Communication Skills

Strategies, tools and techniques to be effective at communication.

Outcome

Learn a wide range of new and powerful communication techniques and processes.

Benefit

Improve your ability to listen, communicate and persuade through the way you interact with others.

Subscriber Content

Operating - Communication Skills Work Book

Operating - Communication Skills PDFDownload

Tools and Techniques

Compelling Introduction Would you like to know how to introduce yourself in such a way, that people are convinced that you are an authority on the topic you are speaking about. in less than 120 seconds?

What

There are many elements to being successful when presenting from a stage. This can include what you say, how you say it, the order in which you present information, where you stand, how you introduce yourself and much much more.

Below you will learn about starting with a compelling introduction. The way you introduce yourself so you make it clear you are an authority on the topic you are presenting and that you belong on stage.

How

Compelling Introduction

You need to communicate who you are, what you have done and why people can trust you. Consider what it is you have done in your life and why that puts you into the position you are in right now to speak to the group. You may also consider starting with a ‘why’ question or statment to anchor the audience into the purpose of your presentation. Consider the following headings.

• Why question/statement:
• Thank You:
• Name:
• History Snap Shot:
• Immediate Paste:

Answer these and you should have something like the following.

• “Have you ever wanted to learn the basics of presenting successfully from a stage?”
• “Thank you for taking some time our of your day to join me now to chat.”
• “My name is Robert Way.”
• “I have spent the last 15 years obsessed with personal development. I have studied it, applied it, taught people how to use it to better their lives. I have done this for Government agencies, private businessess and individuals.”
• “Most recently I took a group of communications experts through using visual, auditory and kinaesthetic language in content writing to help them expand their use of language.”

So in this introduction I have shared why we are here to prime the audience for the content, thanked them for their time, ensured they remember my name, demonstrated I have a lot of experience (years and years), shown the types of businessess I have worked with so they can see them selves in at least one fo them, and given them an immediate example of me applying the skills I have described in a current context.

All of this can be delivered in less than 120 second, setting up the whole presentation, compelling the listener to pay attention because you know what you are doing.

What Else

When designing your compelling introduction, make sure you consider your audience, what might have caused them to show up and what they will want to get out of the session. Use this thinking to then identify what areas of your life experience best demonstrate you are in a position to have an opinion on the topic. You want to make sure you have a collection of anecdote’s to use for all different scenarios.

Elicitation Would you like to know how to elicit information from people you speak with? Maybe find out information without the need to be direct? For now you will have to start with this book.

The Dark Arts of Business - ElicitationDownload

Hypnosis

Example hypnosis inductions, used to help shift the minds perception of problems.

Example Inductions

What

Dave Elman was a master of direct induction, basically telling people exactly what to do and how to do it, to great effect. Most of the stage hypnosis you see is the Elman induction method.

All trance is about learning how to go into a trance. In Elman’s style of hypnosis it’s extremely important that the team member/client follow the suggestions of the operator each step of the way. If the individual is ahead of you, stop the process and back up. You are teaching them to follow instructions; which will allow them to succeed at the deeper levels of trance.

Milton Erickson is known as the father of hypnosis, he specilised in indirect induction. The ericksonian method of hypnosis took advantage of everything in an environment, creating ambiguity for the listener and eliciting the hypnotic state.

How (script examples)

Dave Elman

Script 1

“Take a long slow deep breath as I raise my hand above your eyes … just follow my hand with your ~ eyes, and as I bring my hand down, allow your eyes to continue to follow it and exhale, letting go. All of the tensions wash away from your body as you RELAX completely. Closing your eyes.”

“Now Focus your awareness and attention on your eyes. And I want you to relax the muscles around your eyes, so much so, that they will not work. Just relax all the muscles around your eyes so that they will not work and then I want you to try to open your eyes, only when you’re certain you cannot. So go ahead and try … and find that you can’t.”

