S1.5 Building Rapport with Neuro Linguistic Programming

Overview

This module explores the application of Neuro Linguistic Programming (NLP) techniques in the wedding photography booking process to enhance rapport with clients and boost sales. It delves into four main techniques: Emotional Anchoring, use of NLP Phrases and Power Words, Kinesics Mirroring, and the Swish Pattern or Mastering Modeling. Each method is explained and contextualized within a wedding photography sales scenario, illustrating how to improve customer relations, influence decision-making, and overcome potential objections, ultimately leading to increased business success.

By The End of This Lesson Students Will Be Able To

1. Understand and apply Neuro Linguistic Programming (NLP) techniques in sales, specifically within the wedding photography booking process.
2. Leverage Emotional Anchoring to create a strong emotional bond between prospects and your photography services by associating your services with positive emotions.
3. Utilize NLP phrases and power words to evoke specific feelings, encourage action, and facilitate rapport with prospects.
4. Employ kinesics mirroring, or mirroring nonverbal cues and communication style, to establish rapport and enhance communication in both face-to-face and virtual meetings.
5. Implement the Swish Pattern or Mastering Modeling to identify and address preconceived notions or biases of prospects, replacing their existing beliefs with new ones that align with your photography services.
6. Use these NLP techniques consciously and effectively to increase conversion rates, build stronger relationships with clients, and enhance the overall success of your photography business.

Course Content

Building Rapport with Neuro Linguistic Programming

Neuro Linguistic Programming (NLP) For The Wedding Photography Booking Process

Neurolinguistic Programming (NLP) is a psychological approach that focuses on understanding the relationship between language, behavior, and cognition. It is widely used in various fields, including psychotherapy, coaching, education, and personal development. Many respectable careers, such as therapists, life coaches, trainers, and business consultants, often employ NLP techniques to help individuals overcome challenges, improve communication, and achieve their goals.

One area where NLP has proven to be particularly effective is in the realm of sales. Successful sales professionals often use NLP techniques, either consciously or unconsciously, to build rapport, influence prospects, and ultimately close deals. By mastering the principles of NLP, sales professionals can gain a deeper understanding of their clients’ needs, communicate more persuasively, and effectively overcome objections.

In the context of wedding photography, many photographers may already be using some NLP strategies without even realizing it. However, having a conscious understanding and control of these techniques can dramatically improve the way your prospects perceive your value to them. By harnessing the power of NLP, you can establish a strong connection with your clients, evoke positive emotions related to your services, and effectively communicate the benefits of choosing you as their wedding photographer. This can ultimately lead to higher conversion rates and a more successful photography business.

NLP Technique #1: Emotional Anchoring

Emotional anchoring is a powerful NLP technique that can be highly effective for wedding photographers looking to convert prospects into customers. By associating your services with positive emotions and experiences, you can create a strong connection with your clients. Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to apply emotional anchoring in your pitch, tailored to photography services:

1. Evoke positive emotions: Pose open-ended questions to encourage your prospects to recall heartwarming and cherished experiences, such as moments of family togetherness, love, or cultural celebrations. You could ask, “What is one of the most precious moments you’ve shared with your families in the past before your upcoming wedding?”
2. Deepen the emotional experience: Urge them to provide more details and describe the emotions they felt during that experience. You might ask, “How did it feel to be surrounded by the warmth of your loved ones in that moment?” Utilize visual language and incorporate sensory details to help them vividly relive the experience.
3. Create an emotional anchor: Once they are fully immersed in the positive experience, introduce a specific phrase that encapsulates the emotions they are feeling, such as “We Capture Precious Moments.” This phrase will serve as the anchor that connects their emotional experience to your photography services.
4. Connect the anchor to your service: Explain how your photography services can capture and immortalize their “We Capture Precious Moments” by illustrating the love, culture, and unity of their special day. Provide examples of your work and testimonials from previous clients to reinforce the connection between the anchor and your services.
5. Reinforce the anchor: Throughout your conversation, consistently refer to the anchor phrase, associating it with the benefits and outcomes they can expect from your photography services. This will help solidify the connection between the positive emotions and your offerings in their minds.
6. Use the anchor to seal the deal: As you conclude your pitch, remind them of the powerful emotions they experienced while discussing “We Capture Precious Moments” and reiterate how your photography services can help them cherish and revisit those precious moments. This emotional connection can greatly influence their decision-making and increase the likelihood of securing their business.

By skillfully using emotional anchoring, you can create a profound emotional bond between your prospects and your photography services, making it more likely for them to choose you as their wedding photographer. In essence, your photography services become the key to preserving and reliving the treasured memories that they hold dear.

NLP Technique #2: Phrases and Power Words

NLP phrases, or power words, are emotionally charged words that evoke specific feelings, encourage action, and facilitate rapport between the speaker and the listener. By incorporating these phrases into your communication as a wedding photographer, you can create a more persuasive and engaging conversation with your prospects. Here’s how you can utilize NLP phrases in your interactions with clients:

1. Create emotional associations: Use emotionally rich language to prime your prospects for specific feelings related to your photography services. For example, describe your services using words like “captivating,” “heartwarming,” or “unforgettable” to evoke positive emotions and create an emotional connection with your work.
2. Inspire curiosity: Pique your prospects’ interest by using curiosity-inducing phrases to describe your photography style, packages, or unique selling points. Examples include “exclusive,” “customized,” “one-of-a-kind,” or “bespoke.”
3. Trigger urgency: Encourage prospects to take action by incorporating words that convey a sense of urgency. For instance, mention “limited availability,” “booking fast,” “special offer,” or “last chance” to prompt them to make a decision quickly.
4. Build trust: Establish credibility and trustworthiness by using phrases that assure your prospects of the quality and reliability of your services. You can use words like “award-winning,” “trusted,” “professional,” “highly recommended,” or “satisfaction guaranteed.”

