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Description

NLP Tools: Building Rapport, Calibrating Your Listening and Adjusting Your Language

Two days to establish high-quality rapport using four tools drawn from neuro-linguistic programming

  • 2 days — 14 h
  • In-person or virtual
  • Foundation
  • Up to 6 participants

A poor first contact is costly: the client stays guarded, the colleague closes up, the meeting ends prematurely. Many professionals put this down to whether the chemistry works or not, when in fact it comes down to observable and repeatable behaviours.

This 14-hour programme focuses on four tools drawn from neuro-linguistic programming: matching, calibration, precision questioning and reformulation. The two days are built on repeated exercises in pairs and in groups of three with an observer, so that each tool is practised rather than described.

Learning objectives

  • Build appropriate rapport through verbal and postural matching
  • Calibrate a counterpart's reactions from observable cues
  • Ask precision questions to clear up vague statements
  • Reformulate what a counterpart has said without distorting it
  • Select the right tool for each stage of a meeting

What makes this programme different

Four tools explored in depth rather than a superficial tour of the whole model
Groups of three with an observer and a feedback grid for every exercise
Real meeting situations brought by participants from day one

Programme

1Making Contact

Matching

  • Observing a counterpart's rhythm and posture
  • Adjusting pace, volume and vocabulary
  • Limits of matching and the risk of mimicry
  • Re-establishing contact after a breakdown

2Observing Closely

Calibration

  • Identifying stable non-verbal cues in a counterpart
  • Distinguishing observation from interpretation
  • Testing a hypothesis through a question
  • Factoring context into the reading of signals

3Sharpening the Message

Precision Questioning

  • Spotting generalisations and omissions in what is said
  • Framing targeted questions without aggressiveness
  • Handling judgements presented as facts
  • Calibrating the level of questioning in a short exchange

4Reflecting Back What Was Said

Reformulation

  • Summary reformulation and clarifying reformulation
  • Checking the counterpart's agreement
  • Restating a disagreement without amplifying it
  • Moving from reformulation to proposal

Who is it for

Sales professionals · account managers · recruiters · managers and anyone whose role relies on one-to-one meetings.

Prerequisites

No prior knowledge required

Dates & locations

36 scheduled dates between November 2026 and December 2027. Seats are confirmed in the order enquiries are received.

November 2026

December 2026

January 2027

February 2027

March 2027

April 2027

May 2027

June 2027

September 2027

October 2027

November 2027

December 2027

None of these dates suit you? We open additional sessions on request, and any programme can be run privately for your team.

Practical details

Before the programme
Online positioning questionnaire. Your development objectives are shared with the trainer, who tailors the practical case studies to your context.
Teaching methods
Theoretical input, workshops and practical case studies. Digital course materials and method sheets provided.
Assessment
Multiple-choice tests and role-play exercises. Assessment of learning at the start and end of the programme, with immediate and 60-day follow-up evaluations.
After the programme
One year of access to the e-learning platform. Self-assessment of the skills acquired and a 30-day follow-up session with your trainer.
How to register
Registration online or on the basis of a quotation.
Lead time
11 working days after confirmation of registration.
Accessibility
Accessible to people of determination. Contact our accessibility coordinator to design a suitable solution: contact@mpf-academy.ae
Start dates
Rolling intake: in addition to the scheduled sessions, this programme can start on request.