*** Update: I strongly suggest you read the comments at the end of this post. They complement the information in the post and address such topics as safety guidelines when modeling. ***
In a previous article I mentioned that the modeling done in NLP distinguishes itself from other forms of modeling in significant ways. In this article we’ll explore this distinction more deeply.
NLP Modeling is incredibly exciting and rewarding. It leverages the behavioral learning skills that all of us used as small children to develop our first abilities. Unfortunately, most of us lose access to those skills after we grow up. But it’s never too late to bring them back…
Let’s first get a sense of the steps involved in NLP Modeling. There are six of them.
Step 1. Identify a model
This first step requires that we choose a top performer. Maintain as your most important criteria to choose someone who produces outstanding result or results consistently. For instance, you could model a soccer player’s unique way of dribbling. Or you could model a top salesperson’s closing skills. Or you could model a clinician who has an unmatched record for helping patients recover from illnesses. Find someone who can get a result you’d like to produce time and time again, consistently without fail.
Step 2. Assimilate their behavioral patterns unconsciously
Whereas in most modeling methods the modeler acts simply as an outside observer, NLP Modeling demands that the modeler actually step into the shoes of the outstanding performer. Through repeated imitation and practice, you will unconsciously absorb his or her behavioral patterns.
This is the crux of NLP Modeling. So let’s talk about this some more.
When using other modeling methods, you’d be constantly trying to figure out how the top performer is achieving those results. You’d be analyzing his movements, his behavior, his words, his tonality, and so forth, trying to understand consciously how he produces those astonishing results.
NLP Modeling is different. When doing NLP Modeling, you’re supposed to imitate the genius without trying to figure out what’s going on. Just do as he does. Or do as she does. Copy him. Mimic her. But not in a caricatural way. Do it in a genuine way, trying as best as you can to let that person mold you so you become just like her.
As an example, imagine you’d want to model an outstanding tennis player’s serve. In Step 2, you’d actually pretend to be the player, going through the same motions over and over, seeking to emulate the player’s behavior.
For how long should you do that? You do it all the way until you…
Step 3. Produce results similar to those of the top performer
Image Credit: rapgenius.com
You know you’ve unconsciously assimilated the behavioral patterns of the top performer when you produce similar results in roughly the same amount of time. Depending on the modeling project, this may take minutes, hours, days, weeks, months or even years. It all depends on the complexity of the skill you’re working on acquiring.
In the case of our example, you’d know you’ve unconsciously assimilated the other player’s serve once you were able to consistently produce a similar quality of serve.
Criteria are subjective, but you can always enlist outside help to evaluate whether your results are congruent with your model’s.
Step 4. Clean up the pattern
In anyone’s behavior, even that of a top performer, there will always be “white noise”. This simply means that certain parts of their behavior will not be necessary to produce outstanding results. In this step, after you’ve demonstrated that you’ve absorbed the pattern by producing outstanding results, you start testing what actually needs to be included in the pattern and what can be left out.
Let’s go back to our example:
Imagine that you were modeling an outstanding tennis player’s serve. One piece of the player’s behavior is to bounce the ball three times on the court prior to starting his serve motion.
During Step 4, you’d actually test serving without bouncing the ball three times on the court to verify whether that piece of the pattern is essential to maintaining the serve’s quality. You might discover that it’s absolutely necessary and you might also discover that it’s completely dispensable.
Step 5. Build a model
Once you’ve cleaned up the pattern, it’s time to figure out what’s going on and to create a description of what you and the outstanding performer are doing. The key here is to describe this in a way that anybody truly committed to mastering the pattern can do it.
Step 6. Pass it on
This is where the rubber meets the road. The last step and master purpose of the modeler’s job is to transfer or teach the pattern to someone else. In this step, you’d take the model you created in Step 5 and transfer it to a new person. If this proves difficult, you might find it necessary to modify the description you created of the pattern until transferring it becomes easy.
The most elegant models can be absorbed very quickly by a committed learner.
Conclusion
There you have it! The 6 Master Steps of NLP Modeling. If you’re interested in furthering your comprehension of NLP Modeling, read Whispering In The Wind by John Grinder and Carmen Bostic St Clair. The distinguishing characteristic of NLP Modeling exists in Step 2. In most other forms of modeling, the modeler acts as a mere observer. In NLP Modeling, the modeler gets deeply involved in the modeling process.
