Vievolve - Representational Systems

Representational Systems

Definition

Representational systems are the ways we access, process and store information once it is received through the five senses. In addition to the specific words and phrases we use (see table below for examples which will show you your own predominant pattern) the system in use at any time can be identified through ...

Purpose

To demonstrate how you can ...

Increase your levels of rapport (and therefore influence) through identifying and utilising your communication partner's representational system preferences.

Build the effectiveness of presentations by including a full range of representational systems in your language.

This table shows some of the basic patterns and indicators that most people will find useful in their everyday business dealings:

	Visual	Auditory	Kinaesthetic
Indicator
Vocal Effects	Pitch/tone high Fast speech	Medium pitch/tone Medium pace	Deep pitch Slow pace
Gestures	High level	Medium level Hand at mouth Head to one side	Low level
Breathing	High in chest Reasonably fast Often shallow	Mid-chest Medium pace and even	Low in abdomen Slow Deep
Eye Accessing Cues	Up to their left Remembering Up to their right Constructing Also straight ahead and defocused	Left - remembered Right - constructed Down and to their left - Internal dialogue	Down and to their right

It is useful to remember that none of these indicators are "absolutes". Watching and listening for them will, however, increase your rapport with the other person by default because of the attention you are giving them as a bi-product of your observation.

Our specific words also give a strong indication of which representational system, or sequence of systems, someone prefers:

Visual Words - seeing pictures and images
Appear Aspect Bright Clarify Clarity Clear Colour Dark Depict Discern Distinguish Dress up Enlighten Expose Eye	Flash Focus Foresee Glance Glimpse Graphic Hindsight Horizon Illusion Illustrate Image Insight Inspect Light Look	Notice Obscure Observe Outlook Paint Perception Perspective Picture Preview Reveal Scene Scope See Short-sighted Show	Sight Sketchy Survey Unseen View Vision Visualise Watch Witness

Auditory Words - hearing sounds and noises
Accent Amplify Announce Ask Audible Chord Clear Click Converse Discuss Dissonant Earshot Enunciate Gossip Growl	Groan Grunt Harmonise Hear Hush Listen Loud Muffle Mute Noise Note Oral Pronounce Rattle Relate	Remark Resound Ring Roar Say Scream Shout Shrill Silence Sing Sound Speak Speechless State Talk	Tell Tone Tune Utter Verbal Vocal Voice

Kinaesthetic Words - feelings, both emotional and tactile
Active Bear Callous Carry Charge Cold Concrete Crash Crawl Emotional Feel Firm Fish for Flow Foundation Gentle	Grab Grasp Grip Handle Hard Hassle Heated Hit Hold Hot Hunch Impact Irritate Lukewarm Motion Move	Muddled Pressure Rub Rush Scent Set Shallow Sharpen Smash Soft Solid Sore Stir Stress Strike Stroke	Support Tap Tension Throw Tied Touch Unsettled Warm Whipped