Let me begin by stating that this article is not a discussion about the military or the pros and cons of war. It is about learning some of the most powerful persuasion strategies in use today. And the truth is, military recruiters are some of the best salespeople in the world. They have to be. When you enlist, you agree to a four-year commitment. During this time, you give up your freedom. You must do what you are told no matter how much you might not like it or the people who or telling you to do it. This is ironic because the majority of those who enlist are young men, who sign up at a time in life when many of them tend to be the most rebellious.



WHAT MAKES THEM WORK

Military linguistic patterns are simple in format yet they allow you to place your outcome (making a sale) and deal with objections easily and quickly in a very fluid way. Military recruiters believe in what they are selling. That means, to use these techniques effectively, you must believe in what you are selling. And you must establish rapport. Military recruiters would not be able to do what they do without first establishing rapport. If you know how to do this, great. If not, pick up a book on NLP (Neurolinguistic Programming) or Google my name (Danek S. Kaus) for my articles on rapport. Now its time to examine a few of the Military Patterns.

THE PATTERNS

Have you found ??

You follow this phrase up in the form of a question with whatever your outcome is.

Let's say you're selling gym memberships. You might say:

?Have you found that having a fitness program is something that a lot of your friends are committing to??

?Have you also found that fitness memberships are something your friends are enjoying as well??

?Have you found that your well-being just naturally comes from enjoying a fitness program??

?Have you found that a fitness program is one of the best ways to increase your sense of well being??

What you will notice about this particular Military Pattern (and some of the others) is that it is a way of directing thought, a way of directing the conversation and directing the other person's attention toward your outcome of developing excitement in the prospect and closing the sale.

Would it be fair to say ??

This type of question allows you to lead the conversation because you insert your outcome in the form of a question.

If you're selling gym memberships, you might say:

?Would it be fair to say that a fitness program is the best way to achieve your particular goals for physical fitness??

?Would it be fair to say that taking the time to use, nurture and develop a fitness program is a very small price to pay to have that ultimate sense of fulfillment??

Just suppose ?

This is a wonderful pattern. As hypnosis shows, when you have someone who is willing to ?just suppose? you have them essentially in trance. When they suppose something they are going into a deep trance where anything you are saying is true. Why is it true? Because they are just supposing it is true. Have them just suppose not only your outcome but wonderful feelings that are associated with it. Keep in mind, people are motivated by feelings, not just actions, not just thoughts, but by feelings. Remember, if you develop rapport, if you pay attention, they're going to tell you the feelings that they want to feel. They're going to tell you their deepest values and what truly motivates them. You want to tie these feelings to the action they are just supposing.

Examples

Just suppose you became a member of this gym and you were able to get into the best shape of your life.

Just suppose you got so slim that you had to buy a whole new wardrobe.

Just suppose you started working out and you had more energy and less stress than ever before?

Whatever your product or service is, Military Patterns can help you sell more of them. Just suppose you started using them and your sales increased. Would it be fair to say that you enjoy a new level of success and achievement?

Copyright 2006 Danek Kaus