Learn To Become A More Effective Communicator-Day 1- Sensory Modalities

NLP uses a model called representational systems, or sensory modalities. Information is processed through the 5 senses.

Visual- Sight, mental imagery, spacial awareness

Auditory- Sound, speech, dialog

Kinesthetic-feeling in the body, temperature, emotion

Olfactory (smell)

Gustatory (taste)

Everyone usually has a main modality. Perhaps they are mostly auditory or visual.

Everyone also has a secondary modality. An example of this would be someone who is mostly visual but has a secondary or submodality of being auditory.

Here is were this comes in handy when becoming a more effective communicator. Through listening to how people talk, you can get an understanding of what their modalities are!

A person who is more visual would say "I SEE what you mean".

A person who is more auditory would say "I HEAR what you are saying".

A person who is more kinesthetic would say "I know how you FEEL".

People drop hints to what their modalities are. If you listen to the types of words they use you can get a good idea if they are visual, auditory or kinesthetic.

Visual people use words like see, clear, focused, picture and imagine

Auditory people use words like hear, sound, listen, silence and tell

Kinesthetic people use words like sense, experience, perceive, understand and consider

Now, here is where you can become a more effective communicator. Listen and hear the types of words someone uses. You will get a good idea through really listening to them if they are more visual, auditory or kinesthetic.

Then, you start feeding back words based on their modality.

If someone uses more visual words, you too would use visual words. If someone says "Do you see what I am saying?" You might say "I can see what your saying and picture where you are coming from."

When we tune into the people around us and their modalities it can enable us to communicate better with them.

So, are you more visual, auditory or kinesthetic? An easy method to find out is to close your eyes for a moment and remember back to your last holiday. Do you remember visual images, maybe blue ocean waters or colours? Do you remember the sounds of where you were? Maybe you remembered how good it felt!

Practice listening to those around you today and see if you can pick up on their modalities and start feeding them back words based on their modality!