Frequently Asked Questions

Why choose The Hill Consultancy Ltd?

The Hill Consultancy Ltd offers results-driven, groundbreaking, flexible, experiential training programmes and executive coaching using the latest technologies, strategies and time-tested fundamentals. We channel our corporate wealth of research and resources into each of our business solutions, which are delivered in a high-profile business environment. Our Training Instructors have prior experience of working with blue chip organisations to SMEs, assisting them in achieving quarterly targets through the development of their key assets – the people. This offers our clients reassurance that their business objectives will be met if not exceeded. We believe in training people for results rather than training for the sake of training.

How can we be sure of a successful result?

All of our programmes include consultancy as a way of identifying and meeting specific organisation and delegate needs. We listen to our customers beforehand and throughout the delivery of our solutions to ensure that skills are significantly developed and business potential is realised. The Hill Consultancy Ltd is also an INLPTA accredited training provider, which is continually assessed and quality-assured to the high INLPTA standards. In order to meet team objectives, we recommend that a Business Development Workshop be undertaken prior to the commencement of any training solution, which can then be delivered either as an open programme or in-house. This encompasses animated corporate training, experiential development, practical application of the tools in the working environment and one to one coaching outside of programme hours. All of which promote assimilation of the programme material, achieving immediate results and measurable progress.

What makes your NLP Programmes stand out from the crowd?

Our NLP programmes are certified by INLPTA, which is considered to be the most highly regarded NLP Training Association in the world. Our programmes are purposefully designed and delivered by Business Consultants for business professionals, making our NLP training unique in content and context. As a direct consequence of this specialist style of delivery, we attract business clientele with business training objectives, rather than a domestic audience interested in therapy, which is the more typical approach to NLP. The programmes are conducted during business hours rather than over weekends and provide each delegate with time-phased learning over several months for gradual skill development rather than the quick fix approach. Each programme is also available as a customised solution. We uniquely deliver NLP in unison with time-tested leadership and sales fundamentals, along with copyrighted human relations principles in the form of powerful business solutions for managing conflict and change. We run our programmes from prestigious offices that provide lunch and car parking, which is included in the price. Customer support is available during regular business hours. Since we don’t offer fast-track programmes, there are no compulsory complex CDs to listen to or any home study required before attending our programmes.

What are the benefits of your in-house training?

All of our corporate open programmes can also be delivered as fully customised solutions. We will invest time in designing training and coaching that bridges the gap between where you are now and where you want to be. The modules, timing and style of delivery can be shaped to offer you a personalised edge. Your corporate logo and business name can even feature in the course manuals.

Once designed, the solutions can be delivered as an in-house programme or offsite on our premises during the business day or outside of office hours. You also have the option to take full advantage of the modular structure by time-phasing each session to enhance the gradual skill development. Team development is achieved incidentally through the delivery of our customised solutions. If you have six or more delegates, it is more cost effective to run a two-day programme in-house, however you may choose to do so with fewer delegates in order to benefit from the tailored delivery.

What are the benefits of your open programmes?

Our open programmes are delivered offsite, usually on our premises. It offers the delegates the opportunity to learn and develop away from the office, without any work related distractions. The programmes are typically delivered once a month over two consecutive weekdays to allow for a modular time-phased delivery. Delegates are trained in a high-profile corporate environment with like-minded executives to aid the development process. If you have up to five delegates, it is more cost effective to attend a two-day open programme than to run it as an in-house customised solution.

How do the business versions of the Diploma and Practitioner compare with the standard versions?

Of the few NLP providers offering NLP Business Diploma and Practitioner courses, most don’t alter the delivery of content at all, so the programmes remain underpinned with therapy, as they were originally intended in the 1970s, when the pioneers Bandler and Grinder’s work in NLP began. The Hill Consultancy Ltd, however, has chosen to specialise by making all of the modules exclusively business related. This means that the material will be explored from the perspective of current projects and respective challenges in the workplace, therefore the training will remain in the field of leadership and sales development. Even the case studies examined will be taken from the workplace, covering a broad range of industries including a handful from the sports arena or even music industry, as and where appropriate, modelling peak performers in these areas for the purpose of high achievement in business. As a direct consequence of this specialist style of delivery, we attract business clientele with business training objectives, rather than a domestic audience interested in therapy. Furthermore, our Training Instructors are business consultants, rather than therapists, each having considerable business experience. We operate our company from a high-profile business office suite, which is also where our programmes are delivered, rather than in a domestic setting, as with many other providers. The programmes also typically run during business hours rather than over weekends.

What is NLP?

Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) is described as “the study of excellence” and “the objective study of subjective behaviour” is both qualitative and quantitative in its methodology producing highly effective results in those delegates that master its strategies and techniques. This research is the embodiment of over 35 years of collective study of why people behave and speak they way they do, comparing the results of high achievers and modelling their behaviour and communication. NLP is one of the fastest growing facets of applied psychology and The Hill Consultancy Ltd exclusively deliver it in unison with time-tested leadership and sales fundamentals, along with copyrighted human relations principles in the form of powerful business solutions for managing conflict and change. This includes how to overcome a spectrum of day-to-day work related challenges whilst reconditioning our mind and nervous system to drive us towards our desired objective.

Does NLP involve hypnosis or hypnotherapy?

