...
Click Here To Order Now! (153)
53

We think it would be fair to say that Vitale is of the "obvious" NLP school, at
least judging from this example. Many copywriters and Web advertisers believe
that because NLP and hypnotic language skills have remained outside of the
mainstream this would include New Age thought and psychotherapy they
can use these stock hypnotic phrases with impunity. According to them, the
average Internet user has no clue at all that they are hypnotic!
Whatever the "truth" may be, we cannot argue with success, and Vitale is
certainly very successful. That said, it would only be fair to evaluate his
approach based on his more advanced courses where he has a chance to
present his complete hypnotic written persuasion system. (154)

A Master Level NLP Phone Script from Jay Abraham

In our reports, we like to close with something really good. This report is no
exception.
Jay Abraham is one of the leading marketing experts in the world. His
products, too numerous to mention here, lead the field. (155) (156) (157)

Jay Abraham (158) (159)

It would be easy to do an entire report just on what Jay Abraham can help us
with, but this report is about NLP in writing. The example we have on tap from
Abraham is a written script for setting up an appointment over the telephone
for a free consultation. It was produced as part of a business consultation he
did for a failing weight loss clinic.
Similarly, the audio and video we do on the Internet need to be scripted in
advance. (There's always room for improvisation if a brilliant idea strikes while
doing the recording). Hopefully, we can pick up a few tips from this recognized
marketing genius and superstar business consultant.
In this case, Abraham worked with the owner of a clinic in Florida that used
hypnosis to help clients quickly and reliably drop excess pounds. The owner
was bleeding money and couldn't figure out why, since his offer was free.
54

The potential hypnosis client was calling up the hypnotic clinic to get a free
consultation. There was trouble for the owner of the clinic, though, because
with the script his staff had been using, their prospect "no show rate" was over
80 percent for a free consultation appointment! (160)
They started using Abraham's NLP phone script. The hypnosis clinic owner was
delighted. The clinic turned a profit. Much of what was involved, besides
specific language patterns, was the NLP strategy of "future pacing."
Jay's NLP strategies took our "no show" rate from 80% to less than 10% in just a few
weeks. The technique of future pacing should be a part of every sales letter you write.
(161)

The clinic owner said these were his "notes" from the consultation call, so we
don't have access to the actual final phone script. But Abraham's NLP phone
script such as we have here is truly a work of art!
We will leave you to bask in its glory and, if so inclined, to print it out, study it,
and analyze it based on what's been learned so far. There may be a pleasant
thrill of realization from already being able to recognize some of the subtle
patterns that Jay Abraham is applying. There is also plenty of smart
psychology going on that pushes several big emotional buttons.
This script is a masterwork of persuasion copy that combines Abraham's vast
marketing and sales experience with his comprehensive grasp of NLP
techniques. Virtually every word is doing huge work in this piece to anticipate
objections, sell benefits, and close the prospect for an appointment that she
keeps. Nothing is there by accident.
Though intended as a phone script, it works as a written piece as well. We
have found that great writing tends to work at multiple levels and in a variety
of media.
The bold words were in the original as we received it, so we have reproduced
them here. As far as we can tell, since this is a script to be read out loud, the
bold words are meant to be somehow emphasized by the telephone
salesperson. Also note the italicization in the section called "Fifth...."
If you are ready to stop dieting and lose weight permanently, Carol, our top weight loss
specialist, would like to meet with you. The consultation is probably the most
fascinating experience that you will encounter in thirty minutes or less. It is an
enormously interesting experience. Carol has helped thousands of people get
enduring solutions to their weight problems. I am curious if you would like to get
an idea of what is going to take place on __________ at ________?
(Response)
First... Carol will deeply listen to your situation.
Second... She will explore your own problems and solutions. You will learn why you are
not able to lose weight on your own.
55

Third... Carol will determine if your mind actually is the cause of your weight.
Fourth... She will give you a dramatic demonstration of how you can change your body
powerfully, with simple suggestions.
Fifth... if you are a good candidate for hypnosis, and only if we can give you an
unconditional guarantee of success... only then... will we discuss our amazingly easy
programs. We have found whether you need to lose 90 pounds or just 19 pounds in
that certain area that is bothering you, we probably can get you a better faster,
safer, and more actually, enduring results.
Sixth... You decide. No pressure. No sales. Just a fascinating, powerful, personal meeting.
We give you our word.
We are either right for you or we are not. You will know it at the consultation that
you do with your weight loss specialist.
We have a high documented success rate for almost everyone that follows the
simple, easy program we lay out for them.
(If they called from a newspaper ad:)
We have one simple request between now and your appointment. We would like
you to hold on to the newspaper ad that you saw us in and bring it with you to the
consultation. Carol will tell you why when you come. (162)

The Dazzling Light of a Bright New Beginning S-h-i-n-e-s Now

There you have it.
If you knew nothing about NLP, well, now you do. Yes, this is a beautiful thing,
and you... feel... good.
And if you did know something about NLP, it's like glittering gold, it's the
soundtrack of success. That's a beautiful thing, and you... feel... good.
If you would like to learn more about NLP, the books we have referenced
throughout this report are an excellent start.
As for live NLP training, it is, as the saying goes, a jungle out there. Our best
suggestion is to track back to the lineages that evolved from the very first NLP
group work. (163) (164) (165)
Specifically, we like Robert Dilts, Connirae and Steven Andreas, John Grinder,
Stephen Gilligan and Kenrick Cleveland. Gilligan is an Ericksonian hypnosis
specialist. Cleveland, while certainly an NLP master, is a specialist in sales
persuasion.
If push came to shove, we would probably choose as live trainers the Andreas
team for "pure" NLP and Kenrick Cleveland for help with persuasion for selling.
56

