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
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.
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?
This material is EXCELLENT thanks Steve, 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.
Steve
Ehy Steve,
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.
Steve 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.
Steve 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 Steve,
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 Steve!
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 Steve!
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 Steve,
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”.