Once you've found out more about NLP and decided you want to do a course, the fun begins!

There are thousands of NLP training courses out there.

So how do you pick the one that's right for you?

Here are 5 things you should do, before committing to a training course:

Decide what you want from the course
Are you looking for a business course, a therapy-based course, a coaching course or even a sports performance course?

Decide what you want and only approach companies who specialise in these areas.

How far do you want to go?
You can study NLP for as little as a day or as much as a multi-year weekend course.
Read about certification levels, to decide how much you want to learn.

Look for a certified trainer
Be sure to check the trainer is actually certified to train NLP. Some trainers have done up to, say, practitioner level and then call themselves "NLP trainers".

However, only a fully certified trainer of NLP will have the skills to use the accelerated learning and unconscious mind training techniques that you'll need on a good NLP course.

Do you want a certified course or a bespoke course?
Do you want a course that has a recognised qualification, or would you rather do one that's more flexible and tailored to your needs?

Speak to the trainer
If possible, speak to the actual trainer, before you commit.

Their sales person or office staff may be friendly and approachable, but what really matters is whether you think you'd get on with the person running the course.

If they can't build rapport with you over the phone, then they probably shouldn't be training the subject!

NLP Course Certification Levels

There are 4 levels of NLP certification:

NLP Diploma - usually 4 days or less

NLP Practitioner Training - up to 20 days

Master Practitioner - an additional 15-20 days

Trainer - a further 20-30 days

Why are NLP courses so long?

After all, your average business courses lasts 2 days, max?

Neurolinguistic Programming is a skill set that requires practise. You need the face-to-face feedback from other delegates and the trainer, in order to progress.

Each level uses accelerated learning techniques, to help you learn at a much faster rate than a typical training course.

The reason courses take so long is because they cover so much material and you need to practise the skills at a deep level, in order for them to become automatic behaviours.

The danger of "quick fix" courses

An increasing number of companies are addressing the course length concerns by offering short courses.

They often give you pre-course assignments and reading to complete and then have fewer actual training days.

This can work, if you're the kind of person who is motivated to actually do the pre-course work, before you arrive. But if you're not - or if someone else on the course isn't - then it can slow things down for everyone and mean you don't cover what you need to.

Our advice: think carefully before signing up for shortened NLP courses.

See the individual course descriptions on the following pages for recommended minimum lengths.

Next: NLP Diploma - core skills - a great start