Other persuasion gurus like Kevin Hogan may be better known by the public,
but we have heard from people working in the deep dark trenches of the real
persuasion business that Cleveland is the very best. (166) (167)
In sharp contrast, bigger-than-life success trainer Anthony Robbins is the top
"pop" NLP guru. On that basis, we can't recommend his live training for
mastering NLP. However, his Unlimited Power is an easy introduction to basic
NLP skills in the context of a top-notch self-help book. Also, we give a link in
the Notes to a big list on Amazon.com of good NLP books. (168) (169)
Obviously, there are plenty of "good guys" out there. But we are not impressed
by NLP "certifications." We think learning from Richard Bandler via his books,
CDs, and DVDs is a good idea. He knows his stuff inside and out, he is a
genius, and he is the co-founder of NLP (with John Grinder).
That said, Bandler is a charismatic and controversial showman with a spotty
personal history. If the reader is curious about what Bandler's trainings are
like, we have included a report from an attendee of a big (600 people) live
training with Bandler and co-teachers. For those who can afford it, the
experience will no doubt be entertaining and memorable. (170) (171)
So there you have it. Consider yourself initiated into NLP!
Be kind. Use your new powers wisely.
It really is possible to do well very well by doing good.
We sincerely recommend that path, the high road of helping people.
in the end, it all comes down to family and friends, to the quality of our
relationships, the quality of our reputation, and the quality of our contribution.
That's how we see it anyway.
Live long and prosper!

57

=================================================
NLP COPYWRITING STUDY NOTES
=================================================
PART ONE: THE TRUTH ABOUT NLP
(1) Bandler, Richard and John Grinder. The Structure of Magic: A Book about Language and
Therapy, Science and Behavior Books, Inc., Palo Alto, California, 1975.
(2) Product image for The Structure of Magic I: A Book about Language and Therapy, http://
www.amazon.com/gp/product/images/B001F6K1PC/sr=8-12/qid=1269245633/
ref=dp_image_0?ie=UTF8&n=283155&s=books&qid=1269245633&sr=8-12, accessed March
30, 2010.
(3) Bandler, Richard and John Grinder. The Structure of Magic: A Book about Language and
Therapy, Science and Behavior Books, Inc., Palo Alto, California, 1975, http://
www.amazon.com/Structure-Magic-about-Language-Therapy/dp/B001F6K1PC/ref=sr_1_12?
ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1269245633&sr=8-12, accessed March 30, 2010.
(4) Bandler, Richard and John La Valle. Persuasion Engineering, Meta Publications, Inc.,
Capitola, California, 1996, page 72.
(5) NLP - Richard Bandler - What is NLP? Neuro linguistic programming, http://
www.youtube.com/watch?v=8vlcsFJyEXQ, accessed March 30, 2010.
(6) John Grinder PhD, "What is NLP?", http://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=hJzO5x6ko6w&feature=related, accessed March 30, 2010.
(7) What is Neuro-Linguistic Programming?, para 1 - 3,
http://www.nlplifetraining.com/what-is-neuro-linguistic-programming, accessed March 30,
2010.
(8) Burn, Gillian and Phil Hailstone. The NLP Pocketbook, Management Pocketbooks Ltd.,
Alresford, Hants, U.K., 2005, page 9.
(9) Lee Lady, A Brief History of NLP, para 3 - 4, 6 - 7, http://www2.hawaii.edu/~lady/archive/
history.html, accessed March 30, 2010.
(10) Neuro-linguistic programming, para 7 - 8, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neurolinguistic_programming, accessed March 30, 2010.
(11) Lee Lady, Linguistics and NLP, para 1 - 6, http://www2.hawaii.edu/~lady/archive/
history-3.html, accessed March 30, 2010.
(12) Hall, L. Michael and Barbara Belnap. The Sourcebook of Magic: A Comprehensive Guide to
the Technology of NLP, Crown House Publishing Ltd., Wales, United Kingdom, 1999, pages xvi,
11, 25, 141 - 145.
(13) Bodenhamer, Bob and L. Michael Hall. The User's Manual For The Brain: the Complete
Manual for Neuro-Linguistic Programming Practitioner Certification, Crown House Publishing
Ltd., Wales, United Kingdom, 1999, page xi.
(14) Bodenhamer, Bob and L. Michael Hall. The User's Manual For The Brain: the Complete
Manual for Neuro-Linguistic Programming Practitioner Certification, Crown House Publishing
Ltd., Wales, United Kingdom, 1999, page xi.
(15) Milton H. Erickson, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Milton_H._Erickson, para 1, March 30,
2010.
58