“Now just allow the same relaxation that you’ve just felt in your eyes to wash over your entire body. From the top of your head all the way DOWN to the tips of your toes, like a warm waterfall of relaxation all the way from the top of your head down to the tips of your toes … “

“Now we can deepen that level of relaxation even more … in a moment, I’m going to ask you to open your eyes, not yet, but in a moment, and when I do I want you to remain deeply relaxed and then when you close your eyes again, just allow it to take you ten times as deep as you are right now, both physically and mentally. So right now, Open your eyes … (lead their eyes with your hand or two fingers) And close them going ten times as deeply relaxed as you were a moment ago. Deeply, deeply, relaxed, dreaming, drifting, dropping, falling, Very good. Now we can deepen that level of relaxation even more. (Repeat 3 -4 x).”

In a moment, I’m going to test your body for relaxation … I’m going to lift your arm, and if you are as relaxed as you need to be your arm will be limp like a wet rag, or a rag doll … so as I lift your (right or left) arm, if you’re as relaxed as you need to be, it will fall back into your lap like a limp wet rag … ” (Lift their arm and drop it back into their lap if it’s not limp, repeat step four)”

“Good! Now, that same level of relaxation that you felt in your body can also be transferred to your mind. In order to help you relax, I want you to imagine yourself on a beach, sitting at the waters edge. And imagine in your mind’s eye that you have a stick in your hand. Now in a moment I want you to begin to write numbers in the sand and I want you to count from one hundred on backwards. As you write the number you’ll also say it out loud. Then in between every count I want you to double the level of your mental relaxation as you imagine a wave washing the number away. Now say the number 100 as you write it in the sand … ” (Wait for response) “Good … double your level of mental relaxation … and let the wave wash the number away … Say the number 99 … (Response) “Double your mental relaxation … and let the wave wash the number away … say 98 … ” (Response) “Deeper relaxed … watch the wave wash it away … say 97 … ” (Response) “Deeper relaxed … watch the wave wash it away … Now just wash the numbers and the counting right out of your mind … just wash them right out of your mind … disappearing, going, going, gone … evaporating like water on a hot sunny day … Very good.”

Do Intervention, making sure to USE ONLY POSITIVE, Empowering LANGUAGE AND SUGGESTIONS GEARED TOWARD RESOLUTION.

“In a moment I’m going to count from 1-5. as I count you will awaken 20% with each count.”

• Locking these suggestions deep at the unconscious level.
• Feeling a sense of vibrancy and alertness returning.
• Wondering what it will be like to look with new eyes
• Coming all the way up now and wide awake, wonderfully refreshed, wide awake

Script 2

Convincers are a fun way for individuals to test their depth of hypnosis

Closed eyes

“Close your eyes … you are going fast asleep … fast asleep … and will sleep until I tell you … until the point that I awaken you, at which point you will awaken quietly and easily … but for now … sleep … you are going fast asleep and you will sleep until I tell you … sleep … you will sleep until I tell you … ” (continue for 5 minutes)“

Locked Eyes

“Now it’s time to have some fun with our first test. Your eye lids are becoming locked … they are glued shut. They are becoming locked tighter and tighter Your eyes are shut and you cannot open them they are shut tighter, locked, welded shut and they will not work. Now I want you to try to open them and find with some amusement you cannot. Go ahead and TRY and find that you can’t.”

Sleep

“Good . now just STOP . it’s not worth it . just STOP . they’re too heavy … and Sleep … you’re going fast asleep and will sleep until I tell you, at which point you will awaken quietly and easily but for now sleep just sleep … “

Stiff arm

“OK now it’s time for our next fun test. So just notice your arm . your right arm . is becoming stiff and rigid rigid and stiff . it’s so stiff and rigid . just like an iron bar . it’s solid and rigid and stiff You cannot bend your right arm it’s solid and rigid . It’s impossible to bend, solid and rigid just like an iron bar so is your right arm, rigid and stiff, rigid and stiff … now go ahead and try to bend it and find with some amusement that you can’t. (give a moment to try) That’s right … just stop … “

Sleep

“Good … now just relax … relax … totally and completely relax … and Sleep … you’re going sound asleep … sound asleep and will sleep until I tell you at which point you will awaken quietly and easily … but for now just sleep … just sleep … “

Weak legs

“Very good … now your legs are getting heavier and heavier … getting heavier and heavier … feel the weight of your legs … getting so very heavy. They’re like lead weight rooted to the ground … heavier and heavier … so heavy that they won’t work … in fact they are so relaxed that It’s impossible to move them, feel the weight so heavy … and now try to lift your legs and try in vain and find that you cannot. Go ahead and TRY and find with some amusement that you can’t.”

