DEAR budding NLP Practitioner,

  So, you’re thinking about getting into this thing called NLP, and you’re probably shopping around for the best package. There's so much to consider though, isn’t there?  How long it takes, the cost (obviously!), the qualification at the end of it, if there's any support offered after the course has finished & you're back home, is there any kind of money back guarantee, will it be a nice venue...?

  My name’s Jonathan Clark.  I’m an NLP Trainer and I’ve been running these kinds of courses for seventeen years.  I certify people at Practitioner and Master Practitioner level, and I’m always trying to make my courses better and better.  That’s my business.  Yes, I am in the NLP Training business, but my style and approach does not suit everyone. My intention here is to give you some hints and tips about how to choose an NLP Provider, because the varying standards in the NLP community affect my reputation.

  I’ve personally attended several NLP Practitioner, Master Practitioner and Trainers Training courses, as well as countless other seminars and workshops.  I’ve invested tens of thousands in training, and I’ve been on all kinds of courses, from the really awful to the totally mind blowing!

  Maybe you know someone who’s done an NLP training and you’ve noticed how much they’ve changed.  Possibly you read an NLP book and like what you’ve seen so far.

 There’s a whole bunch of things I think you need to think about before you spend a whole lot of time, money and energy.  Think about it – you’ll probably only ever do one NLP Practitioner course in your lifetime, so you’d better get it right.

  You see, I've learned that NLP training is the subject of much confusion. In fact, people have so many misconceptions about NLP that I decided to offer this consumer awareness guide so when you select an NLP company, you can make an informed & intelligent decision.

  NLP came about through modelling how things work. Many NLP Trainers teach you one set of principles, yet seem to live by another.  While the syllabus is usually the same, the method of delivery and standards of training vary dramatically.
 

 All NLP Trainers are the same, and they’re all good at NLP – sorry, also not true.  Unfortunately there are sharks in every industry, and personal development is no exception.  Many teachers are up there because they need the significance and adulation of their “fans”.  So it’s all about them, not about you.

“It’s a little advice I want really – I’m on my 2^nd module of an NLP Practitioner course and today when I told the Trainer about a situation that happened to me, I said I tried to apply what I had been taught but it didn’t work for me and the event was quite upsetting.  I was told I was lazy and trying to take the easy way out.  This really upset me.  Is this part of the training or is it time to find a new Trainer?  I don’t know how much experience they have but they seem to be referring to books the whole time I am there.”

Do your due diligence and make sure you know how long they’ve been around, try and see them or listen to them in action first, talk to previous clients.

Different schools of NLP focus on different areas – most on business and influencing skills, many on communication, a small few on physical healing.  Make sure you choose a company that deals in your area.

You can learn NLP from books and videos – in fact, there are CD courses galore on Ebay that GIVE you certificates just for listening to the disks.  I wonder what they say on them?  “I hereby certify that the above named knows how to press PLAY on her stereo”!?!  Beware ANY NLP person who claims you have valid certification just because you listened to some CDs or watched some DVDs.  I ask you – how did you get your qualifications?  Think about it – can you learn to swim by watching the Olympics on the telly?  No, didn’t think so…