(16) Erickson, Milton H., Madeleine Richeport-Haley (Editor) and Jay Haley (Series Editor,
Narrator), In His Own Voice: Milton H. Erickson: Problem Drinkers (In His Own Voice) (Audio
CD), W. W. Norton & Company, 1991, http://www.amazon.com/His-Own-Voice-EricksonDrinkers/dp/0931513103, accessed March 30, 2010.
(17) Product image for front cover of In His Own Voice: Milton H. Erickson: Problem Drinkers
(In His Own Voice), http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/images/0931513103/
ref=dp_image_z_0?ie=UTF8&n=283155&s=books, accessed March 30, 2010.
(18) Milton model, para 1 - 6, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Milton_model, accessed March 30,
2010.
(19) Bodenhamer, Bob and L. Michael Hall. The User's Manual For The Brain: the Complete
Manual for Neuro-Linguistic Programming Practitioner Certification, Crown House Publishing
Ltd., Wales, United Kingdom, 1999, page xii.
(20) History of neuro-linguistic programming, para 3 - 4, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/
History_of_neuro-linguistic_programming, accessed March 30, 2010.
(21) Bodenhamer, Bob and L. Michael Hall. The User's Manual For The Brain: the Complete
Manual for Neuro-Linguistic Programming Practitioner Certification, Crown House Publishing
Ltd., Wales, United Kingdom, 1999, page xi.
(22) Bolstad, Richard, The Sound of One Hand Catalepsy: The Zen of Milton Erickson, para 12,
http://www.transformations.net.nz/trancescript/the-sound-of-one-hand-catalepsy-the-zen-ofmilton-erickson.html, accessed March 30, 2010.
(23) Meta-model (NLP), para 1 - 3, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meta-model_%28NLP%29,
accessed March 30, 2010.
(24) Bradbury, Andy, Honest Abe's NLP Glossary, para 10, http://
www.bradburyac.mistral.co.uk/gloss2.html, accessed March 30, 2010.
(25) Hoag, John David, The NLP Meta Model, para 1, http://www.nlpls.com/articles/
NLPmetaModel.php, accessed March 30, 2010.
This is a very good online summary of the Meta Model. Please see also his excellent and
comprehensive online article on NLP presuppositions (a subject we were, unfortunately, able to
cover only briefly) at the following link.
Hoag, John David, Presuppositions (NLP Meta Model), http://www.nlpls.com/articles/
presuppositions.php, accessed March 30, 2010.
(26) Introduction to the NLP Meta-Model, para 2 - 3, http://www.powersecretsforlife.com/
language/introduction-to-the-nlp-meta-model/, accessed March 30, 2010.
(27) Bandler, Richard and John Grinder. The Structure of Magic: A Book about Language and
Therapy, Science and Behavior Books, Inc., Palo Alto, California, 1975, pages 15 - 16.
(28) Brefi Group, NLP - meta model linguistic tools, para 5 - 11, http://www.brefigroup.co.uk/
resources/view_product/product/details_22.do, accessed March 30, 2010.
(29) Introduction to the NLP Meta-Model, para 12 - 15, http://www.powersecretsforlife.com/
language/introduction-to-the-nlp-meta-model/, accessed March 30, 2010.
(30) Licensed Practitioner of NLP, http://www.nlplifetraining.co.uk/events/licensedpractitioner-nlp/0309oct2009.html, accessed March 30, 2010.

59

This 7-day event with trainers Richard Bandler and John La Valle costs 1,990 pounds (VAT not
included) or roughly 3,000 USD.
(31) NLP Practitioner Certification Training, http://www.nlpcoaching.com/nlp-practitionercertification-training.html, accessed March 30, 2010.
This 70-day training with "Drs. Tad & Adriana James & others" will cost, with the Web special
price, 3,895 AUD or about 3,500 USD.
(32) McCartney, Margaret, Interview: Richard Bandler, co-inventor of neuro-linguistic
programming, para 19, http://blogs.ft.com/healthblog/2009/10/27/interview-richard-bandlerco-inventor-of-neuro-linguistic-programming/, accessed March 30, 2010.
According to this interview, Mr. Bandler offers "a 3-day course, with a group of only 15... for
10,000." That's approximately 15,000 USD ($5,000 a day).
The website used for the currency conversions from British Pound and Australian Dollar:
Currency calculator, http://www.x-rates.com/calculator.html, accessed March 30, 2010.
(33) Bandler, Richard and John Grinder. The Structure of Magic: A Book about Language and
Therapy, Science and Behavior Books, Inc., Palo Alto, California, 1975, page 16.
(34) Bandler, Richard and John Grinder. The Structure of Magic: A Book about Language and
Therapy, Science and Behavior Books, Inc., Palo Alto, California, 1975, page 14.
(35) Brefi Group, NLP - meta model linguistic tools, para 1 - 3, 22, http://
www.brefigroup.co.uk/resources/view_product/product/details_22.do, accessed March 30,
2010.
(36) Brefi Group, NLP - meta model linguistic tools, para 5 - 11, http://www.brefigroup.co.uk/
resources/view_product/product/details_22.do, accessed March 30, 2010.
(37) Brefi Group, NLP - meta model linguistic tools, para 16 - 21, http://
www.brefigroup.co.uk/resources/view_product/product/details_22.do, accessed March 30,
2010.
(38) Brefi Group, NLP - meta model linguistic tools, para 12 - 15, http://
www.brefigroup.co.uk/resources/view_product/product/details_22.do, accessed March 30,
2010.
(39) Hoag, John David, Learning the NLP Meta Model, http://www.nlpls.com/articles/
metamodel/MetaModelFlashcards.php, accessed March 30, 2010.
(40) Bolstad, Richard, The Sound of One Hand Catalepsy: The Zen of Milton Erickson, para 2,
http://www.transformations.net.nz/trancescript/the-sound-of-one-hand-catalepsy-the-zen-ofmilton-erickson.html, accessed March 30, 2010.
(41) Erickson, Milton H. and Ernest and Sheila Rossi. Hypnotic Realities: The Induction of
Clinical Hypnosis and Forms of Indirect Suggestion, Irvington Publishers, Inc., New York, 1976,
page 146.
(42) Vaknin, Shlomo. The BIG Book of NLP Techniques: 200+ Patterns, Methods & Strategies
of Neuro Linguistic Programming, BookSurge Publishing, 2008, page 622.
(43) Trance Works, Books by and about Milton Erickson and Ericksonian Hypnosis, http://
tranceworks.com/milton.htm, accessed March 30, 2010.
A long list, but the best place to start would be one of the books by Erickson himself.
Hypnotherapy - An Exploratory Casebook by Milton Erickson, gets our highest
60

