Recently, on social media, an NLP Practitioner asked a question about a client who reported having a phobia, and with whom he used the NLP Fast Phobia Cure, which may have partly worked, but it came back a few days later?
Story of Bungled Hypnotic Advertising
If you're near me, you probably listen to Mix95 radio on occasion. There's a popular morning show with DJ's Rick & Lisa. Good show, for a small town, by the way. 
On today's morning show, about 30 minutes ago, I heard a commercial for local car dealership "Hamilton Nissan" that (whether intended OR NOT...) demonstrated an incredibly bad/poor example of advertising techniques that can be described by any NLP Practitioner or Hypnotherapist as "hypnotic" advertising. Note this does NOT mean they necessarily used hypnosis or hypnotic writing, but it means their radio ad was a great example of BAD hypnotic advertising.
So let's explore the ad in more detail, in NLP & Ericksonian Hypnosis terms:
(And, keep in mind this is not a verbatim script -- this is my memory of what I heard, knowing what I know, and knowing how to listen for this. The actual recording may have been slightly differently worded -- but not significantly so).
It started out OK with the first couple of phrases, using "Pacing & Leading" for Rapport-building & influence. It started out sounding like facts, but all too quickly became an ad. "Well it seems there are signs the economy is picking back up; the big 3 car manufacturers all seem to be doing well." Then it immediately became an ad for Hamilton Nissan. This was inelegant and likely created an instant emotional experience for most listeners (whether mild or strong), of "Bait & Switch." Your loss, Hamilton Nissan.
Then, the crowning example of bungled hypnotic advertising was...
wait for it...
The horribly badly delivered 'embedded command', for "BUY NOW!" I couldn't stop laughing for about 5 minutes when I heard it.
It was combined with an incomplete sentence. Sentence fragments are an Ericksonian Hypnotherapy technique for putting people partly on hold; it creates less resistance in listeners. What they didn't tell you, Hamilton Nissan, is that that only works when everything else you're doing at the same time is increasing acceptance of your suggestions.
So here's how they did it: "Well I know you're thinking... BUY NOW... all the vehicles over at Hamilton Nissan..." then they left that sentence incomplete... and moved on to other topics. Using incomplete sentences and "embedded commands" such as "BUY NOW" are well-known NLP/Ericksonian hypnosis technique.
Their PRESUMED intent was for you to consciously hear ALL of the above, but unconsciously hear and respond to just a portion of the incomplete sentence: "BUY NOW... all the vehicles over at Hamilton Nissan..."
In fact, the use of "Buy Now" as a casual phrase in advertising is SO ubiquitous these days, it's seen/heard as cheesy in hypnosis/NLP circles now. My opinion: No *effective* marketer in their right mind would use it anymore.
If you think I'm making this up, google "embedded commands buy now" and explore. By the way, though, about half of those articles that show up in google use what I would describe as less-than-elegant phrasing. I'm an authority on this specific language pattern, both in terms of phrasing, and tonal delivery, and I think a lot of people don't quite get it fully. So I'm not saying everyone writing articles about this subject are worth reading; I'm pointing out that there's a LOT of material on this stuff out there.
Never mind that the advertiser's delivery of "BUY NOW" in terms of tonality and pausing was incredibly ineffective. I mean, if they were actually going to use that embedded command, they probably should have learned more competent tonal techniques. If you knew what I know, you'd have been cringing while listening.
If it was intended (99.9% likely in my opinion), then it was very badly delivered. I'd use that radio commercial as an ideal example of what never to do, and how not to do it.
If it wasn't intended (I acknowledge the limited possibility of pure ignorance here), then the "interviewee" (read: Advertising guy at Hamilton Nissan) happened to stumble accidentally on what I believe is one of the worst possible ways to turn off their potential customers. Because whether the radio listeners have the self-awareness and/or vocabulary for it or not... many are likely feeling a mild, weird sense that something's *not quite right* about what they just heard, and who they heard it from/about.
They MAY have just succeeded in doing exactly the opposite of what they'd intended. They MAY have just created distrust for/of their dealership.
