My Hypnotic Journey

How are you feeling before you go deeply into trance?

Like many people, my first experience with hypnosis was a stage show. As an impressionable adolescent I sat in complete disbelief as a total stranger spewed a stream of vitriol at my uncle, a man I knew to be an amazingly gentle soul, all because the hypnotist had suggested to this man (another audience member) my uncle had stolen his wallet and was in fact, a thief.

My next experience, years later, was at a mastermind group I attended, where I met a hypnotherapist, who billed himself “the therapist of last resort”. His patients usually arrived at his door once they had exhausted all traditional forms of treatment and thinking themselves on death’s door, figured they had nothing to lose. I became fascinated with this process, spent as much time with him as I could, and eventually, completely overstayed my welcome with this therapist, he eventually asked me not to “bug him” anymore, and as a bit of misdirection (away from him) gave me several resources I could pursue if I wanted to learn more about hypnosis.

That started me on a path that continues today. I have read nearly every published book on hypnosis readily available (and many that aren’t so readily available) taken dozens of courses (and taught dozens more), participated in stage shows as a victim and as the performer, hypnotized thousands of people and been hypnotized myself hundreds of times.

All of this, despite the fact, that my primary path has never been hypnosis for hypnosis sake, rather a pathway to a higher outcome.

As a financial advisor and later a leading sales manager for one of the largest firms in the world, I noticed that people often knew what they should be doing…but didn’t always to it, in fact, more often than not, their didn’t do it. Logically, they knew the next step, but when they went to take the step, there was a disconnect. It became a puzzle that I had to solve.

The key is in the unconscious. As we learn new skills and how learn to solve problems we develop certain strategies that quickly become unconscious (driving is a could example at first it seems overwhelming but within a few days or weeks most new drivers can drive, adjust the radio, talk on the cell phone, sip a latte’, and honk the horn and scream obscenities at other drivers).

For most people, these unconscious patterns are rarely examined and they become the human version of Newton’s First Law of Motion (an object in motion will stay in motion unless acted on by an outside force). The quickest and most effective outside force is hypnosis.

For me, the beauty and elegance of hypnosis lies in its ability to enable us to communicate with the whole mind, conscious and unconscious and when working with another, it gives the operator (therapist, persuader, entertainer) the ability to allow the subject to examine these unconscious strategies, to see if they are the best strategies to accomplish the goal we want to accomplish.

Seeing the World through their eyes

The first quickest use of hypnosis skills that actually had nothing to do with trance, yet came from two essential skills of the master hypnotist. Rapport and Inquiry, these are “before when begin” skills that grease the skids and make every part of the process so much easier.

These skills are easy and obvious to learn because they are in such harmony with the way the brain works. On the plane flight home from workshop where I dove deeply into these skills for the first time, I was seated next to an elderly African American women on the plane. At first, glance we could not have been much more different. She was dressed like she was on her way to church; my wardrobe might have been described as homeless chic, torn jeans, unshaven, ratty ball cap and t shirt, sunglasses, headphones. She was in her 70s, I was early thirties. She was reading an inspirational book, I was blaring a music tape through my walkman (an ancient music device commonly used prior to MP3 players). I immediately looked at her, smiled and thought to myself this is going to be fun, the game was afoot.

I immediately started pacing her, watched as she followed my leads. This led to a few innocuous questions, then a deeper inquiry, and soon we were in the one of deepest conversation I had experienced in a casual setting up to that time, I hadn’t planned on being such a good listener but she had some “stuff” that just needed to get out.

As we departed the plane she turned and gave me a hug and said, “You are a gift from God, I really needed to share”, she noticed a glint in my eye which was the smallest bit of disbelief that these skills in had spent a weekend learning were able to produce such profound results so quickly. It turns out in the multitasking, ADD world we all fine ourselves living in, undivided attention is something we have grown to crave on a very deep level.

Embedding Commands

Because this is covert (in that it is hidden inside your language) and tells people what to think, it is often taught as a dark art or mind control. While it is easy to see why this misperception exists, it does offer the persuader an amazing set of skills to direct and accelerate the decision making process. Imagine, a prospect telling you “they are just not ready to move forward” and instead of asking why? (asking their unconscious mind to seek out justification for the statement) pacing their statement and adding commands that have them suddenly, unconsciously reaching the conclusions you just got done suggesting. Suddenly, you begin to see the art and science of persuasion as less of a battle, and more of a game, one where there are no losers.

