Ultimately choosing the best NLP training is all about your own personal preferences. In the same way, there are a hundred different ways to cook a spaghetti bolognese and everyone will insist that their own unique recipe is the best one.
Think about what is important to you and what you really want to gain from having this qualification.
Some of the best NLP trainers offer very specific forms of NLP training. For example, NLP in sports, business or NLP with children. If you have a certain area that you want to use your NLP skills in the future, then think about a training company who is aligned with that area.
Do you value content? Some of the best NLP trainers will put on a great show during the time you are training with them but fail to offer any ongoing support and development. If you are looking to establish yourself as a professional within the NLP community you will need to have ongoing CPD. Does the NLP trainer you are looking at offer you ongoing resources and if so is there a cost associated to these? Some of the content could be podcasts, articles, blogs, forums or other methods for improving your skills.
Consider ethics and accreditation. This will give you some idea of the level of professionalism you can expect from that NLP trainer. On that note, be aware that some NLP trainers will provide you with accreditation to the relevant governing bodies once you have finished your training and others will tell you that you can access that accreditation but that you will have to pay for it. Likewise with test papers – some trainers will tell you that there is an extra charge to mark any test papers required to pass the course and there may be another fee to get your certificate printed once you have successfully passed.
If you want to use your skills to coach others (many do) pick a trainer who has a coaching practice and who isn’t just a trainer. The techniques we use work ever so slightly differently in a training room to how they work in real life scenarios. If you chose a trainer who only trains and doesn’t coach too, they won’t be able to tell you any short cuts that can be made or case studies about how the skills work in real life. Typically, if there is an adaptation to the core NLP skills that works in a therapy environment, it will also work in the training room. It doesn’t work the other way around though. There is no guarantee that short cuts made in the training room would work with a client in the real world. The dynamics are very different.
Think about what you value the most about this qualification. The best trainers might not be the best value for money, but if cost is a factor then perhaps you are willing to negotiate working with one of the top NLP trainers.
What sort of an experience do you want to have? The best NLP trainers will teach you theoretically, offer demonstrations and give you time to practice the skills you are learning in a practical way. However, if you are happy to learn using home study and do not want to have the practical element then again that will filter your options. Many of the best NLP trainers do not offer an accredited home study option (though you may be able to buy their course purely for self development purposes) because they believe that you must demonstrate the skills you are learning in person to warrant your qualification.
Finally, attend any introductory event they offer. That way you can get a feel for who they are as a person and make sure you feel that they really are the best NLP trainer for you before you make a final decision and begin the wonderful journey of becoming an NLP Practitioner, NLP Master practitioner or NLP trainer.
By Gemma Bailey
https://www.peoplebuilding.co.uk
