Conversational Hypnosis In Copywriting

It all began when Robert B. Dilts started using an NLP technique called modeling on one of the main creators of NLP Richard Bandler.

Bandler is an outstandingly persuasive salesperson, and Dilts wanted to acquire his skills using modeling.

The pair turned up with 14 different patterns they named Sleight of Mouth Patterns. They decided to call them that after the term “sleight of hand” – a set of hand skills that illusionists and card sharks use to perform most of their tricks.

In sales and copywriting Sleight of Mouth, sometimes also called conversational hypnosis is mostly used to handle certain objections.

So, when research shows me the common objections to buying what I’m selling, I’ll sometimes include a Q&A section, or an imagined dialogue.

That’s going to put the Sleight of Mouth patterns in context for my reader.

And then here’s what happens.

Let’s assume I’m selling professional direct response copywriting services that use copywriting and NLP techniques at the same time.

So a conversation might go something like this.

“Hey why is this hypnotic b.s. necessary, can’t you make it convincing enough without aggressively manipulating people with shady techniques?”

The following 14 would be the responses to that question using Sleight of Mouth:

1.“I’m happy you don’t want to use aggressive manipulation to sell your products either.”

(Focusing on the intention behind the statement)

2.“Psychiatrists use hypnotherapy to make people’s lives easier every day. Would you find that aggressive manipulation too?”

(Find a consequence that challenges the belief)

3.“Would you rather work with someone else who doesn’t use the power of subconscious influence to make their copy super-convincing, and charges the same fee for their services?”

(Focus attention away from the belief into a different outcome)

4.“Ever read Alice in Wonderland? Dodgson stacked it full of hypnotic patterns. It’s so subtle it’s almost invisible. Not aggressive, not manipulative and not shady at all. That’s how professionals apply these patterns artfully.”

(Give them a counter example to challenge their belief)

5.“Don’t you think that’s an aggressive, manipulative and shady question to ask from a subconscious persuasion expert?”

(Flip the comment)

6.“What makes you think it’s all aggressive, manipulative and shady? Do you know exactly what sort of techniques we’re talking about here?”

(Ask how they know their belief is true and figure out what part of the belief is the issue)

7.“I’m going to assume that it’s not the hypnotic patterns that you have a problem with, but aggressive salespeople, MLMs and sects who misuse them to brainwash people. Well I have a problem with those guys too.”

(Make a plausible argument that they are saying that as a metaphor of something else)

“Hey why is this hypnotic b.s. necessary, can’t you make it convincing enough without aggressively manipulating people with shady techniques?”

8.“So how do you know subconscious influence always feels like aggressive manipulation?”

(Challenge the presupposition behind their belief)

9.“Yeah, okay. We wouldn’t want to be too convincing now, would we?”

(Change the frame size)

10.“Is it more important for you to sell your product, or to be polite about it?”

(Point to their criteria and suggest there’s something more important to consider)

11.“What techniques do you mean, specifically?”

(Take a specific element in their belief system and challenge it)

12.“Are you always accusing people, trying to make them explain themselves?”

(Challenge their belief system by generalising)

13.“Yeah, you’re right. Don’t you think a tiger is being too aggressive when it kills it’s prey?”

(Use an analogy to challenge the belief)

14.“Are you saying every methodology sales people, hypnotherapists and even psychiatrists use to work with people is malicious and intrusive?”

(Say the same thing while changing the implication)

So there it all is.

Now, just a side note.

I’m working on a product that will include a set of audio recordings, a book and a workbook that’s going to teach you how to use these patterns. It will also have some other techniques that can make you extremely convincing in just about every aspect of your life.

It’s going to be ready for a test drive soon enough.

So if you’re interested in hearing about the product launch, or if you’d like a chance to receive a copy in return for a review, please enter your first name and your email address to the form on the right hand sidebar!

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