The word “trance” conjurs up all sorts of images. Snake charmers, zombies, spaced out dreamers. But trance is really a naturally occuring state. We go in and out of trance many times throughout the day.
But trance is not our “normal” state of mind. Trance is an altered state of consciousness. The method by which we create trance is called an induction.
The easiest trance induction is called the pattern interupt. Interupting a pattern of behavior causes you to go inside yourself and figure out where you were and where you are now.
For example, if I were to interupt you in the middle of a sentence, your mind would go blank for a moment. During that moment, as you search inside yourself for where you were, your mind is very vulnerable to suggestion. Sounds like a perfect spot for embedded commands or anchors, doesn’t it?
Bringing things that are unconscious into consciousness will also create a trance state. If you ask a prospect to notice their breathing, they will go inside their minds to access the information.
You could say to a prospect during a lunch meeting, “Do you notice how stiff these chairs feel? Boy that bread smells good. Did you catch the accent on that waitress? Some people see the value when you pay attention. So as I was saying…”
The trick is to direct your listener’s focus to things they normally don’t think about. Then prepare to lead them. Pace and lead, pace and lead.