Sleep

“Good … now just STOP they’re too heavy, just STOP … just let it go … it feels so good to just leave them there and go deeper and deeper asleep … you’re going sound asleep, sound asleep and you will sleep until I tell you, at which point you will awake quietly and easily but for now … just sleep … dreaming, drifting, dropping, falling … sleep.”

Automatic movement

“Now listen carefully, another depth test … It’s time for us to discover just what your hands can do. Now let’s start your hands rotating. (Help client) Here they go round and round … faster and faster. They are rotating faster and faster … and you might find with some delight that you can’t stop them … it’s so delightful to let them turn … in fact the harder you try to stop them the more they continue to go around and around.”

Sleep

“Good … now sleep … just let your hands STOP and come back to your lap … sleep … you are going sound asleep and will sleep until I tell you at which point you will awaken quietly and easily … but for now sleep … going sound, sound asleep … sleep … “

Talking in your sleep

“Now I want you to dream a wondrous dream … and in this dream … you’re talking in your sleep. We’ve all known people who’ve talked in your sleep … so just go ahead and dream … and talk in your sleep … I’m going to ask you some questions and you will find it easy to respond … while dreaming of talking in your sleep … ‘What’s your name … ?’ ‘Do you have any brothers or sisters … ?’ ” (AVOID EMOTIONAL QUESTIONS)

Sleep

“Good … now sleep … once again going sound, sound asleep … going deeper and deeper asleep and will sleep until I tell you, at which point you will awaken quietly and easily, but for now just sleep … going sound, sound asleep … “

Sleep walking

“In a moment, I’m going to ask you to stand. You’ve seen people in your sleep before … you’ll be in a dream as if your dreaming of walking in your sleep … it’s easy to do. You’ve seen sleepwalkers . so just sleep and stand it’s easy to do . to stand up . so go ahead and stand and walk (MAKE SURE TO GUIDE THEM) walking you’re finding it easy to use your leg muscles while you remain deeply asleep . while standing . ” (PUT A CHAIR BEHIND THEM AND GUIDE THEM TO SIT DOWN) “Now, there’s a chair right behind you … just go ahead and sit … sit safely back down … “

Sleep

“Good . now sleep . relax once again going sound, sound asleep . relaxing very muscle, every nerve, every fiber in your body relaxing totally and completely . feeling a warm waterfall of relaxation washing over your body and you’ll sleep until I tell you, at which point you will awaken quietly and easily, but for now just sleep … sleep … “

Visual hallucinations

“Now listen carefully. In a moment you’re going to awaken from the neck up only . your mind will remain asleep and your body can remain asleep while your head can awaken with no recognition of your body. Your mind can remain asleep and your body can remain asleep, yet you can awaken from the neck up … so now … when your ready … just go ahead and open your eyes … Open them now … and remain deep asleep … open your eyes and remain sound asleep … and you’re still dreaming, so I want you to dream of this tennis ball. Dream of the tennis ball being held in my hand … open your eyes and look at the tennis ball in my hand ‘What colour is it (RESPONSE) ‘What’s the number on it … ?’ (Throw it up and see if their eyes follow it). Good, now close your eyes.” (MOTION WITH HAND)

Sleep

“And Sleep … sleep … you are going sound asleep, sound asleep, and will sleep until I tell you at which point you will awaken quietly and easily, but for now … go sound, sound asleep … relaxing every nerve and every fiber in your body … sleep … and you’ll sleep until I tell you sleep … “

