Why confidence is important

Message: I have posted this here as well as The Instant and Rapid Induction Group. I feel this an important lesson for beginning hypnotists.
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I get a lot of new hypnotists ask me this question so I wanted to post my answer where others could see it and learn. They tend to ask me is confidence important when working with instant and rapid inductions?

My answer is pretty straight forward and I just want to address this issue. Confidence is very important not just in executing Instant and Rapid Inductions, but also when working with people in general with hypnosis.

Think about this for a moment, would you let someone you don't know walk up to you in the park or on stage or in the office and ask you to let them hypnotize you when they don't look confidence. Seriously, think about this for a moment, would you let someone who doesn't seem to know what they are doing or seems nervous or scared hypnotize you? Seriously, especially if the person may be new to hypnosis and has never experienced it.

Personally I wouldn't as it would make me very uncomfortable. Now we all have to start somewhere and that makes sense. Heck, we may have never even done a rapid or instant induction, but this doesn't mean you can be confidence. When your confidence people tend to feel better with you because at the subconscious level people can pick this up. The subconscious mind can pick up the littlest changes in your body and it can tell when you aren't confidence or nervous.

The best hypnotists in the world are ones who know THEY ARE THE HYPNOTIST. These people consider themselves to be the expert and act like they can hypnotize anyone. When they approach someone they are very confidence, not cocky, but confidence. Imagine if someone walked up to you slumping over. Their head down and voice very low as if your trying not to be seen. The subconscious of the person you want to work with is going to be like "hell no, i'm not going to let this guy get inside of me"

So how can we display confidence? Well one way is to create a frame or model for yourself where you are the hypnotist. You process a skill that the majority of the public don't have a clue about. So whatever you tell them most people will perceive that you know what you are talking about because you are the hypnotist, not them. Approach people with your head high, clear voice, smile and shoulders straight. Imagine that everyone you work with is your best friend and you have known them for years. Have fun, be yourself.

In the beginning I did a exercise to help build my confidence. I would sit in my room for a few moments each day and just imagine myself in social situations where I had to walk up to people. People I didn't even know and become friends with them. This is a great thing to rehearse in your mind as when you start to do it more and more you will notice you reacting this way in real life. Why? Because the subconscious mind doesn't know the difference between real and imagined. The imagination is the language of the sub conscious mind.

You know this stuff so be confidence when you work with people. People ask me why didn't the induction work and they tell me that they asked them if they would like to try hypnosis.

I say look at how you worded that sentence. You asked them if they like to try. Try presupposes failure and doesn't come off as you are confident that you will be able to hypnotize them.

When I work with people in street hypnosis or office. I always ask people would you like to go into hypnosis now. It feels really great! See how I worded it. I asked them if they would like to "go into hypnosis" I'm basically telling them they are going to go if they want to let me work with them. Just this change in worded can drastically change your success rate.

You will notice the more you work with people the more confidence you become. Keep learning and studying and just practicing. Confidence is very important no matter what setting you are in. I'm not saying you have to be super high with energy, but just project confidence that you know what you are doing.

So have fun, learn and be confidence because YOU ARE THE EXPERT!

Joshua Houghton

P.S. When you first got started how did your confidence affect you? Did you notice a difference for when you were confidence and not? Heck, were you confidence from the get go or did you develop it. Interesting in hearing everyone thoughts as we all have different models and backgrounds.