The research of Grinder and Bandler identified a pattern relationship between the sensory-based language people use in general conversation and specific eye movements. These eye flickers are known as eye accessing cues. The term relates to the movement of the eye being directly related to the representational system. In addition to using predicates to calibrate the representational system used, watching for eye movements in a specific direction will support the accuracy of your assessment.

Using the human face as a map helps us to easily remember eye accessing cues. The eyes are situated at the top of the head, ears in the centre and mouth at the bottom.

TOP - MIDDLE - BOTTOM

This map mirrors the eye accessing cue movements.

• Visual preference will look up (Top.)

• Auditory preference will look straight ahead (Middle.)

• Kinaesthetic preference will look down (Bottom.)

• Up to their left - meaning is: Remembering the actual experience.

• Up to their right - meaning is: Constructed information.

• Straight ahead and defocused - meaning is: Constructed information.

• Their left - meaning is: Remembering the actual experience.

• Their right - meaning is: constructed information.

• Down and to their left - meaning is: internal dialogue.

• Down and to their left - meaning is: Remembering the actual experience.

• Down and to their right - meaning is: Constructed information.

Predicates are words and phrases which suggest the activity of seeing, hearing, etc. such as 'I see what you mean', 'that doesn't add up' or 'I need to get a handle on what you are saying'. A person's use of predicates provides powerful important information about how they are currently thinking and to which of their five senses they are giving greatest attention.

Predicates in Powerful Presenting and Communication - Literally!

Scenario A: During question time a person says:

'I can't imagine that rapport can be that persuasive'

The word 'imagine' is a visual predicate and the meaning is that they are processing from the visual representational system. A visual predicate means the person cannot see what they need to see, in order to believe what you are saying. And predicates are normally used at the beginning or end of a sentence or statement.

You must take their statement literally and provide more or better quality information so that they 'can' imagine rapport being persuasive. The predicate is indicating that new information must be of a visual nature, both in picture and visual word format. They are telling you with their language that they need to 'see' before believing. You must help them visualise the information, maybe draw a picture of the process on a flip chart, demonstrate it with a member of the audience or give them a specific handout that they can look at.