That’s how as a small child you developed your first behaviors. How about claiming that unique skill back and using it to increase your overall sense of personal excellence?
About Martin Messier
This material is EXCELLENT thanks Martin, I recently started a life coaching course almost a month ago to get my foot into the nlp industry as I had been listening to Anthony Robbins work for quite a while. So Thanks for this page
Thanks for the comment, Shane. It’s great to hear from you.
Ehy Martin,
first of all Thank you for this article and all the links in the other one about modelling.
My question is:
when I find a model, should I tell him that I m going to model him or just befriend him, spend a lot of time with my model and do all the job in secret….
Thank you
Hey Fabio,
Good to hear from you. The answer is really “it depends”. In extensive modeling projects, you may want to let your examplar know what’s going on. This could happen in cases when you want to model someone’s full communication framework, for instance. If you want to model Steve Job’s preparation for a presentation, he’s going to have to be in on it.
In other cases, you may want to model a micro-behavior or just a few patterns. For instance, you may want to model a particular closing technique from a top salesperson. No need to let her in on what you’re doing. Just absorb the patterning until you can replicate results.
Martin thank you,
I have been in many other NLP websites but this one is simple, clear and very useful!
It’s like a little pearl.
My last question is:
when you say “Just absorb the patterning until you can replicate results”
you are talking about outcome results..don’t you?
I have been confused about performance goals, outcome goals and while in a first instance I was thinking performance goal is actually the best thing to focus on, because the result comes from the performance (at least I guess so…), but in a modeling project I have the impression that is actually the outcome that counts.
For instance:
Until I don’t get her same number of sales, her same amount of money (that she constantly get) I m not “her” yet…so the phase number2 is not finished yet..
Can you clarify this for me?
Thank you.
All the best
Fabio
Fabio,
You wrote:
“I have been confused about performance goals, outcome goals and while in a first instance I was thinking performance goal is actually the best thing to focus on, because the result comes from the performance (at least I guess so…), but in a modeling project I have the impression that is actually the outcome that counts.
For instance:
Until I don’t get her same number of sales, her same amount of money (that she constantly get) I m not “her” yet…so the phase number2 is not finished yet…”
Yes, what matters is the end result. And you have to define specifically what that end result is at the onset of your modeling project.
You can choose a macro-result like the one you stated above: same number of sales. You can also choose more micro-results from your exemplar’s repertoire: making the prospect say yes to you three times in a row.
In sports, for instance, you could model a player’s complete style of play, or you may want to model just a particular dribbling pattern that makes him or her effective.
Your end result might be: “play the game like such player”.
Or it could be: “get past a defender using such pattern”.
As you correctly pointed out, phase 2 isn’t over until you can consistently demonstrate that result without actually knowing how you pull it off.
Martin do you believe me that these answers,
this blog and all the sources you posted are enlightening for me?
Now I understand why I didn’t get the results I wanted even putting all my blood into it,
I was going in the wrong direction..
I m so excited about NLP modeling, I m really committed into it now!
I know what I want very well and I know the people able to get consistently the results I was struggling for from years.
I straight away contacted a couple of them, but they refused to be modeled…
So I read in “Whispering in the wind” that Grinder did some covert hypnosis to Ericksson to get him convinced to see them straight away, (I think that Ericksson just recognized that these two guys were “brave” to do that, I don’t believe he got hypnotized)
How do I get a model to let himself “being modeled”for a long term project?
I mean,
What’s in there FOR HIM?
Hi Martin,
Because I m gonna start my modeling project in the next weeks, I ve a question for you..
I ve read that in NLP modeling after you reach the same results of your model (step3), you clean the patterns getting rid of the useless things. (step4).
Then you build a model (step 5) and you transfer it (step6).
Given that my goal is to get the same results of my model (or possibly even more consistent!)
WHY should I do step 5 and 6?
I can get his same results at step 4.
UNLESS step 5 and 6 give to me an edge that make me even better than my model.
Is it like that?
Thank You VERY MUCH!