recommendation. After that, Conversations With Milton H. Erickson by Milton Erickson and
edited by Jay Haley. Finally, for an expert look at Erickson's method from the point of view of
NLP, we suggest Practical Magic by Steve Lankton, a leading Ericksonian therapist.
(44) Vaknin, Shlomo. The BIG Book of NLP Techniques: 200+ Patterns, Methods & Strategies
of Neuro Linguistic Programming, BookSurge Publishing, 2008, pages 625 - 649.
(45) A printable list of the NLP techniques, http://nlpweeklymagazine.com/2008/a-printablelist-of-the-nlp-techniques/, accessed March 30, 2010.
(46) Covert NLP Communication, http://www.nlptimes.com/content/covert-nlp-communication,
accessed March 30, 2010.
A lengthy, skillful print demonstration of NLP Ericksonian techniques coupled with a detailed
explanation of some of the covert methods employed.
See also: Improving Your Covert Hypnosis with Confusion Techniques, http://www.coverthypnosis.org/covert-hypnosis/improving-your-covert-hypnosis-with-confusion-techniques,
accessed March 31, 2010.
(47) Kilstein, Harlan, Doubling Your Sales With NLP (And Then Re-Doubling Them), para 1 - 7,
http://nlpcopywriting.com/, accessed March 31, 2010.
(48) Kilstein, Harlan, http://nlpcopywriting.com/, accessed March 31, 2010.
(49) Burns, Louis, http://hypnoticwriter.org/, accessed March 31, 2010.
This is an excellent NLP copywriting course. For the money, it's the best overall value that
we've seen. Burns is a self-described student of Kilstein. For those who cannot afford a live
seminar with Kilstein or the DVDs of his seminar, this course is the next best thing.
(50) Larsen, Lou, http://nlplanguagepatterns.blogspot.com/, accessed March 31, 2010.
Apparently, Lou is in the "obvious NLP" camp, but his short NLP copy formulas or minitemplates are quite handy and smartly presented.
(51) Osborn, Glenn, Enchanted NLP, http://archive.enchantednlp.com/, accessed March 31,
2010.
Glenn is a brilliant NLP copywriter and entrepreneur that few know about. His approach may
not make much sense at first, but we still recommend subscribing to get his emails. His
perspective is extremely original. He claims to have consulted for and with millionaires and
billionaires regarding NLP.
Eubanks, Craig, http://hypnosismarketingtips.com/, accessed March 31, 2010.
A highly trained NLP expert and hypnotist, copywriter Craig Eubanks specializes in helping
professionals in the hypnosis field market themselves.
PART TWO: THE BIG PROBLEM WITH WRITTEN NLP
(52) Do You Use NLP in your salesletters?, http://www.warriorforum.com/copywriting-forum/
177678-do-you-use-nlp-your-salesletters.html#4VzyV6F5MkVODzB4, accessed March 31,
2010.
(53) Bandler, Richard and John La Valle. Persuasion Engineering, Meta Publications, Inc.,
Capitola, California, 1996, page 21.
61

(54) Dilts, Robert and John Grinder, Richard Bandler, Leslie C. Bandler, Judith DeLozier. NeuroLinguistic Programming: Volume I, The Study of the Structure of Subjective Experience, Meta
Publications, Inc., Cupertino, California, 1980, page 17.
(55) Dilts, Robert and John Grinder, Richard Bandler, Leslie C. Bandler, Judith DeLozier. NeuroLinguistic Programming: Volume I, The Study of the Structure of Subjective Experience, Meta
Publications, Inc., Cupertino, California, 1980, pages 69 - 71.
(56) Dilts, Robert and John Grinder, Richard Bandler, Leslie C. Bandler, Judith DeLozier. NeuroLinguistic Programming: Volume I, The Study of the Structure of Subjective Experience, Meta
Publications, Inc., Cupertino, California, 1980, pages 170 - 171.
(57) Dilts, Robert and John Grinder, Richard Bandler, Leslie C. Bandler, Judith DeLozier. NeuroLinguistic Programming: Volume I, The Study of the Structure of Subjective Experience, Meta
Publications, Inc., Cupertino, California, 1980, page 19.
(58) Hartmann, Thom, Neuro Linguistic Programming Key, para 12, http://athenwood.com/
TH_NLPwk1.html, accessed March 31, 2010.
(59) Hartmann, Thom, Neuro Linguistic Programming Key, para 12 - 13, http://
athenwood.com/TH_NLPwk1.html, accessed March 31, 2010.
(60) Hartmann, Thom, Neuro Linguistic Programming Key, para 14, http://athenwood.com/
TH_NLPwk1.html, accessed March 31, 2010.
(61) Hartmann, Thom, Neuro Linguistic Programming Key, para 15, http://athenwood.com/
TH_NLPwk1.html, accessed March 31, 2010.
(62) Dilts, Robert and John Grinder, Richard Bandler, Leslie C. Bandler, Judith DeLozier. NeuroLinguistic Programming: Volume I, The Study of the Structure of Subjective Experience, Meta
Publications, Inc., Cupertino, California, 1980, page 21.
(63) Dilts, Robert and John Grinder, Richard Bandler, Leslie C. Bandler, Judith DeLozier. NeuroLinguistic Programming: Volume I, The Study of the Structure of Subjective Experience, Meta
Publications, Inc., Cupertino, California, 1980, page 169.
(64) Dilts, Robert and John Grinder, Richard Bandler, Leslie C. Bandler, Judith DeLozier. NeuroLinguistic Programming: Volume I, The Study of the Structure of Subjective Experience, Meta
Publications, Inc., Cupertino, California, 1980, pages 169 - 170.
(65) Dilts, Robert and John Grinder, Richard Bandler, Leslie C. Bandler, Judith DeLozier. NeuroLinguistic Programming: Volume I, The Study of the Structure of Subjective Experience, Meta
Publications, Inc., Cupertino, California, 1980, pages 170 - 171.
(66) Dilts, Robert and John Grinder, Richard Bandler, Leslie C. Bandler, Judith DeLozier. NeuroLinguistic Programming: Volume I, The Study of the Structure of Subjective Experience, Meta
Publications, Inc., Cupertino, California, 1980, pages 170 - 171.
(67) Hartmann, Thom, Neuro Linguistic Programming Key, para 21 - 23, http://
athenwood.com/TH_NLPwk1.html, accessed March 31, 2010.
(68) Healy, Ryan, Harlan Kilstein's Copywriting Secrets, http://ryanhealy.typepad.com/
copywriting/2005/11/harlan_kilstein.html, accessed March 31, 2010.
(69) Kilstein, Harlan, Whats Wrong With NLP Training, http://nlpcopywriting.com/, accessed
March 31, 2010.
(70) Kilstein, Harlan, Finally, you attract clients overnight like a magnet without lifting a finger
- guaranteed, http://www.overnight-copy.com/, accessed March 31, 2010.