Full body catalepsy

“Now . in a moment, you’re going to stand up again. I will help you, you’ll find it easy to do . You will remain deeply, deeply asleep as you stand as if you’re dreaming a wondrous dream while you stand you’ll remain deeply asleep deeply asleep . so go ahead and stand, while remaining deeply asleep . finding it easy to do stand yet remain sound asleep . good . NOW Become totally stiff, totally rigid, your body is stiff and rigid, like a steel bar. Stiff and rigid, stiff and rigid, your body is stiff and rigid like a steel bar … totally rigid … totally stiff … rigid and stiff … rigid and stiff” (TEST WITH FINGERS FOR RIGIDITY) Have an assisting team help you to lower the subject to be suspended between two chairs. Allow them to fully experience it. The team will then assist you to lift the subject. Once subject is standing again, place chair behind subject. “There’s a chair right behind you now, so go ahead and sit down, down, down … “

Sleep

“And Sleep … sleep … you are going sound asleep, sound asleep, and will sleep until I tell you at which point you will awaken quietly and easily, but for now … go sound, sound asleep … relaxing <:: every nerve and every fiber in your body … sleep … and you’ll sleep until I tell you sleep … “

Remove all suggestions

“Any and all suggestions for testing are now removed … all other suggestions for learning and life-enhancement can remain powerfully in place.”

Exit

In a moment I’m going to count from 1-5. as I count you will awaken 20% with each count.

• Locking these suggestions deep at the unconscious lever.
• Feeling a sense of vibrancy and alertness returning.
• Wondering what it will be like to look with new eyes
• Coming all the way up now and Wide awake, wonderfully refreshed, wide awake

Milton Erickson

Script 1

“Have you ever experienced trance before…right now? Can you remember the last moment before the last time you fell asleep? …And as you think of that state…. Did you experience trance to be similar to the waking state, or different from the waking state? I wonder if you…can just find a spot to look at comfortably And as you continue to look at the spot, I wonder if your eyes will begin to grow heavy or if they will just begin to blink…”

“Do your eyes want to continue blinking slowly, or will those eyes begin to blink more quickly… Perhaps they want to flutter a little before they close…your eyes…and begin to dream? Will you begin to dream now, or will you wait until you are deeper…relaxed to dream?”

“That’s right. And can you notice how heavy your eyes feel..the relaxation? Could you imagine the feeling of being so relaxed right now, that your unconscious begins to drift…dreaming, drifting dropping, falling…dreaming and drifting….“

Suggestions

Install the desired suggestions that will empower.

Exit

“In a moment I’m going to count from 1-5. as I count you will awaken 20% with each count.”

• Locking these suggestions deep at the unconscious level.
• Feeling a sense of vibrancy and alertness returning.
• Wondering what it will be like to look with new eyes
• Coming all the way up now and
• Wide awake, wonderfully refreshed, wide awake

Script 2

Set up

“Perhaps you would be more comfortable with your feet flat on the ground and your finger tips lightly on your lap”

On breath exhalation

“Have you ever experienced trance before … right now? (If no, can you remember the last moment before the last time you fell asleep? And as you think of that state …)“

Did you experience trance to be similar to the waking state, or different from the waking state?

On breath inhalation

“I wonder if you … Can just find a spot to look at comfortably”

“And as you continue to look at the spot, I wonder if your eyes will begin to grow heavy or if they will just begin to blink …”

“Do your eyes want to continue blinking slowly, or will those eyes to begin to blink more quickly… perhaps they want to flutter a little before they close … your eyes … and begin to dream?”

On breath exhalation

“Will you begin to dream now, or will you wait until you are deeper … relaxed to dream?“

“That’s right. And can you notice how heavy your eyes feel … the relaxation?“

Could you imagine the feeling of being so relaxed right now, that your unconscious begins to drifting, dreaming, drifting, dropping, falling … dreaming, and drifting …

On breath inhalation

“Now I don’t know if you’ve noticed this yet, but have you noticed that one of your hands is beginning to feel differently than the other?”

“And I wonder if that difference in feeling could cause that hand to begin to twitch?”

“And I wonder if that twitching could begin to escalate … and I wonder if you could imagine what it would feel like if that entire hand and arm were filled with helium air, from the tips of the fingers all the way to the shoulder?“

“And as your body gets more and more relaxed, can your hand fee/lighter and lighter causing it to begin to lift ?“

“And as your hand begins to lift, does just one or both hands want to continue lifting, lifting, higher and higher?“

“That’s right. And does the hand (or hands) continue lifting, lifting, lifting as it is, or will the lifting get smoother or less smooth as the hand continues upward toward your face?”