Fabio
Hey Fabio,
Good questions. Technically, if all you care about is replicating those results for yourself, you could be done at step 4.
There are, however, a few advantages to moving on to step 5 and 6.
1. You’ll be able to teach others how to get the results in much less time. You may not need this right now, but it might come in handy at some point.
2. It will help you clean up the model even more. While you will do some of that in step 4, having the model explicitly in front of you will help you detect additional patterns that can be streamlined.
3. You may be able to derive and design other models from this one and enhance its applications. For example, once you code a motivational language pattern for sports explicitly, you can start playing with it to apply it covertly to different contexts.
With that said, it’s really a matter of personal choice for the modeler. You can choose to go all the way in your modeling process or stay at step 4. Some modelers may find it valuable to train themselves in all the modeling skills, while others may feel content just having the result.
It’s up to you.
Ehy Martin!
THANK YOU!!!!!!!
Even if on the web everyone says that Robbins is a modeler…
anyways I couldn’t find anywhere (yet) WHO specifically he modeled!
I checked on the web for days and the most I found was my same question on an Nlp forum… with no answers
Do you know WHO HE ACTUALLY MODELED?
Also…
changes in people and their lifes)
I know this might sound a bit “rash” but
(making it very easy) is it “true” to say that Tony Robbins
modeled excellent people in a field he likes (motivation, nlp, I don’t know what else anyways all stuff that produce ultra positive
and then he modeled the best marketers in order to “sell with excellence his excellence?”
so
1- Choose field X
2- (through modeling) Excellence in field X
3- (through modeling) Excellence in selling your products (books, seminars..) about X
THIS FORMULA LOOKS VERY EASY,
(limiting belief 
)
so easy that my first thought is that it’s probably too easy to be true
What do you think?
Fabio
ps. I m writing from London. Where are you?
Fabio,
Tony modeled several performers in several different fields. Jim Rohn, Peter Guber, Grandmaster Jhoon Rhee, Jay Abraham, a top financial trader he mentions a lot. The list is endless.
Tony describes modeling as his key approach to achieving results in any area of life, so it’s a tool he leverages constantly to absorb new patterning.
Hey Martin!
how is going?
I ve a question for you!
What advices would you give to someone that is modeling from videotapes?
I read that Bandler and Pucelik did it with Perls.
How can a modeler maximize the results of a modeling project done using videotapes?
How can a modeler get the most beautiful results from videos?
(of course, giving that, the videos portray the model acting in parallel contexts to the ones where the modeler is going to work)
Looking forward your answer!!!!!
Fabio
Fabio,
The steps to follow are the exact same as with a live exemplar. Simply follow the steps and you’ll maximize results. Obviously, having a live person gives you many more reference points. However, your approach as a modeler will remain the same.
Hey Martin,
honestly,
you know what is the biggest huge obstacle I am finding in modeling?
GET THE GENIUS TO BE MODELED!
It’s easy to say: model the best. But if tomorrow I call Jay Abraham how do I get him to let me be around him for 9months to model what he does?
or Peter guber?
HOW DID TONY GET THESE PEOPLE TO BE MODELED?
ps.
I tried to contact some geniuses but there are so many gatekeepers and stuff like that that unless I am already “someone”.
Hi Martin-
I can only hope you are still replying on the comments to this thread. My question is this, suppose I want to model an actor, not a Hollywood superstar, but someone that has only been in 1 movie. He is a real ladykiller(stud with the ladies, charmer, romantic, and the women love him for his overall demeanor towards them-NO NOT JAMES BOND, btw) anyways, there is nothing really that special about this person, where’s ordinary street clothes, but has an amazing capacity to talk to the women in the film with a very sexy voice, and has the body language in conjunction with these sweet talks. I thought he was a fascination character, is there still a chance that this person can be modeled?? Even thought the actor is long dead now. Moreover, I just want to model his voice skills and whatever body language he demonstrated in the film. Can this be attempted without ever knowing that particular person?? Let me know, this is useful knowledge that can make my life much more fulfilling and successful, even if the act of modeling that person improves and or replicates some good experiences. Yeah Martin, please let me know your thoughts on this issue. Thanks -Michael Fields
Hey Mike,
You’re in luck. Not only am I still answering the thread, but I’m on right now.
