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The Power of Words

An Introduction to NLP Representational Systems

and how this can help you to become a
more effective presenter

with
Kathy McAfee, NLP, CHt

Copyright 2006-2009 Kmc Brand Innovation, LLC www.MotivatedPresenter.com

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The Power of Words and Language

Most presenters spend more time focused on the text and bullet points in their PowerPoint slides than
practicing or rehearsing their spoken messages. Presentations are a form of oral communication, even if
we accompany it with slide show, webinar or the like. Understanding how words and language impact
meaning, communication and connection between people can help you become a more effective
presenter.

Why study NLP to become a more effective presenter?

In essence, NLP is the study of how you run your brain. It teaches you how to use the language of
the mind to consistently achieve our specific and desired outcomes. It help you learn how to think
more effectively and communicate more effectively with yourself and others.

NLP stands for Neuro Linguistic Programming. The following definition comes from the book
Neuro-linguist Programming for Dummies written by Romilla Ready and Kate Burton:

Neuro is about your neurological system. NLP is based on the idea that we experience the world
through our senses and translate sensory information into thought process, both conscious and
unconscious. Thought processes activate the neurological systems, which affects our physiology,
emotions and behavior.

Linguistic refers to the way human beings use language to make sense of the world, capture and
conceptualize experience, and communicate that experience to others. In NLP, linguistics is a study
of how the words you speak influence your experience.
Programming draws heavily from learning theory and addresses how we code or mentally
represent experience. Your personal programming consists of your internal processes and
strategies (thinking patterns) that you use to make decisions, solve problems, learn, evaluate, and
get results. NLP shows people how to recode their experiences and organize their internal
programming so they can get the outcomes they want.

Introducing NLP Representational Systems

Representational systems or sensory modalities examine how our human mind processes
information and interprets meaning. Just like we use both left and right hands even though we may
be left handed or right handed, we use all of the various channels of communication. However, we
each tend to favor one or two of the four main representational systems to filter information and
interpret meaning. They are:
Visual (V), Kinesthetic (K), Auditory (A) or Auditory Digital (Ad)

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NLP Representational Systems

Self-Assessment Preference Test
Instructions. For each of the following five statements, please place a number next to every phrase.
Each sub-choice should have a number next to it. No numbers should be used more than once for each
statement (forced ranking.) Use the following system to indicate your preferences:

4 = Closest to describing you

3 = Next best description of you

2 = Next best

1 = Least descriptive of you

1. I make important decisions based on:

_____ gut level feelings

_____ which way sounds the best

_____ what looks best to me

_____ precise review and study of the issues

2. During an argument, I am most likely to be influenced by:

_____ the other persons tone of voice

_____ whether or not I can see the other persons point of view

_____ the logic of the other persons argument

_____ whether or not I am in touch with the other persons true feelings

3. I most easily communicate what is going on with me by:

_____ the way I dress and look

_____ the feelings I share

_____ the words I choose

_____ my tone of voice

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NLP Representational Systems

Self-Assessment Preference Test (continued)
Instructions. For each of the following five statements, please place a number next to every phrase.
Each sub-choice should have a number next to it. No numbers should be used more than once for each
statement (forced ranking.) Use the following system to indicate your preferences:

4 = Closest to describing you

3 = Next best description of you

2 = Next best

1 = Least descriptive of you

4. It is easiest for me to:

_____ find the ideal volume and tuning on a stereo system

_____ select the most intellectually relevant point in an interesting subject

_____ select the most comfortable furniture

_____ select attractive color combinations

5. Which statement best describes me...

_____ I am very attuned to the sounds of my surroundings

_____ I am very adept at making sense of new facts and data

_____ I am very sensitive to the way articles of clothing feel on my body

_____ I have a strong response to colors and to the way a room looks

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NLP Representational Systems

Scoring Your Self-Assessment Preference Test
Step One: Copy your answers from the previous pages to here:

1. _____ K 2. _____ A 3. _____ V 4. _____ A 5. _____ A

_____ A _____ V _____ K _____ Ad _____ Ad

_____ V _____ Ad _____ Ad _____ K _____ K

_____ Ad _____ K _____ A _____ V _____ V

Step Two: Add the numbers associated with each letter. There are 5 entries for each letter.