Being Covert

As I was mastering these skills I was both a Financial Advisor and later a Sales Manager for one of the biggest banks in the country. Working in one of the most highly regulated industries in the world, for a company that virtually every fired employee thought they should sue, I concluded that broadcasting my skill set might not be the path of least resistance. (The thought of having to explain to a “jury of my peers” that I didn’t require the disgruntled employee to submit to mind control was not a fun challenging way to test out my persuasive abilities). I had already discovered a branch of hypnosis called indirect permissive or Ericksonian (after the M.D. that pioneered the technique) which does not require a formal induction, or deep trance from the subject. Although, not necessarily superior to Direct Authoritarian it is certainly better suited to a business setting.

Going Public

In 2003, I formally retired from Financial Planning and corporate America and began teaching these and other skills to some of the highest paid sales people on the planet. My clients are people you meet that you think to yourself, they don’t need any help, yet are willing to invest in anything that will give them an edge (Tiger Woods will soon hold the record for most major Championships in a career, yet employs a couple of coaches, a full time nutritionist, personal trainer is coached around the course by his caddy, anything for an edge). Last year, my students’ commissions averaged $938,000. Their average increase over the previous year was just above 25%, impressive statistics under any circumstances, stellar considering that was the year “the wheels came off the cart” in Financial Services.

For years, I have wanted to teach these skills to a wider audience, but demands on my time made that impossible, or a the very least economically unviable. Enter Web 2.0. The leaps and bounds the internet has made in the past few years have now made it possible to deliver cutting edge material to the masses at a faction of the cost we would have incurred just a year or two ago. This combined with increases in telecommunication technology; webinars on demand, video integration and delivery have allowed me to teach these skills on a much grander level.

The Skills of Hypnotic Influence and Persuasion that we teach inside of MyMasterHypnotist.com have not defined my life, but they have enriched it. For the last 7 years through my other businesses (The Bank Investment Professionals Association and the Advisor Business Institute), I have worked to help financial advisors build the practice of their dreams. I have had the privilege to coach some of the nation’s most persuasive and influential people and been honored when they tell me that I have helped them make a Quantum Leap in the results they have been able to achieve.

Therefore, I can tell you, your dreams and whatever they mean to you, are alive and well, and may be as close as your next evolution, which is waiting for your inside this website. I am excited to be introducing these skills to a much larger audience and to have the opportunity to contribute to your success.  Because the first lesson of economics (which for some reason Washington still hasn’t learned) you can’t tax your way out of a problem economy, you can’t save your way out, your can’t legislate your way out but you can sell your way out.

The career of professional selling has always been an exciting tap dance in the field of all possibilities. I know of no other profession or career that you can fall in love with a toy, or a dream, pin its picture up on the bulletin board and manifest the money to make your dream come true. The Dilbert’s of the world dream of getting a raise at the beginning the of the new year, as a professional persuader you can give yourself as raise any time you want. See a new house you’d like to buy, give yourself a raise, It becomes effective as soon as you do!

Yes your dreams are alive and well. They are being lived by people in your job, doing exactly what you do on a daily basis. The good news is you’re at the place that will allow you to develop all the skills to need to realize those dreams. The better news is you be following in the footstep of some of my best coaching clients and employees. The best news is they have already filled in all the potholes and killed all the snakes. Your adventure begins inside, what will you create?

Bob Cobb has been a professional sales person his entire life. He has won numerous awards as a salesman including Rookie of they Year his first year in business, Salesman of the Year on several occasions and Manager of the Year as a sales leader. He is the author of several books and audio series on the sales process. He began his journey into hypnosis in 1994. Received a Master’s Certificate 1999 and was certified as an Instructor in 2003. He is creator and head trainer of S.H.I.P System of Hypnotic Influence and Persuasion® and the Strategic Unconscious Rapport Formula (SURF System®). He lives aboard the sailing vessel Entranced with blind three-legged Pit Bull named Lucky and a former Victoria’s Secret model, he swears she is not under trance or any other form of mind control.e a mission statement…

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