62

(71) Kilstein, Harlan, Harlan Kilstein First Impressions, http://www.squidoo.com/harlankilstein, accessed March 31, 2010.
(72) Kilstein, Harlan, He failed at every diet known to man until..., http://
www.yogaweightlossdiet.com, accessed March 31, 2010.
(73) Kilstein, Harlan, He failed at every diet known to man until..., para 6 - 7, http://
www.yogaweightlossdiet.com, accessed March 31, 2010.
(74) Mills, Kris, The NLP Secret That Makes Your Words Sell, para 6, http://
www.learningfountain.com/writenlp.htm, accessed March 31, 2010.
(75) Mills, Kris, The NLP Secret That Makes Your Words Sell, para 7, http://
www.learningfountain.com/writenlp.htm, accessed March 31, 2010.
(76) Mills, Kris, The NLP Secret That Makes Your Words Sell, para 7, http://
www.learningfountain.com/writenlp.htm, accessed March 31, 2010.
(77) Ross, Audrey, Attention: Discover The Beauty Industry's Best Kept Secret..., http://
www.facialhairremover.co.uk/, accessed March 31, 2010.
Note: This is a good niche "workhorse" NLP sales letter. According to the marketer, it converts
well (78). We recommend printing it out. Analyze it in terms of VKA and other NLP techniques
covered in this report. For example, the testimonials are NLP "embedded commands" that use
quotes in stories.
(78) Basu, Rintu, Hypnotic Language Patterns on the Internet, http://
www.thenlpcompany.com/techniques/hypnotic-language-patterns-on-the-internet/, accessed
March 31, 2010.
(79) Kilstein, Harlan, He failed at every diet known to man until..., para 6 - 7, http://
www.yogaweightlossdiet.com, accessed March 31, 2010.
(80) Larsen, Lou, Always Use Universal Quantifiers to Have Readers Step into Buying States,
para 4, http://nlplanguagepatterns.blogspot.com/2008/10/always-use-universal-quantifiersto.html, accessed March 31, 2010.
(81) Poe, Edgar Alan, "The Tell-Tale Heart," http://www.feedbooks.com/book/814, accessed
March 31, 2010.
Published in 1843, this story is in the public domain.
(82) Boston, More Than a Feeling Lyrics, para 1 - 6, http://www.sing365.com/music/lyric.nsf/
More-Than-a-Feeling-lyrics-Boston/D2EB1A3F62DF141A482569970033EC30, accessed March
31, 2010.
(83) Bandler, Richard and John La Valle. Persuasion Engineering, Meta Publications, Inc.,
Capitola, California, 1996, pages 11 - 15.
(84) Bandler, Richard and John La Valle. Persuasion Engineering, Meta Publications, Inc.,
Capitola, California, 1996, page 5.
(85) Dunn, Judy, Multi-Sensory Marketing - A Tale of Three Little Customers, para 32 - 34,
http://ezinearticles.com/?Multi-Sensory-Marketing---A-Tale-of-Three-LittleCustomers&id=1410970, accessed March 31, 2010.
PART THREE: NLP COPY PERSUASION "COOKBOOK"