Inbox Insights
- Knowledge Engineering (& Belief Craft) have evolved, into GeniusMapping™
- As of September 2020, we're in the process of moving from Tampa, Florida, to the Youngstown Ohio area. Currently, during the Coronavirus era, we're mostly focusing on Zoom-based Coaching, and aligning resources to run online courses.
- How "Civil Engineering" totally reframes the word "Stress," redefines the phrase "Stress Management," and leads us to embrace Stress!
- Many NLP Practitioners are more sloppy with their thinking patterns, than they'd like to admit, or... would even notice.
- Watch NLP Co-Founder Richard Bandler use NLP to eliminate Michael Strahan's phobic response to snakes -- in minutes (with Kelly Ripa bringing over a BIG snake at the end to test Michael's response). Spoiler alert: It worked ridiculously well.
- No matter what skill you want to learn, no matter what fears or concerns or hesitation you may have, there are and will always be a wide range of approaches, to learning that skill. It's important to keep that in mind when making learning choices.
- Many more famous people have been trained in Ericksonian (indirect) Hypnosis and NLP than you might guess. There are certainly far more who have strong interests here than have publically admitted so.
- On January 1, 2015, Jonathan Altfeld and 20 other co-authors released a digital book entitled "Creating Business Growth."
- What are the Four Stages of Learning?
- Robert BradfordAuthor & CEO, CSSP, Ann Arbor, MIHired Training : Bespoke In-house Training
"Jonathan is a superb trainer with a deep understanding of his subject. His work developing the skills of my team has continued to add value over time."
http://cssp.com - Todd BaumgartnerSystems Administrator, Cincinnati, OHAttended Course : NLP Skills-Builders (course)
After attending an NLP seminar with Jonathan Altfeld, I can only use one word to describe it: amazing! Throughout the weekend, I went through a metamorphosis, leaving the cocoon of my former limited self and now knowing that I can accomplish anything I desire. My only limit now is time. I was amazed to have seen some of my limiting beliefs just fade away and snap like delicate threads. Not only did these changes take place during the seminar, but I now have the tools necessary to make other changes to any aspect of my life. I now understand that the only thing holding me back was myself! Seeing Jonathan using the skills he was teaching in real life was also a major plus. He uses everything that he is teaching all of the time. He doesn't give stop until he knows that everyone has learned what they need to know. In the past few days, since the seminar, I have developed more rapport with my family and co-workers. In the past, I would have been in a situation where meeting new people would have scared me immensely, and now, I can't wait to meet new people. My only regret is that I didn't do this sooner. If you are not living life to the fullest, then you owe it to yourself to go to one of his seminars.
1997 
Sara WisemanAuthor of “Writing the Divine,” “Your Psychic Child”, & “The Intuitive Path”, Portland, ORAttended Course : Speaking IngeniouslyVery few can do what Jonathan does! A true master teacher of NLP and inspired public speaking, he takes complex concepts and teaches them in a way so that you not only understand them intellectually, but absorb them at a deeper level. The result? What you’ve learned is there when you need it: with clients, for teaching and presenting, for speaking to audiences of all sizes. Highly recommended!
http://www.sarawiseman.com2011
Andy SmithTrainer of NLP & Appreciative Inquiry, Coaching Leaders, Manchester UK & FranceAttended Course : Belief Craft Seminar"I have attended separate KE & [SoM] trainings in the past, Belief Craft is definitely more than the sum of its parts. Doug's way of training [SoM] is the best I have found; for the first time I now feel I 'get' the "why" as well as the "how" of [SoM]. On my NLP Trainer's Training, [SoM] was one of the areas people had the least recall of - both the 'how' and also when and why you would ever use it. Previous trainings of [SoM] I have attended by other trainers have not sufficiently demonstrated... etc. Jonathan gets better every time he trains KE - awesomely powerful and complex concepts are rendered easy to learn and apply in the real world. I can't wait to start trying out this new material (Belief Craft and/or KE on its own) to benefit myself and my clients."
http://www.coachingleaders.co.uk/2005- Jim BlackPhiladelphia, PAAttended Course : Belief Craft MP3 Set
Out of the many seminars and trainings I've participated in over the years, Belief Craft tops them all. If you make the decision to take this course, you'll not only get everything you wanted, but also things you never imagined."