Question V A K Ad

Totals:

Step Three: The comparison of the total scores in each column will give the relative preference for
each of the 4 major Representational Systems: Visual, Auditory, Kinesthetic and Auditory Digital.
Your highest score indicates your most preferred channel of communication.

Step Four: What does this mean? This is not an exact test, but rather an indicator of your preferred style
of communicating. There is no right or wrong or good or bad with any of these four major
representational systems. Its helpful, however, to understand the differences that people have in their
styles of communication. You have the ability to use all four major representational systems depending
upon the situation and what will work best for you to connect to and communicate with the other person.

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NLP Representational Systems

Predicates

VISUAL AUDITORY KINESTHETIC AUDITORY DIGITAL

VISUAL AUDITORY KINESTHETIC AUDITORY DIGITAL

see hear feel sense
look listen touch experience
view sound(s) grasp understand
appear make music get hold of think
show harmonize slip through learn
dawn tune in/out catch on process
reveal be all ears tap into decide
envision rings a bell make contact motivate
illuminate silence throw out consider
imagine be heard turn around change
clear resonate hard perceive
foggy deaf unfeeling insensitive
focused earful concrete distinct
hazy dissonance scrape conceive
crystal question get a handle know
picture unhearing solid analysis

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NLP Representational Systems

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NLP Representational Systems

VISUAL - Expanded List of Predicates and Phrases
An eyeful Make a scene Showing off

Appears to me Mental image Sight for sore eyes

Beyond a shadow of a doubt Mental picture Staring off into space

Birds eye view Minds eye Take a peek

Catch a glimpse of To the naked eye Tunnel vision

Clear cut Paint a picture Look under your nose

Dim view See to it Upfront

Flashed on Short sighted In light of

Get a perspective on Looks like In person

Scope that out Horse of a different color In view of

Hazy idea Transparent Perspective

Q: What other VISUAL predicates or phrases can you envision?

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NLP Representational Systems

AUDITORY - Expanded List of Predicates and Phrases
Afterthought Blabbermouth Clear as a bell

Clearly express Call on / call upon Describe in detail

Give an account of Give me your ear Grant an audience

Heard voices Hidden message Hold your tongue

Idle talk Inquire into Keynote speaker

Loud and clear Manner of speaking Pay attention to

Power of speech Purrs like a kitchen Make some noise

State your purpose Tattle-tale To tell the truth

Tongue-tied Tuned in / tuned out Unheard of

Utterly Voiced an opinion Well informed

Within hearing Snap out of it A screaming success

Q: What other AUDITORY predicates or phrases have you heard before?

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NLP Representational Systems

KINESTHETIC - - Expanded List of Predicates and Phrases
All washed up Boils down to Chip off the old block

Come to grips with Control yourself Cool/calm/collected

Firm foundations Get a handle on this Get a load of this

Get the drift of Get your goat Hand in hand

Hang in there Heated argument Playing hard ball

Hold on. Hold it. Hothead Heated argument

Keep your shirt on Lay all your cards on the table Pain in the neck

Sharp as a tack Slipped my mind Slipped through my fingers

Smooth operator Start from scratch Stiff upper lip

Stuffed shirt Too much of a hassle Runs a tight ship

Handle all the details Fell into place Ship shape

Q: What other KINESTHETIC predicates or phrases can you get your arms around?

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NLP Representational Systems

AUDITORY DIGITAL - Expanded List of Predicates and Phrases
Presentation Collaboration Restoration

Evaluation Preference Conference

Generation Contingency Honorarium

Multi-disciplinary Symposium Contrastive analysis

Research proves Studies verify Does that make sense?