63

(86) Haley, Jay, Uncommon therapy: the psychiatric techniques of Milton H. Erickson, M.D., W.
W. Norton & Company, Inc., New York, 1973, 1986, 1993.
(87) Milton H. Erickson, http://psychology.wikia.com/wiki/Milton_H._Erickson, accessed March
31, 2010.
(88) Milton model, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Milton_model, accessed March 31, 2010.
(89) Kilstein, Harlan, http://www.nlpcopywriting.com/nlp1.html through http://
www.nlpcopywriting.com/nlp12.html, accessed March 31, 2010.
(90) Kilstein, Harlan, How To Legally Steal Copywriting Secrets
From The Top Pros, http://www.nlpcopywriting.com/nlpcopywriting2.html, accessed March 31,
2010.
(91) Kilstein, Harlan, These are some samples of my work, http://www.overnight-copy.com/
Samples.php, accessed March 31, 2010.
(92) Kilstein, Harlan, Simple Strategies To Elicit Criteria, para 23, http://
www.nlpcopywriting.com/nlp4.html, accessed March 31, 2010.
(93) Kilstein, Harlan, Kilstein, You Sneaky Bastard, para 9 - 19, http://
www.nlpcopywriting.com/nlp5.html, accessed March 31, 2010.
The 21st technique is the increase in point size for emphasis. Kilstein did not include this in his
list of 20 strategies used in the demonstration paragraph.
(94) Osborn, Glenn, Enchanted NLP, http://weird2.enchantednlp.com/, accessed March 31,
2010.
(95) Osborn, Glenn, Enchanted NLP, http://archive.enchantednlp.com/, accessed March 31,
2010.
(96) Usborne, Nick, Make Me Feel Good and I'll Buy More, http://www.clickz.com/824341,
accessed March 31, 2010.
(97) Kilstein, Harlan, Simple Strategies To Elicit Criteria, para 26, http://
www.nlpcopywriting.com/nlp4.html, accessed March 31, 2010.
(98) Kilstein, Harlan, Why People Think NLP In Print Doesn't Work, para 21 - 27, http://
www.nlpcopywriting.com/nlp2.html, accessed March 31, 2010.
(99) Basu, Rintu, Written Persuasion Techniques in Action, para 1, http://
www.thenlpcompany.com/techniques/written-persuasion-techniques-in-action/, accessed
March 31, 2010.
Basu, Rintu. Persuasion Skill Black Book: Practical NLP Language Patterns for Getting the
Response You Want, Bookshaker, Inc., Great Britain, 2009.
(100) Basu, Rintu, Written Persuasion Techniques in Action, para 3, http://
www.thenlpcompany.com/techniques/written-persuasion-techniques-in-action/, accessed
March 31, 2010.
(101) Basu, Rintu, Written Persuasion Techniques in Action, para 7 - 17, http://
www.thenlpcompany.com/techniques/written-persuasion-techniques-in-action/, accessed
March 31, 2010.
(102) Valente, Frank, Free Hypnosis Script, http://hypnoticadvancements.com/freescripts.htm,
accessed March 31, 2010.
64

(103) Mason, David, Free Hypnosis Induction Scripts, http://hypknowsis.com/

SC00_FreeHypnosisScripts.html, accessed March 31, 2010.
(104) Valente, Frank, The Milton Model: Specific Language Patterns for Artful Vagueness, para
4, http://hypnoticadvancements.com/language_milton-model.htm, accessed March 31,2010.
(105) McDonald's Internet Site Terms and Conditions, para 2, 12,
http://www.mcdonalds.com/terms.html, accessed March 31, 2010.
McDonald's is a registered trademark licensed to the McDonald's Corporation.
(106) McDonald's, para 1, 6 - 8, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/McDonald's, accessed March 31,
2010.
(107) Osborn, Glenn, 50 Questions That Scoop up Millions, http://archive.enchantednlp.com/
archive/glnlpv265.html, accessed March 31, 2010.
This list of questions is a good way to find more profits in your business.
(108) Osborn, Glenn, The Woozinator, http://www.woozinator.com/, accessed March 31, 2010.
Welcome to the Glenn Osborn's crazy world of "weird NLP"!
(109) Osborn, Glenn, What McDonalds Knows About NLP That YOU Don't, para 1 - 19, http://
www.magicalhypnotist.com/Hypnosis-Articles-NLP/What-McDonalds-Knows-About-NLP-ThatYOU-Don-t.php, accessed March 31, 2010.
(110) Kilstein, Harlan, The Simplest NLP Pattern To Use, para 21, http://
www.nlpcopywriting.com/nlp8.html, accessed March 31, 2010.
We paraphrased the referenced text in the body of the report.
(111) Kilstein, Harlan, The Simplest NLP Pattern To Use, para 26, http://
www.nlpcopywriting.com/nlp8.html, accessed March 31, 2010.
We paraphrased the referenced text in the body of the report.
(112) Larsen, Lou, Always Use Universal Quantifiers to Have Readers Step into Buying States,
para 4, http://nlplanguagepatterns.blogspot.com/2008/10/always-use-universal-quantifiersto.html, accessed March 31, 2010.
(113) Universal quantifier, http://www.microdot.net/nlp/hypnotic-language/hypnoticpatterns-3.htm, accessed March 31, 2010.
Universal quantifiers, http://www.skillstoolbox.com/UniversalQuantifiers.php, accessed March
31, 2010.
With websites like these providing such excellent coverage, there is no excuse for not
becoming a skilled writer of NLP enhanced sales copy.
(114) Larsen, Lou, Always Use Universal Quantifiers to Have Readers Step into Buying States,
para 6 - 8, http://nlplanguagepatterns.blogspot.com/2008/10/always-use-universalquantifiers-to.html, accessed March 31, 2010.
(115) Larsen, Lou, Always Use Universal Quantifiers to Have Readers Step into Buying States,
para 6 - 8, http://nlplanguagepatterns.blogspot.com/2008/10/always-use-universalquantifiers-to.html, accessed March 31, 2010.

