THE 10 MOST USED AND EFFECTIVE NPL TECHNIQUES - ARTE - 2025

The most used NLP techniques are rapport, covert orders, anchoring, body physiology, eye access, external or internal reference, belief changes and illusion of alternative. In this article I will explain them to you in detail.

Neuro-linguistic programming is a working methodology created in 1970 by Richard Bandler (computer scientist and psychologist) and John Grinder (linguist) in which they combine communication, personal development and psychotherapy.

This method focuses on achieving greater self-knowledge, improving communication with others and motivating the person to change to achieve their goals. In addition, research carried out by these authors shows that in NLP improvements can be achieved in mental disorders such as depression, phobias, psychosomatic illnesses, learning disorders…

Some of the authors on whom Bandler and Grinder relied to carry out NLP were Virginia Satir, Milton Erickson, Fritz Perls, Gregory Bateson, Alfred Korzybski or Noam Chomsky.

These two authors speak in their studies about the connection between neurological processes, language and the series of behaviors learned through experience. The latter can be modified to achieve the goals that each individual has in her life.

Thus, Bandler and Grinder affirm that with the methodology of NLP, the abilities of people can be shaped until they achieve their objectives. Later, more recent research by scientists has discredited that it can be used for all these problems.

Although the reality is that today it is still used in multiple areas such as the management of emotions, leadership, the development of creativity, increased communication, as well as in the educational field.

Also, they have been used in the field of psychology, personal development in general, commerce to promote sales, motivation in sports, and in companies at both individual and group levels.

Where does the name of neurolinguistic programming come from?

Neuro-linguistic programming owes its name to the relationship of 3 aspects of the human being that come together in this methodology:

Programming

In the methodology of neurolinguistic programming. Our brain is compared to a machinery, a computer. We organize our experience through mental programs. Thus, our behavior will be guided by these mental programs to achieve our goals.

Neuro

All learning needs a neural network to be carried out, and then to be stored in memory in the short or long term. Through the nervous system the human being builds his perceptions on the experiences he lives and on everything that surrounds him.

Linguistics

This is the last concept on which NLP is based. Language is necessary for communication with others both for our experiences and for learning.

10 NLP Techniques

NLP techniques are useful for all those who need guidance to overcome obstacles and who have resistance to change to get out of the well-known comfort zone.

They serve to provide you with the necessary resources, although to achieve this it is vitally important to want to carry out the change and have the belief that reaching the goal is possible and useful for you.

As you get closer to your goals, your well-being with yourself will increase. The more energy you use in the resources NLP offers you, the more likely you are to succeed. These resources are designed to be applied in your daily life and improve your quality of life.

Next, I am going to explain the most used techniques in NLP.

Rapport

This technique is indicated in situations in which we want to increase our communication with anyone in the environment, be it work or personal.

It aims to create an environment of cooperation and mutual trust where there are no misunderstandings, discussions or judgments and there is active listening between both. The understanding of the message that the other person is wanting to transmit is worked on, as well as managing to communicate to our listener just the message we want to transmit.

We will use the mention of those things that we know that bind us to our listener. With rapport, in addition to making use of verbal language, body language becomes vitally important.

Covert orders

According to this technique, questions are usually formulated ending with an ascending musical intonation, while the orders are formulated with a descending intonation.

Thus, NLP proposes to intone the questions in a descending way, as an order, to achieve the desired effect.

Anchorage

We have already talked about anchoring as a technique to reduce an emotion of discomfort such as anxiety or anguish in a stressful situation. This technique is based on classical conditioning in learning psychology.

Physiology

It is about knowing the functioning of our body and how the postures, the type of breathing, and the heart rate among others influence our behaviors and our emotions.

If we modify our body postures and learn to breathe correctly we can modify our behavior and, consequently, what we transmit to the outside.

Eye access

Ocular accesses are part of physiology and refers to the sequence of eye movements referring to the intention of the person.

Internal or external reference

References are a type of metaprogram, that is, unconscious and systematic mental patterns.

Being aware of both our patterns and those of others helps us increase our self-awareness and our empathy for others.

Specifically, the reference standard helps us to know what the criteria and value standards of our actions are based on. This will be our decision process.

We can distinguish 2 styles of reference:

• Internal Reference: People who use this reference focus on their own point of view, their perspective on the world and their feelings. If we want to influence their opinion, we will use questions such as: how do you feel about the decision you are thinking of taking?
• External reference: people with this type of reference place great importance on the opinion of others and seek consensus with the rest of the people around them. The phrases that we will use will be oriented to expose our point of view, since the person will take it into account (ex: My opinion is that…).