“Now does it slow down or does it get faster and faster as it moves toward your face and touches your face … deepening your relaxation?“

“And will the hand to touch your face gently taking your body further into relaxation?”

On breath exhalation

“That’s right. Perhaps you won’t even notice how much deeper your relaxation becomes as you slowly rest your hand(s) back on your lap.”

“Perhaps your unconscious now knows here that you can hear yourself dream of everything you know“

Suggestions

Install positive, helpful suggestions.

Exit

“In a moment I’m going to count from 1-5. as I count you will awaken 20% with each count.”

• Locking these suggestions deep at the unconscious level.
• Feeling a sense of vibrancy and alertness returning.
• Wondering what it will be like to look with new eyes
• Coming all the way up now and
• Wide awake, wonderfully refreshed, wide awake

Pain Control We have all heard that pain is in the mind. This is an example script that might help control some of that pain.

What

If done right, hypnosis can be used to control pain (real or perceived). This script is an example of the process a practitioner might use to achieve ‘Pain Control’.

Keys to Pain Control

Prior to doing pain control, ALWAYS have the individual indicate what their level of pain is on a scale from 0-100. This will give you the ability to calibrate at the end of the process how much the pain has descended.

When doing a “glove anesthesia” in which the individual imagines part of their body going numb, it is best to “anesthetize” a part far away from the pain. This makes it easier to transfer the anesthesia later. For example, use the hand for this process, providing it not the hand itself where they experience pain.

It is also key here as in any hypnotic induction that you are totally congruent with your own suggestions that the hand is “totally numb … totally and completely numb.”

How

Steps to Pain Control

1) Pre frame difference between anaesthesia and analgesia.

“Anesthesia is where there is no feeling, analgesia is where there is feeling, but no pain. We’ll shoot for anesthesia, but if we hit analgesia would that be OK?”

2. Once in trance, lead them into a “sub-induction” such as a winter wonderland where you can do a “glove anesthesia,” creating a scenario in which the individual sticks their hand into a snow bank until it is “totally and completely numb.”

3. When the individual affirms their hand is getting numb, let them know you are going to touch it to test:

“In a moment I’m going to begin working with your hand … you may feel me working, but it won’t bother … “

Pinch the back of their hand while continuing suggestions of extreme cold until they verify that the hand is numb. (The hand may become physically cold, but not always.)

4. Once the hand is sufficiently numb, begin to have them flow a river of anesthesia from that hand to the place in their body where they require pain control:

**“While you conscious mind continues to flow the river of anesthesia, I want to speak directly to your unconscious right now. **If your conscious mind wants to listen in, that’s okay, or it can just continue to flow the river or anesthesia … but I want to speak directly to your unconscious now … “

5. Thank the unconscious mind for creating the pain:

“I’d like to thank you. Thank you for creating the pain. You’ve done a wonderful job in creating the pain … and one thing that I know is that pain serves a purpose. So thank you FOR CREATING THAT

6. Talk about paying attention vs. paying with pain:

“I know that in life, we either pay attention, OR we pay with pain. So the only reason we might experience pain, is because at some level you’ve failed to pay attention to the needs, the wants, and the desires of your body … AT SOME LEVEL.”

7. Pace and lead them to begin paying attention:

“Oh, and by the way, the very fact that you’re sitting where you’re sitting, listening to the sound of my voice, thinking those thoughts you’re thinking, and going through this process means… YOU’RE PAYING ATTENTION … “

8. Focus on healing the body:

“So now that you’re paying attention … wouldn’t it make more sense to focus your energies on healing the body rather than hurting the body? Wouldn’t that make more sense? … So go ahead and LET IT GO .. .let go of the pain … just let it all go!”

9. While individual remains in trance, check in to get their current level of pain,

“Now just because I like to check in from time to time to see where you’re at on a scale from zero to one hundred where are you now?”