65

(116) Larsen, Lou, Always Use Universal Quantifiers to Have Readers Step into Buying States,
para 10, http://nlplanguagepatterns.blogspot.com/2008/10/always-use-universal-quantifiersto.html, accessed March 31, 2010.
(117) Larsen, Lou, Always Use Universal Quantifiers to Have Readers Step into Buying States,
para 11, http://nlplanguagepatterns.blogspot.com/2008/10/always-use-universal-quantifiersto.html, accessed March 31, 2010.
We paraphrased the referenced text in the body of our report.
(118) Eason, Adam, What is the Orgasm word?, para 8, http://www.adam-eason.com/
resources/hypnotic-articles/what-is-the-orgasm-word/, accessed March 31, 2010.
We paraphrased the referenced text in the body of our report.
(119) Eason, Adam, What is the Orgasm word?, para 9, http://www.adam-eason.com/
resources/hypnotic-articles/what-is-the-orgasm-word/, accessed March 31, 2010.
(120) Eason, Adam, What is the Orgasm word?, para 19 - 20, 22, http://www.adameason.com/resources/hypnotic-articles/what-is-the-orgasm-word/, accessed March 31, 2010.
(121) Eason, Adam, What is the Orgasm word?, para 11, http://www.adam-eason.com/
resources/hypnotic-articles/what-is-the-orgasm-word/, accessed March 31, 2010.
(122) Berne, Eileen, Key Milton Model Concepts, Other Patterns, para 74, http://
home.earthlink.net/~nlper999/miltmod.html, accessed March 31, 2010.
Here is another excellent, easy-to-understand, free NLP website loaded with great examples of
naturally occurring Ericksonian phrases... a gold mine!
(123) Berne, Eileen, Key Milton Model Concepts, Other Patterns, para 74, http://
home.earthlink.net/~nlper999/miltmod.html, accessed March 31, 2010.
(124) Rosen, Sidney, Stories by Milton Erickson, "Cacti", para 27 - 36, http://www.nyseph.org/
archive.html#Cacti, accessed March 31, 2010.
(125) The Anticult, Re: Suicide, Byron Katie, Eckhart Tolle, Adyashanti, John Wayne Dulaney,
para 40 - 65, http://forum.rickross.com/read.php?12,12906,64508, accessed March 31, 2010.
(126) Rosen, Sidney, Stories by Milton Erickson, "Cacti", para 37, http://www.nyseph.org/
archive.html#Cacti, accessed March 31, 2010.
(127) Gordon, David. Therapeutic Metaphors: Helping Others Through the Looking Glass, Meta
Publications, Inc. Capitola, California, 1978.
Of related interest is this fascinating video interview (nearly two hours) of Christopher Hyatt,
Ph.D. regarding the power of metaphor for persuasion.
Howard Campbell Interviews Dr Hyatt, http://video.google.com/videoplay?
docid=8685900848583329138#, accessed March 31, 2010.
Arun (Allen Parks), Copywriting, http://covertmetaphor.com/category/copywriting/, accessed
March 31, 2010.
(128) Bodri, Bill, Sales Scripting, para 38 - 44, http://www.meditationexpert.com/Biz
%20Articles/SalesScripting.htm, accessed March 31, 2010.
(129) Kilstein, Harlan, Why My Wife Overpaid For The Repair of Our Swimming Pool and How It
Can Blow The Roof Off Your Response Rates, para 1 - 15, http://www.nlpcopywriting.com/
nlp3.html, accessed March 31, 2010.
66

(130) Kilstein, Harlan, Simple Strategies To Elicit Criteria, para 9 - 22, http://
www.nlpcopywriting.com/nlp4.html, accessed March 31, 2010.
We paraphrased the referenced text in the body of our report.
(131) Berne, Eileen, Key Milton Model Concepts, Mind Reading, para 38, http://
home.earthlink.net/~nlper999/miltmod.html, accessed March 31, 2010.
(132) Berne, Eileen, Key Milton Model Concepts, Mind Reading, para 41, http://
home.earthlink.net/~nlper999/miltmod.html, accessed March 31, 2010.
(133) Berne, Eileen, Key Milton Model Concepts, Mind Reading, para 39 - 40, http://
home.earthlink.net/~nlper999/miltmod.html, accessed March 31, 2010.
(134) Kronlund, NLP and the Milton Model, para 5, http://nlpstuff.blogspot.com/2009/06/nlpand-milton-model.html, accessed March 31, 2010.
A nice little summary on one Web page. Notice how the scholarly linguistic terms make the
Milton Model sound more complicated than it really is.
(135) Neurolinguistic Programming (NLP), para 6 - 10, http://webcopyblog.com/
neurolinguistic-programming-nlp-2/, accessed March 31, 2010.
Another website with handy practical NLP copy insights and examples.
We paraphrased the referenced text in the body of our report.
(136) Ellerton, Roger, Linguistic Presuppositions, para 14 - 22, http://
www.serenity.renewal.ca/nlp23.htm, accessed March 31, 2010.
(137) Neurolinguistic Programming (NLP), para 46 - 56, http://webcopyblog.com/
neurolinguistic-programming-nlp-2/, accessed March 31, 2010.
(138) Eason, Adam, Agatha Christie was a Hypnotist?! The Power of Hypnotic Storytelling,
para 33 - 34, http://www.adam-eason.com/resources/hypnotic-articles/agatha-christie-was-ahypnotist/, accessed March 31, 2010.
(139) Merchant, Oz, About Us, http://www.corechanges.com/resources/articles/miscellaneous/
nested-loops.html, accessed March 31, 2010.
(140) Merchant, Oz, Nested Loops, para 1 - 9, http://www.corechanges.com/resources/
articles/miscellaneous/nested-loops.html, accessed March 31, 2010.
(141) Merchant, Oz, Nested Loops, para 4, http://www.corechanges.com/resources/articles/
miscellaneous/nested-loops.html, accessed March 31, 2010.
(142) Eason, Adam, What is the Most Hypnotic Way to Tell a Story?, para 5, 13 - 14, 18 - 21,
25, http://www.adam-eason.com/resources/hypnotic-articles/what-is-the-most-hypnotic-wayto-tell-a-story/, accessed March 31, 2010.
(143) Cavanagh, Andrew, Wall Street Journal Letter, http://www.copywriting1.com/2007/10/
wall-street-journal-letter.html, accessed March 31, 2010.
This very famous and successful sales letter uses nested loops.
(144) Vitale, Joe, Hypnotic Writing: How to Seduce and Persuade Customers with Only Your
Words, http://www.flipkart.com/hypnotic-writing-joe-vitale-seduce/0470009799-0xw3f99euh,
accessed March 31, 2010.
67

Web source for product picture (book front cover image).

