NLP is about attitude, modelling, and practical application. From this, a range of powerful techniques emerges that help people think more clearly, communicate more effectively, and achieve what matters to them.
On this page, we outline what we consider the 10 most important NLP techniques — all of which can be practised immediately.
Our sister site, nlp-techniques.org, contains around 100 free NLP techniques, many with videos and deeper explanations. These techniques are also explored and applied in our 1:1 NLP Training programmes.
Top 10 Free NLP Techniques
Practising NLP techniques helps in two ways:
- You make progress toward your goals
- You develop the core skills that underpin all NLP techniques
The more you practise, the more flexible and effective you become. Over time, practitioners build their own “toolbox” — selecting, adapting, and combining techniques to suit the person and situation in front of them.
In NLP coaching and training sessions, this may involve:
- suggesting new perspectives or models
- breaking challenges into manageable steps
- setting practical tasks to build skill through experience
- applying one technique or a sequence of techniques
- modelling what someone is doing now and comparing it with expert performance
- establishing effective daily routines
Our Top 10 NLP Techniques
- NLP Anchoring
Anchoring allows you to access useful emotional states more easily when you need them.
→ See more: NLP Anchoring - NLP Belief Change
Many of our assumptions operate outside conscious awareness. Learning to identify and change unhelpful beliefs can make a significant difference to performance and wellbeing.
→ See more: NLP Belief Change - NLP Fast Phobia Cure
A well-known NLP approach using dissociation and reframing to reduce phobic responses.
→ See more: Fast Phobia Cure - NLP Direction / Outcome Setting
NLP focuses not just on goals, but on well-formed outcomes — clarifying what you want, why it matters, and how to stay motivated.
→ See more: NLP Direction and Outcome Setting - NLP Hypnosis
Hypnosis supports alignment between conscious and unconscious processes and is also a powerful way to refine communication and influence skills.
→ See more: NLP Hypnosis - NLP Modelling
Modelling is a core NLP skill: learning how others achieve excellence so it can be understood, tested, and adapted.
→ See more: NLP Modelling - NLP Rapport
Rapport opens two-way communication. It’s about genuine connection, flexibility, and understanding what matters to the other person.
→ See more: NLP Rapport - Six Step Reframe
A gentle method for changing behaviours or internal conflicts by working with unconscious processes.
→ See more: Six Step Reframe - NLP State Management
Learning to influence your emotional and physiological state is a key differentiator in performance.
→ See more: NLP States and Moods - NLP Timeline
Timeline work explores how we represent past, present, and future experience — and how to reorganise these representations more usefully.
→ See more: NLP Timeline
About Michael Beale
Michael Beale is a global 1:1 NLP trainer, NLP coach trainer, and Marshall Goldsmith stakeholder-centred coach, with over 30 years of business experience and more than 15 years running an NLP coaching and training practice.
He draws on the ideas of Marshall Goldsmith and Ray Dalio and focuses on real-world capability rather than theory or attendance.
→ Read more about Michael here
Your Next Step
If you’d like to explore how these techniques are applied in real situations, the simplest place to start is a complimentary 30-minute Zoom conversation.
📌 There’s no commitment — just an opportunity to explore fit and direction.
→ Book a 30-minute session
Many people then continue into 1:1 NLP Practitioner Training,
Michael also runs the educational reference site nlp-techniques.org, which features an extensive index of NLP techniques.
FAQs: Free NLP Techniques
Q: What are NLP techniques, and how do they help?
A: NLP techniques are practical tools that improve how we think, communicate, and act. They help shift unhelpful patterns, build resourceful states, and make progress toward meaningful goals.
Q: Do I need NLP training to use these free techniques?
A: No. Many techniques can be practised independently and can deliver valuable results. Training or coaching helps you refine your skills, apply techniques more precisely, and adapt them to complex situations.
Q: How should I choose which NLP technique to start with?
A: Start with the outcome you want:
Confidence → NLP Anchoring
Changing a belief or habit → Belief Change or Six Step Reframe
Direction and clarity → Outcome / Direction Setting
Communication → Rapport
Start small and practise consistently. Notice the results you get!
Q: Will practising these techniques improve my overall NLP ability?
A: Yes. Every technique develops core NLP capabilities such as state management, sensory awareness, rapport, and flexible thinking. Over time, this builds both confidence and effectiveness.