Here’s an example of how you can combine these NLP phrases into a persuasive pitch for your photography services:

“Imagine your special day captured in a series of heartwarming and unforgettable moments that you’ll cherish for a lifetime. Our customized, one-of-a-kind photography packages are designed to tell your unique love story. As an award-winning and trusted wedding photographer, my goal is to provide you with a captivating visual narrative that you can revisit time and time again. But don’t wait too long! My calendar is booking fast, and I have limited availability for the upcoming wedding season. Contact me now to secure your date and take advantage of our special offer.”

By incorporating NLP phrases into your communication with prospects, you can effectively evoke emotions, inspire curiosity, trigger urgency, and build trust, ultimately increasing your chances of converting them into customers.

#3: NLP Technique #3: Kinesics Mirroring (in Face-to-Face and Zoom Meetings)

Kinesics mirroring is a powerful NLP technique that can be applied effectively in both face-to-face and virtual meetings, such as those conducted on Zoom. This method involves subtly reflecting the nonverbal cues, communication style, and mannerisms of your conversation partner to establish rapport, create a sense of trust and familiarity, and enhance communication.

Contrary to initial perceptions that mirroring might be antagonizing, it actually subconsciously compliments and enthuses the person you are communicating with. When done skillfully and subtly, mirroring makes the other person feel understood and valued, fostering a sense of connection and rapport. Many people are surprised by how well it works when used with various individuals.

As a wedding photographer, utilizing kinesics mirroring can make your prospects feel more comfortable and connected to you, ultimately increasing your chances of converting them into customers. Here’s how to effectively implement kinesics mirroring in both face-to-face and Zoom meetings:

1. Observe and adapt: Pay close attention to your prospect’s body language, gestures, and communication style. Adapt your own behavior to mirror theirs, but do it subtly and naturally to avoid coming across as insincere or manipulative.
2. Maintain eye contact: Establishing and maintaining eye contact shows that you are genuinely interested in your prospect and actively listening to what they have to say. This helps build trust and rapport, whether in person or on a video call.
3. Mimic gestures and posture: If your prospect uses specific hand gestures or has a particular posture, try to incorporate similar movements into your own communication. Be cautious not to overdo it or directly copy them, as this may make them feel uncomfortable or suspicious.
4. Match their cadence: If your prospect speaks quickly or slowly, adjust your speech pattern to match theirs. This helps create a sense of harmony and understanding in the conversation.
5. Mirror facial expressions: In virtual meetings, pay attention to your prospect’s facial expressions and reflect them subtly. This can be particularly effective in establishing an emotional connection when meeting face-to-face is not possible.
6. Adopt their communication style: If your prospect has a specific way of expressing themselves, such as using humor or particular phrases, incorporate similar elements into your conversation. This helps to create a sense of familiarity and shared understanding.

By skillfully using kinesics mirroring in both face-to-face and Zoom meetings, you can foster a sense of connection, trust, and rapport with your prospects, making it more likely for them to choose you as their wedding photographer.

NLP Technique #4: Mastering Modeling (a.k.a “The Swish Pattern”)

The “Swish Pattern” is an advanced NLP technique that helps you identify and address the preconceived notions or biases your prospects may have. It aims to replace their existing beliefs with new, more beneficial ones that align with your photography services.

In the context of wedding photography, let’s say your prospect doesn’t see the value of a pre-wedding shoot and wants to remove it from the package. The Swish Pattern can be applied to change their perception and show them the true value of including the pre-wedding shoot.

Here’s how you can use the Swish Pattern in this scenario:

1. Show the value: Clearly explain the benefits of the pre-wedding shoot and how it contributes to capturing their love story more effectively. Emphasize the opportunity to build a deeper connection with you as their photographer and practice being in front of the camera before the wedding day.
2. Create a new self-image: Help your prospect envision themselves enjoying the pre-wedding shoot by sharing stories and experiences of past clients who initially had similar reservations. The more relatable these past clients are to your prospect, the easier it will be for them to envision the positive outcomes for themselves.
3. Provide visual evidence: In face-to-face meetings or through Zoom, show your prospects examples of pre-wedding shoots from past clients. If possible, choose examples with similar locations or styles to create a stronger connection. This allows your prospect to unconsciously compare themselves to past clients and see the value of the pre-wedding shoot.
4. Reinforce the new belief: Swap out their old ideas (no need for a pre-wedding shoot) with a new self-image (embracing the pre-wedding shoot as an essential part of their love story). Highlight how the pre-wedding shoot will result in a more meaningful final album and video, leading to happier memories when looking back.
5. Validate their concerns: Make sure to validate your prospect’s feelings and concerns while respectfully presenting the benefits of the pre-wedding shoot. This helps establish trust and rapport, showing that you genuinely care about their perspective and understand their initial hesitation.

By using the Swish Pattern technique, you can effectively address your prospects’ biases and help them see the value in your photography services, ultimately increasing the likelihood of them becoming your clients.

Cognitive Engagement Questions