(145) Vitale, Joe. Hypnotic Writing: How to Seduce and Persuade Customers with Only Your
Words, John Wiley & Sons, New York, 2006.
(146) White, Troy, Biography of Joe Vitale, Internet Marketing Guru Joe Vitale "Who is Dr Joe
Vitale?", http://www.gurusportal.com/joe-vitale/biography/, accessed March 31, 2010.
Web source for photograph of Joe Vitale.
(147) Welcome to the official Joe Vitale podcast, http://www.mrfire.com/podcast.html,
accessed March 31, 2010.
(148) Learn the untold secrets of marketing with Dr. Joe's full line of products, http://
www.mrfire.com/hypnotic-products/books.html, accessed March 31, 2010.
(149) Hypnotic Sales Letters, para 2, http://www.mrfire.com/hypnotic-products/ebooks.html,
accessed March 31, 2010.
(150) Vitale, Joe, Announcing: Dr. Joe Vitale's Hypnotic Writing Wizard!, accessed March 31,
2010.
Software designed to make hypnotic sales letter writing much easier.
(151) Dotson, Larry and Joe Vitale. Hypnotic Sales Letters: 92 Hypnotic Sales Letter
Templates!, L.D. Publishing and Hypnotic Marketing, Inc., 2002, pdf.
(152) Hypnotic Sales Letters, http://www.mrfire.com/hypnotic-products/ebooks.html,
accessed March 31, 2010.
(153) Dotson, Larry and Joe Vitale. Hypnotic Sales Letters: 92 Hypnotic Sales Letter
Templates!, L.D. Publishing and Hypnotic Marketing, Inc., 2002, pages 14 - 16, pdf.
(154) "Give Me 5 Minutes, and I'll Give You The Secret 4-Step Hypnotic Marketing Formula
That Gets ANYONE Massive FREE Web Traffic and Sales", https://
www.hypnoticmarketing.com/, accessed March 31, 2010.
(155) Lee, Martin, About Jay Abraham, http://www.abrahamclub.com/about-jayabraham.html, accessed March 31, 2010.
(156) KimberlyAW, Jay Abraham Review, http://www.imreportcard.com/people/jay-abraham,
accessed March 31, 2010.
(157) Jay Abraham Online Shopping, http://www.abraham.com/products/index.html, accessed
March 31, 2010.
(158) Abraham, Jay, Welcome, http://www.abraham.com/index.htm, accessed March 31,
2010.
(159) Jay Abraham's business biography..., http://www.themrxbook.com/hwnw/abrahambio.html, accessed March 31, 2010.
This is the same picture as the one on Abraham.com, but the image on this website has been
subtly enhanced. So we used it instead.
(160) Kilstein, Harlan, An NLP Technique I (Re)Learned
From Jay Abraham, para 1 - 4, http://www.nlpcopywriting.com/nlp12.html, accessed March
31, 2010.
(161) Kilstein, Harlan, An NLP Technique I (Re)Learned
68

From Jay Abraham, para 22 - 23, http://www.nlpcopywriting.com/nlp12.html, accessed March

31, 2010.
(162) Kilstein, Harlan, An NLP Technique I (Re)Learned
From Jay Abraham, para 11 - 22, http://www.nlpcopywriting.com/nlp12.html, accessed March
31, 2010.
(163) Lady Lee, Books on NLP, http://www2.hawaii.edu/~lady/archive/books.html, accessed
March 31, 2010.
(164) History of neuro-linguistic programming, para 14, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/
History_of_neuro-linguistic_programming, accessed March 31, 2010.
(165) e_lie, I really want to read Red-tail Math, para 15 - 20, http://
www.nlpwhisperinginthewind.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=7935, accessed March 31,
2010.
(166) Steve Andreas, http://www.steveandreas.com/, accessed March 31, 2010.
(167) Cleveland, Kenrick, MAXpersuasion is..., http://www.maxpersuasion.com/About.php,
accessed March 31, 2010.
From Cleveland's web page: "When Jay Abraham put together his Protg training to teach the
skills in marketing that made him famous, he asked Kenrick to teach these high-level
consultants how to use persuasion skills."
Our assertion that Kenrick "Cleveland is the very best" is based on a 2009 personal
communication from a persuasion expert who has apparently done live trainings with every
major persuasion guru in the United States. Since he has experienced these gurus in person,
his opinion carries some weight.
(168) Robbins, Anthony. Unlimited Power: The New Science Of Personal Achievement, Simon &
Schuster, Inc., New York, 1986.
(169) Doc Barham, NLP: The 100 Best Books So Far...Part 1. A Listmania! list, http://
www.amazon.com/NLP-100-Best-Books-Part/lm/2EABCGOG4BEII, accessed March 31, 2010.
(170) Clancy, Frank and Heidi Yorkshire, "The Bandler Method", http://www.americanbuddha.com/bandler.method.htm, accessed March 31, 2010.
A rare article about Bandler's wild early days that was originally published in Mother Jones
magazine. Dated 1989, it offers fascinating insights into the mind, personality, past, and
formative influences of NLP's brilliant co-creator.
(171) Gould, David, April 2002 Practitioner Training review: Bandler, McKenna and Breen,
http://www.deep-trance.com/review/bandler-mckenna-breen.html, accessed March 31, 2010.
-- THE END

To Your Massive Success!

Matt Bacak & Brother Mesmer