Selecting an NLP training course can almost be as difficult as learning NLP in itself. Because NLP is such a broadly defined discipline there are many different things to consider when selecting a training course. Firstly, a good understanding of NLP is necessary before making this decision. Neuro-Linguistic Programming is a personal development system developed in the 1970’s. It focuses on the idea that any behavior can be taught to anybody. Therefore, studying examples of excellence, the best salesman in your office, and then teaching his behavior and techniques to others is a viable and logical course of action. However, NLP is so much more than just a system for learning different behaviors. In fact, NLP has probably had its most success in the sales profession. One of the core strengths of NLP is in the ability to develop and learn strong communication skills. Sales professionals have been capitalizing on this specialization of NLP for many years to learn how to build and maintain rapport with their clients.
The first thing to consider when selecting an NLP training course is what your own needs are. Are you interested in NLP because you want to improve your performance at work? Are you interested in NLP because you want to have more successful personal relationships? Are you just looking for an edge in your own personal development? Developing the self-knowledge to identify why you are interested in NLP is the first step in selecting a course that will fit your needs. If you’re interested in the sales aspect of NLP it would make little sense to attend a training course that focuses on training new NLP coaches.
Secondly, you need to consider the fact that there are no standard training requirements or levels when it comes to NLP. Indeed, Neuro-Linguistic Programming has no national board or certification agency like medical doctors or psychologists. Therefore, there are many training institutes that are interested in little more than receiving your entrance fee and giving you a meaningless certificate at the end. Therefore, it is essential to do adequate research before committing any time or money into a training institute. The best way to identify possible candidates is to ask NLP-trained individuals or coaches you know where they received their education. If you respect the knowledge they have and the work they do then following in their footsteps is often a good idea. If you don’t know anybody who has already gone through NLP training then I would suggest contacting various organizations that offer training and ask to speak to graduates of the program. Any training course that is worth the money will be more than happy to provide you with contact information of their former students. If an institute seems hesitant to put you into contact with former students, cross them off the list.
Lastly, be incredibly wary of any training course that claims you can become NLP certified with online courses only. While it may be tempting to attend an online course, the nature of NLP training makes it very unlikely that you will actually learn the skills necessary to adopt NLP in your life through digital means only. Much of NLP is based around communication and therefore any training course where you do not spend a significant amount of time working with actual people in simulations and demonstrations is unlikely to be very effective. The best courses will be those that have a low student to coach ratio and offers a plethora of feedback and hands on experience with well-trained master practitioners.
Good luck in your search for an NLP training course and remember, you already have or have access to everything you need to improve your life!