So you want to model a movie character. From what I understand, it’s not even an actor.
You can try modeling the character and see if you can get the same results he does through his behaviors.
The challenge I find with your project is simple. Movie characters and movie situations are, as you know, fictitious. So their counterparts don’t necessarily react realistically.
If I were you, though, I wouldn’t do that. I’d find a real person who gets real world results.
Let me ask you this: what prevents you from running your modeling project on a real person, with organic behaviors and organic reactions from his surroundings?
Martin what up?
Seems like you still respond to older topics ..just jumped on this site.
And alot of things wrong with this pop in my mind reading this.
1) why would you ever want to model whole people?
Ive learned alot of natural hypnosis it seems as when i was younger i spend alot of time ”trancing out” on movies even though you definatly cant modell movie characters unless your in some kind of pickup process where your actively meeting and interacting with women but it probably isnt moddeling i moddelled jason stathams energy and sense of masculinity his demeanor and presence did it with lots of dudes and then played with it the next days. tho this probably isnt modeelling, i def tranced out.
i also observed lots of people in the rea lworld. this gave me alot of trouble i started feeling people’s ”energy” inside my sytem i had it with women to i had trouble shutting it off i would observe women and started to feel inclined to walk in their sexxy hip swaying patterns. with flamboyant gaymen i started to get spontanous urges to use feminine handgestures and the speech patterns would hardcore rubbed off on me out of nothing.
it took me some serious time to figure out what this was. it took alot of centering exercises and other experimenting to fix this. its about 80 to 90% gone i still dislike watching tv series with weak spineless characters for this reason theres stil lthat 10%. i think it all started with that tv thing.
long story short why would you want to take on other people whole demeanor based on their unique development values etc. while you have a whole different system.
why would you want to modell a soccer player that devised a unique playing style based on his physique and anatomy his strenths and weaknesses, while i have a different body type with different physical strenths and tendencies.
its the same how in martial arts i wouldnt moddel a dude, might moddel his detemrination killer instinct attides and mindsets, or if his style was simmilar to my preferences i might try stealing pieces , but his style is not mine, your better of with proper learning strategies, tote, visualisation and other principles to maximise your growth and learning of your unique style martial art.
and how exactly do you sort the patterns and get what you dont want flushed out of your system , i had alot of trouble getting thos speech patterns out, but then since i was into pickup my personality was constantly evolving and i was constantly visualising naturally better behaviours so that could be considered a fulltime light trance ( everything i focussed and did back then was about evolving my personality, growing observing and learning new bits and meeting women) so that mightve contributed to it
comments?
later
Hey Calvin,
Good to hear from you. And yes, I still answer comments on ALL POSTS.
You asked: “why would you ever want to model whole people?”
You tell me. Why would you?
You asked: “why would you want to take on other people whole demeanor based on their unique development values etc. while you have a whole different system”
Once again, why would you? There’s a key word in your question: “whole.” That particular word doesn’t set up the question as I think you want it answered.
I don’t. I’d want to take on a particular segment of someone’s behavior. More often than not, it’s unnecessary for you to adopt someone else’s value system to be able to assimilate their behavior.
You asked: “why would you want to modell a soccer player that devised a unique playing style based on his physique and anatomy his strenths and weaknesses, while i have a different body type with different physical strenths and tendencies”
My brother plays soccer. He stands at 6’1. He modeled many of Romario’s dribbling strategies, who stands at 5’7. These strategies made him a more effective player. That doesn’t mean he became Romario. That doesn’t mean he adopted Romario’s attitude. It simply means he was able to produce results similar to Romario’s in similar circumstances. He went on to do the same with Ronaldo moves and Figo moves.
You wrote:
“its the same how in martial arts i wouldnt moddel a dude, might moddel his detemrination killer instinct attides and mindsets [...]”
This might reveal why you have some reserves with regards to modeling. In this phrase, you state you would focus on modeling qualities and attitudes rather than behaviors that are responsible for results.
My recommendation is that you leave out attitudes and qualities and focus on behaviors that produce results.