10. Their level of pain should drop down immediately. If client does not give number below 50% on pain scale after some continued suggestions of the “river of anesthesia,” address any possible secondary gain:

“Now I know that sometimes some people get some form of emotional benefit by having pain … now you may wonder ‘what kind of benefit could somebody get by having pain?’ and I don’t know, some people get out of work by having pain, some people get love, or get themselves to slow down by having pain. Now I’m not saying this is the case with you, but just in case just in case there is any emotional benefit to having the pain l’d like to suggest that you absolutely deserve that benefit you absolutely deserve it and I’d also like to suggest that over the next seven nights your unconscious can dream a wondrous dream and provide you with three alternative ways to achieve the same benefit that you used to get from the pain … now you may be wondering what those ways will be … oh I don’t know .. .it might be something as simple as throwing a ball for a puppy, or taking time out fro yourself, or reading a book I don’t know but over the next seven nights you will dream and your unconscious will provide you with three alternative ways of achieving the same benefit that the pain used to give you And now just because I like to check in from time to time to see where you’re at … on a scale from O-lOO where are you now?”

11. Whatever their response, use the number as a gauge for later progress. Meanwhile, install a new strategy for dealing with pain:

“In the future should experience any pain, I’d like to suggest that you can just STOP. And begin to pay attention begin to PAY ATTENTION to the needs, the wants and desires of your body … “

Repeat this suggestion 3 times before bringing them up and out of trance

12) Count back up, in a moment I’m going to count from 1-5. as I count you will awaken 20% with each count.

• Locking these suggestions deep at the unconscious level.
• Feeling a sense of vibrancy and alertness returning.
• Wondering what it will be like to look with new eyes
• Coming all the way up now and
• Wide awake, wonderfully refreshed, wide awake

Rapid Induction It doesn’t need to take long to create a hypnotic state.

What

Through taking advantage of habit, it can be possible to induce a trance state.

How

Rapid Induction

• “This induction will take you deeper than you’ve ever been before can you sit comfortably like this? (DEMONSTRATE)
• “Good, now what I’m going to ask you to do is to push down on my hand as hard as you can. Go ahead and do that so that I can feel the pressure.” (HAVE THEM TRY IT)
• “Excellent. Now I’m going to count from 1 to whatever, and as I count, I want you to push down on my hand and I want you to double the pressure you’re pushing with, with every count.
• “Now bring your eyes up here to look at my hand (raise hand above eye level) And as your eyes look up here, I want you to push down on my hand … “

5. “One, pushing harder and harder, Two double it … pushing harder and harder, Three keeping your eyes up here … (keeping eyes anchored with your hand) Four double the pressure, pushing harder and harder, Five … double it. Six … Close your eyes … Seven … harder, Eight … “

6) Pull hand out from their hand causing them to lurch forward while simultaneously cradling the back of the individual’s neck with your other hand and rocking it down to their chest.

This looks abrupt, but is actually quite gentle.

7. “Sleep! Going deeper and deeper, deeper and deeper, feeling a warm waterfall of relaxation washing over your entire body, from the top of your head, all the way DOWN to the tips of your toes.”

Convincers

Heavy Legs

Now, I’m going to count from 1 to 5, and your legs will become heavier and heavier with each count. 1… heavy legs … 2 … twice as heavy now 3 so very heavy 4 heavier than that and 5. Now, as your legs are so very heavy, in a moment you’ll try to lift them and find with some amusement that you cannot. So only when you’re sure you can’t move your legs go ahead and try and find that you can’t. (Allow them to try) That’s right, they’re too heavy just stop, let it go, that’s right.

Heavy Eyes

And as your legs were heavy, so are your eyes heavy, heavy eyes, so heavy. I’m going to count from 1 to 5 and with every count your eyes will become more and more heavy with each count 1 heavy eyes … 2 … twice as heavy now 3 so very heavy 4 heavier than that and 5. Now, as your eyes are so very heavy, in a moment you’ll try to open them and find with some amusement that you cannot. So only when you’re sure you can’t go ahead and try and open them and find that you can’t. (Allow them to try) That’s right, they’re too heavy just stop, let it go that’s right. Dreaming, drifting, dropping falling dreaming and drifting dropping, falling.

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