Whats the ROI? Criteria Improvement

Test it out Input / Output Strategic thinking

Information Characteristic Procedure

Experiment Due diligence Executive summary

Contrastive Research Decision maker

Project management Succession planning [any specific industry jargon]

Q: What other AUDITORY DIGITAL predicates or phrases can you think of?

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How to CLOSE more effectively using NLP

Based upon the type of sales close used, can you guess which type of
communication preference does each person show? (Write either V, K, A or Ad
below each box)

_______________________________________ ____________________________________

_______________________________________ ____________________________________

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How to Use NLP in Your Presentations

Knowledge and use of these NLP language patterns can come in very handy as a presenter. You will be
speaking before many different kinds of people, with different language preferences. How can you be
sure that you are effectively reaching and communicating with each one?

Mix it up. When you speak, unlike when you write, you can take a little more liberty with grammar. You
can also use pausing and interject space between your thoughts, even within the same sentence. All of
this can help you more effectively communicate with groups of people who represent different preferred
channels of communication.

For example, a presenter might say something like:

1. In a moment, Im going to show you something that when you first hear it, it might not make
sense to you, but if you let it ferment for a while, youll begin to understand how it all goes
together.

Q: What language patterns are used in the above sentence? ____________________________

2. Does that make sense to you? Do you see what Im saying? If we can all get yours around this
new idea, then we could really see great benefits for our customers and our company now and in
the long run.

Q: What language patterns are used in the above sentences? ___________________________

3. How many of you showed up today to connect with old friends? How many of you saw an
opportunity to learn new things that could help you come to grips with your current business
challenges? How many of you decided to come here to today because you heard that we were
giving away great free stuff!?

Q: What language patterns are used in the above sentences? ___________________________

EXERCISE: Take your key message and express it in a way that uses all four representational systems
in the same message (V, A, K, Ad)

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About Kathy McAfee

Americas Marketing Motivator, Kathy McAfee

is a professional speaker, leadership coach and corporate
trainer, whose mission is to motivate business leaders to
effectively use their energy and influence to create positive
changes in the world.
Her company, Kmc Brand Innovation, LLC, works with
motivated business professionals and ambitious
entrepreneurs to help them become the recognized leaders
in their fields by mastering the art of high engagement
presentations and professional networking.

In her role as Executive Presentation Coach, she helps her

clients increase their confidence, credibility and influence by
going PowerPoint-FREE, engaging the audience and moving
them to action. She is an approved trainer for LIMRA
Internationals executive development program, where she
teaches insurance and financial service corporate executives how to be better presenters.

A certified master practitioner of Neuro Linguistic Programming, Kathy also serves as a

corporate leadership coach, helping her clients groom their high potential talent for future
leadership positions.

Over the past twenty years, Kathy has held numerous corporate positions, bringing marketing
success to the likes of Levi Strauss & Co., Maybelline, Southcorp Wines of Australia and
ADVO, where she served as Vice President of Marketing Services. Living and working in
England for three years, she led European marketing initiatives for an international vision
care company. Regarded as a passionate agent of change, she has successfully leveraged
her diverse experiences to bring innovation and growth to many companies.

A graduate of Stanford University, Kathy is an advisory board member of The INNER

CIRCLE USA, an associate member of the Connecticut chapter of the National Speakers
Association, and an active volunteer for Soroptimist International of the Americas and the
YWCA of the Hartford Region. She has earned her black belt in Tae Kwon Do and is a
foster/adoptive parent. Originally from California, Kathy and her entrepreneurial husband,
Byron and their adopted twelve year old twin boys currently reside in Simsbury, Connecticut.

To learn more, visit her web site at www.MarketingMotivator.net or connect with her on-line at
http://www.linkedin.com/in/kathymcafee,. She can be reached at (860) 408-0033.

For more tips on advanced presentation skills, visit www.MotivatedPresenter.com

Copyright 2006-2009 Kmc Brand Innovation, LLC www.MotivatedPresenter.com