In “Turtles All The Way Down,” John Grinder points out the importance of setting up filters at the onset of a modeling project. The goal is to only assimilate the patterns you actually want to emulate and filter out the rest.
I don’t remember accurately whether it was in Turtles or in “Whispering In The Wind” (or even in the Whispering Forum), but Grinder attributes some of Richard Bandler’s eventual health challenges to his lack of filters while modeling Milton Erickson. He assimilated more than he wanted to.
You asked:
“how exactly do you sort the patterns and get what you dont want flushed out of your system”
Refer back to my previous answer. The best way to flush them out is to prevent them from coming in in the first place.
If they are already in your system, replace them with other behaviors you find more empowering.
You wrote:
“tho this probably isnt modeelling, i def tranced out.”
Actually, it was. Imprudent modeling, perhaps, but it was. You carried out step 2 of the modeling process using Deep Trance Identification (DTI) successfully. However, you failed to set up protective filters and you probably did not end up coding those models.
You raise important issues in your comment. I will revisit this post and update it with a few safety guidelines for step 2. NLP Modeling is a full-contact sport and is not to be taken lightly if it is to be performed exquisitely.
Hey man, thanks for taking the time to respond.
Il try to get back to this, i keep not having the time to write a proper responce.
For now i think tho the biggest difference is.
the tought of actually taking on somebody elses body mechanics physiology etc makes me cringe,
thats probably because everyday a part of a my focus still is wiring in my own mechanics i should probably see someone for this.
back in the day overtime i developed alot of weird body compulsions and body sensations that i didnt like (from basicly for a longtime passively taking in to much from other people) the way i began interrupting those patterns initially was kind of crude, i basicly go out of my way to maintain my own pattern of movements ive distinguished
because when i make foreign moves it triggers certain muscles witch vaguely arouses older patterns of movements, witch may trigger even older patterns and i fear it triggers that whole chain. because to an extent they still feel fammiliar.
like every now and then when i walk and a muscle group gets tickled jsut a wee bit diff il feel a vague desire to do a feminine hip away walking type movement.
iback in the day i basicly pattern interrupted the older patterns and religously replaced them with the ones i wanted to od then religiously kept doing them.
together with intuitive visualising it and things.
i probably should see someone sometime see if i can fully eradicate it out of my system.
i
anyway i gotta run,
thanks for the responces.
im actually thinkin i probably should find a proper nlp or hypnotherapist and see if i can fuly flush this out.
the main probablem i had was i had to track the patterns so i could change them while also resisting the urges to engage in the compulsive patterns while simulatenously i had to do them a little bit to find out all the triggers and identify the things in my body.
so idid it pretty crudely and messy 50% tought out 50% justp lain ld forcing it away.
having someone guide me, do a proper inventarisation of the issues and come up with the exact nlp applications to this and be guided through it will probably allow a much more fluid and full change .
anyway this ended up bein more about my issue then moddelling.
i see where your coming from with the points you made tho.
good stuff,
Calvin
Calvin,
If you’re interested, contact me directly at martin (at) howtomasternlp.com. Let’s see what we can do about this situation.
Martin
Hey whats going on man,
saw you responded on my hotmail,
had to look twice since you changed your name.
i actually have some time booked with a hypnotherapist in england for some other things, its on lay away because i dont have the time to fully commit to the process right now im to busy with more urgent things.
so i will bring this up with him first see where we can take it.
the motivation goal setting part on your coaching page actually peeked my curiosity earlier tho when i looked at it.
i might still contact you at some point , i havent been able to find a proper product on motivation and goal setting so far. if its self help its usually alot of rah rah
if its more pure NLP its mostly some talk about submodalities but very bland and generic. very robotic recipe form.
i appreciate the offer il keep it in mind for sure.
while im here gonna quickly check out the metamodel post, im liking the site.
i enjoyed the posts about the subconscious distinctions (paraphrasing here) and alot of the posts that were in that catagory (when i clicked next post)
kind of short and consise lil informative pieces. cool stuff.
my intro to nlp was tony robbins so i notice pure nlp tends to approach the subject very differently. i like the posts with all the cool but simple distinctions.
helps me organise alot of the experiental data i have while still keeping it flowing.
Calvin
,