Using NLP Anchoring technique in a sales setting
Neuro Linguistic Programming
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What is NLP Anchoring? (How to use it in a sales setting?)
The idea is simple, get a client into a specific mental state (the stronger and more distinct the better), and create an association to it so that the state can be re-accessed (activated) at will.
Example : For a covert form of anchoring that can be used in a sales setting :
So, for a covert form of anchoring, there are 4 skills involved:
1. Access a powerful state
2. Recognize when to set the anchor
3. Anchor the state as specifically as possible
4. Fire the anchor when required
Access a powerful state
If you're trying to sell then you probably want your customer to be in a wanton buying state. The simplest way to access a state is to get the customer to remember a time when they were in that state:
"Can you remember a time when you saw something, and you just had to have it?"
"Have you ever seen something, and just brought it immediately on impulse?"
These kinds of questions force the customer to remember a time that matches the state, and to do that they must access the state. This is key to the success of your nlp anchoring techniques, Other powerful states you may want to access include frustration (about your competitors), clarity, and stubbornness (if they've come to see you with a friend who is trying to put them off).
When to set the NLP anchor?
The key to success with most NLP anchoring techniques is to watch the customer as they access their memories. The best time to anchor the state is exactly as they access the state linked to the memory.
So watch their eyes and keep an eye out for any subtle body movements.
If they suddenly drop their shoulders or become otherwise relaxed, or in some cases become more alert and excited, then this is the time to set the anchor.
NLP eye accessing cues are useful and very dependable, as long as you remember that they are a generalization. The list below is typical for a right handed person. Left handed people tend to have the left and right reversed.
| Movement | Mental Activity | Description |
| Eyes up and to the right | Visual construction(VC) | The client is making an image of something that they have not experienced.While some element of the picture may be from memory, some elements are being imagined |
| Eyes up and to the left | Visual Remembered (VR) | The client is remembering an image of something that happened in the past |
| Eyes to the right | Auditory constructed (AC) | the client is imagining something they have never heard before. (This is one of the least observed accessing cues) |
| Eyes to the left | Auditory remembered (Ar) | The client is remembering a sound from memory. |
| Eyes down and to the right | Kinesthetic (K) | The client is focusing on an internal feeling. |
| Eyes down and to the left | Auditory digital (Ad) | The client is listening to voice inside their head. |
Anchor the state as specifically as possible
Most people anchor with a touch of the elbow or the shoulder are good for this. which can be difficult to use in a sales environment, there are many other ways to create anchors.
- a particular word (especially in a particular tone)
- a particular facial gesture (such as a raised eyebrow)
- a particular gesture such as pointing or scratching your nose
Fire the anchor when required
If you're selling something and you've set an anchor for a very powerful buying state then there are specific times you may wish to fire the anchor.
The first time you show the customer the product you want them to buy, or the moment you bring the contract out to sign are the kind of moments when you should fire the anchor.
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