NLP Conversational Postulates

Did someone ever asked you something like “Do you know what time it is.”? And you told them the exact time? Welcome to NLP Conversational Postulates. The most logical answer to this question is either Yes or No. Conversational Postulates typically elicit a response, rather than a literal answer. So, can you give me some more examples of Conversational Postulates now? I think you can. It depends rather now on if you provide a response or a literal answer. Are you reading this? NLP Conversational Postulates.

Before you are in the field of applying this beautiful technique, you have to do something first. You have to first think about the response you want to get! Let’s clarify that. To use Conversational Postulates there is an easy way to do it. For example, you want someone close the window for you. The second step is to identify at least one thing that must be true if that person shuts the door. In other words, you are identifying what your outcome presupposes. In this example it presupposes that “The person is able to shut the window”, and “The window is open now.”NLP Conversational Postulates.

The last step is to take one of those presuppositions and turn it into a yes/no question. “Can you please close the window?”, or “Is the window open?” Congratulations, you now have a question that will generally get you a response without directly asking for it! NLP Conversational Postulates.

Some Examples of NLP Conversational Postulates.

Can you hand me the towel please?
Do you know what time it is?
Would you please give me some space?
Can you please move to the other side?

And some Exercise with NLP Conversational Postulates.

The exercise of today is more one of a cookbook than exercise. Let’s define the steps how to come to use Conversational Postulates.

Think of a response you want from the person you are targeting.
Identify a happening that must be true when the person complies with your question.
Turn the question into a yes/no question.

Now, grab pen and paper, a tablet or a computer and start writing at least a hundred examples. Remember, the more you practice the more you become fluent at it!

Have fun reading our articles about Indirect Elicitation Patterns and the NLP Milton Model and the exercises we provide you here online.

Last but not Least

Remember, to increase your efficiency as a NLP Practitioner, know your positive intention for the message you want to convey, build rapport and pay attention on what and how you use language. Leave people and business in a better place that where you found them, every day! Put yourself to work and start making the NLP Meta Model part of your knowledge. The sooner you start, the sooner you benefit.NLP Conversational Postulates.

About Mind Tools

Mind Tools provides NLP Practitioner and NLP Master Practitioner Trainings and Certifications. We educate you according to the renowned, latest and highest standards set by the Society of NLP. We will train you thoroughly in all the corners of Neuro-Linguistic Programming and some extras we learned from Richard Bandler directly.NLP Conversational Postulates.