- Kevin HillNorwich, UKBought Audio : Metaphor Machine CDs
The material is presented clearly and cleanly, the technique is deceptively simple. It seems easy to start using the technique to create useful metaphors immediately, with the exciting prospect that with practice and imagination the same technique is capable of delivering really masterful results. It is completely focused on this one technique, there is no waffle and no distraction from the desired outcome. Jonathan gives the unconscious mind a clear step by step process to understand and then works at embedding the learning unconsciously, and for me this seems to work brilliantly. It seems that when I use the step by step process (the conscious bit) the results at each step "just come to me" (the unconscious bit) and the end result just seems to work. ... Overall, I'm delighted with "The Metaphor Machine". I've got plenty of NLP stuff on my MP3 player that helps me access positive states but this material is sharply focused on one sophisticated and powerful techique and it delivers practical results immediately. By far the best example of NLP training on disc that I've come across so far.
2008 - Mayra RiveraAttorney, Miami, FLAttended Course : NLP Practitioner Training
I recommend Jonathan's NLP Course to anyone who is interested in dramatically improving his or her rapport and communication skills. I am very impressed with Jonathan's quick and practical approach to the questions posed by his students. I have accepted the challenge to continue practicing these skills in the future, and strive to achieve Jonathan's elegance and mastery.
1998 - Joseph KaoLondon, UKAttended Course : Knowledge Engineering
Everything I’ve bought from Jonathan invites you to stretch yourself, or as Jonathan puts it, to be aggressive with your learning. And when you do the exercises and actively engage with the material, you’ll find there are few products on the market that produce as great an impact in your skill development as Jonathan’s do. Jonathan and Doug’s new Belief Craft MP3s are a thorough grounding in two skill-sets: Knowledge Engineering (how to track beliefs conversationally), and Sleight of mouth (how to reframe a person’s belief in at least 16 different ways). Once you actually do the exercises – I found that you immediately start to hear far more belief structures in people’s everyday language. My thinking has become more flexible, and I can more fluidly create fresh perspectives for my clients and friends in everyday conversation.
2009 - Michael S.NLP Master Prac & Success Coach, Portland, ORBought Audio : Automatic Yes CD-set
I have ordered Jonathan's programs before and had VERY high expectations for this program… as with his other programs, Jonathan, *yet again*, delivers not only through his insight into how the mind works, but through the exercises that put you into *immediate action*. I found myself, as I was listening, being able to notice how my own states link together and how I had gotten stuck in the past. I feel like Jonathan has handed me the keys to move beyond where I had been -- by noticing how to sequence your communication to get results. It's incredibly easy when you know how to do it. And Jonathan has the know-how and experience to be able to teach the topics that other trainers won't touch. Because if you're like me, you may have taken practitioner and master practitioner courses… maybe from VERY well known trainers… and have yet to see a trainer who directly approaches the topic of state-chaining. What puts "Creating the Automatic YES" and Jonathan's other audio programs ahead of the pack is that he gives you exercises to do throughout the program and he has the knowledge and experience so the skills will be ingrained not only your mind but in your body where they NEED to be to get results -- easily. I have found myself noticing which state people are in as I'm talking to them and where to take them to get outcomes easily. My own confidence as a coach has grown considerably in my ability to influence my own state in VERY useful directions through listening to this audio program… that alone was worth the cost of admission. If *you're interested* in another rigorous, intellectual NLP experience… BAD NEWS… But by doing the exercises Jonathan suggests (or was it demands?), you're in for a real treat by ordering this program! My highest recommendation - THANK YOU!!
2009 - Nick FortuneIT Consultant, London, UKAttended Course : Knowledge Engineering
The real topic of the seminar is modeling. Modeling is arguably the heart of NLP &, until now, a subject that has been pretty much opaque to me. No longer. Jonathan melds techniques from the world of computing with meta modeling to produce a solid methodical approach to the subject, which is uniquely his own. [...] We had a lot of fun, we learned a lot, & most important, what we learned was useful & obvious in its application. If you get a chance to attend one of these events, do it!
1998