Visual / auditory / kinesthetic

Each person has different channels of preference for decision making (visual, auditory, or kinesthetic).

If, for example, we want to convince a person whose preferred channel is the auditory one, we will use this to propose our goal (for example: "I'm going to tell you about the travel plan I have prepared").

Change of beliefs and empowerment of identity

If we have as a basis that beliefs determine our reality, identifying our current beliefs, our internal conflicts and being aware of a change in these we can modify our reality.

Alternative illusion

The goal of this technique is to convince the other person to do what we want them to do. It consists of giving the person several options to decide, but all of them will be aimed at what we want to achieve.

For example, if our goal is to go to the beach, the question we will ask to achieve our goal will be: are we going to the beach by car or train? Instead of are we going to the beach or not? (here we are giving you the option not to go anywhere).

Modal operators of possibility or necessity

According to NLP, metaprograms are firm thinking strategies that act unconsciously in people. Within these are the modal operators of possibility or necessity in the form of implicit orders of our internal dialogue.

These implicit commands are manifested in the form of words like I must, have, should, need, etc. Each one produces an emotion in the person.

I am going to give a practical example so that it can be better understood. It is very typical to use the phrase: "you can not do this" as a justification for not performing an action and the question we usually ask is why can't you?

If we return this question, the person will be able to give us an infinite list of reasons why they cannot perform the behavior. On the other hand, if the question that we return is “what prevents you?” With this question we direct the person to consider possible solutions to their problem instead of thinking about excuses. That is, attention is focused on the solution.

Practical exercise

Next I am going to develop a practical exercise used in NLP to increase motivational strategies towards a goal or situation.

We would start thinking of an activity that motivates us a lot to do. Imagine a movie in which this type of activity is carried out and perceive the qualities of the action paying attention to all its details. Finish thinking about it and rest.

Look around you and breathe deeply. Next, think of something that you have no interest in paying close attention to what you are feeling.

Look at the image and its qualities. Rest again and breathe deeply. Compare both activities or images trying to focus on all their details. Write a list of elements that have been motivating in this process.

Finally, take an image that belongs to a pleasant experience and change the visual qualities (size, distance, movement, etc.), the auditory qualities and the kinesthetic qualities.

Of all the changes made, stick with the combination of qualities that cause you the most well-being and are the most motivating. Write them down so you can later use them for a situation in which you need motivation.

Benefits derived from the use of NLP

The techniques used in NLP provide a series of benefits through which a wide range of needs and objectives are covered that anyone can consider at some point in their life.

• Increase our self-knowledge.
• Management of emotions: a person can control and manage their emotions and their actions in any situation (for example, it can help you to successfully face a job interview).
• Increase our communication techniques: NLP uses anchoring as a way to achieve goals or overcome certain problems in coping with stressful situations. In the field of communication, one of the most widespread problems is the fear of speaking in public. This situation usually generates feelings of anguish and anxiety. Through the anchoring technique, a pleasant, relaxed and positive moment that we have in our memory is “anchored” and we associate it through visualization techniques to the stressful situation at the exact moment.
• Learn creativity strategies.
• Increase motivational strategies: helps to increase and make motivational strategies more effective both to achieve personal and professional goals.
• Understand our learning style and that of others: our concerns are often motivated by something learned over time. Associations of memories, antecedents that have generated the learning of a thought pattern because it has occurred repeatedly and there comes a point where it is difficult to modify it.
• Increase our ability to achieve personal goals: excuses hidden in the unconscious and that are made automatically encourage us to postpone starting to achieve our goals. It consists of identifying the excuse, making it aware of it in order to later be able to modify it and make the decision for action.
• Develop effective strategies to make decisions.
• Understand, accept, and learn to manage personal and professional change processes.
• Elimination of fears and phobias.

Next, I leave a very explanatory video about the bases of NLP:

References

1. Mohl, A. (1992). The Sorcerer's Apprentice. Neurolinguistic Programming Practical Exercises Manual. Barcelona - Spain: SIRIO Editions
2. Robert Smith technical content 2004-12, Alan Chapman edit and contextual material 2004-2012
3. Thomson, Garner; Khan, Dr Khalid (2015-03-31). Magic in Practice (Second Edition): Introducing Medical NLP: the art and science of language in healing and health. Hammersmith Books Limited.