No. This is a common mistake. NLP is the objective study of subjective behaviour, which means it is the collective ‘study’ of why people behave and speak they way they do, comparing the results of high achievers and modelling their behaviour and communication. The language patterns of the hypnotherapist Milton Erickson were one of two communication systems originally modelled by the founders of NLP, Richard Bandler and John Grinder. Rather than hypnotherapy itself being studied, the words, the vocal inflection together with the strategy and syntax in which they were used were modelled. What developed as a consequence of this research was a highly advanced communication system now known as the Milton Model, which is explored over just two modules, out of sixty, that make up our INLPTA NLP Business Practitioner. These language patterns can be used in everyday communication to build rapport with people by connecting with their thinking strategy (their conditioned neurological patterns, including values, belief systems and perceptual filters) rather than imposing our own conditioned thinking onto others. If it is appropriate, we can then begin to lead other people to consider our argument by introducing the other advanced NLP communication system known as the Meta Model. See The Language of Influence programme for more information.

Does The Hill Consultancy Ltd offer hypnosis or hypnotherapy?

No. Hypnotherapy is not part of the INLPTA NLP syllabus, which we deliver. Some domestic NLP providers, however, will offer hypnotherapy or other disciplines as completely separate services to their NLP syllabus, many of which we choose not to endorse. Since we are a business-to-business consultancy specialising in developing solutions within positions of leadership, management, sales and customer service, a separate service offering hypnotherapy would not be appropriate.

Who are INLPTA?

Due to the increasing interest in NLP over the last three decades, there are now several NLP awarding bodies that are responsible for the certification of delegates, who attend programmes delivered by each of their respective trainers. Each awarding body has different criteria for certification and training standard. INLPTA (The International Neuro-Lingustic Programming Trainers Association) is considered by much of the NLP community as the only official NLP governing body that uphold the ethical, ecological and professional practice of NLP. Also, contrary to other NLP Associations who offer fast-track certification, INLPTA offer the most comprehensive and thorough NLP syllabus available which is now recognised academically with certain universities and publish the full and detailed curriculum of NLP programmes, including Diploma, Practitioner, Master Practitioner and Trainer, which can be located on their website. With members on five continents, INLPTA is the only organisation, which independently measures the quality and standards of its members’ training; therefore an INLPTA certificate carries considerable credibility.

What is your association with INLPTA?

The Hill Consultancy Ltd is an INLPTA accredited training provider, meaning that we are licensed to deliver NLP Business Diploma and NLP Business Practitioner programmes in accordance with the syllabus and criteria provided by INLPTA. We also offer management, sales and executive development programmes, some of which include NLP technology taken from the INLPTA modules.

Why don’t you offer a fast track NLP Practitioner?

The awarding body INLPTA don’t believe that delegates can fully integrate their NLP Practitioner knowledge within a period of any less than 130 training room hours (15 days). Other companies that offer fast-track NLP programmes include correspondence course material, which is compulsory before attending any programme. This home study is usually by the way of CD and essay writing but these courses will not be endorsed by INLPTA. Many of these CDs contain complex and detailed information on each of the respective modules, which is difficult to assimilate without the guidance of a coach. Our entire INLPTA NLP Business Practitioner syllabus is delivered inside the training room, with monitored group work for experiential development plus one to one coaching outside programme hours to ensure the continuous development of each delegate. We believe in developing skills rather than knowledge for the sake of knowledge.

Why do some other companies offer NLP programmes at different rates?

Our NLP programmes are certified by INLPTA, which is considered to be the most highly regarded NLP awarding body in the world. All material is delivered in the training room rather than through accompanying CDs, so INLPTA programmes are typically much longer than the fast-track route. Also, most NLP Training organisations will appeal to a domestic audience offering therapeutic interventions through their programmes. These companies often operate from a home office base and even deliver the training programmes from home. The Hill Consultancy Ltd, however, only offers dedicated business solutions, which have all been meticulously designed to integrate classic leadership and sales fundamentals into the NLP syllabus. Our Training Instructors only specialise in business consultancy, rather than therapy, each having considerable business experience. We also operate from a high-profile business office suite, which is also where our programmes are delivered. Our solutions are therefore comparable with typical rates for sales and management training and consulting.

Why is the NLP Business Practitioner more cost effective than the two-day modules?

The NLP Business Practitioner includes a pre-programme and post-programme one to one coaching session plus one additional mid point coaching session after module three. The NLP Business Diploma and each two-day module, purchased separately, include both a pre-programme and post-programme coaching session, which is reflected in the price. Each delegate will receive one INLPTA registered certificate for the Diploma and one for the Practitioner. If the modules are purchased separately, the delegate will receive one INLPTA accredited Certificate in NLP for business per module, which again is reflected in the price.

Do you offer NLP in your Sales, Presentations and Executive programmes?

Yes. Since our specialist field is Neuro-Linguistic Programming in business, we also incorporate a low level of NLP in the following programmes: Winning New Customers, Persuasive Presentations, Executive Headway and 1-2-1 Coaching. Whilst our INLPTA NLP Business Certification programmes will extensively explore the science and theory of this discipline and how to apply it in the workplace, the aforementioned programmes will occasionally discuss the art of NLP, employing a select amount of techniques and principles from the INLPTA NLP syllabus, when appropriate, in the delivery of each module. The Leadership Tools for Managers programme is concerned with process-skills predominately, so the Trainer will use NLP in the delivery of the modules to encourage high-assimilation of the material, but discussed very little.

What are the delegate numbers for your open programmes?

Even though open programme delegate numbers typically range from six to twenty, for other seminars we can accommodate up to 106 people at any one time on our premises.

How do you meet the standards for Investors in People?

Each of the programmes delivered by The Hill Consultancy Ltd have been meticulously crafted to meet the indicators for Investors in People. For more information, please contact us and request an emailed PDF file for a detailed profile.

Who are the trainers?

Nick Hill and Steve Tindall. Please refer to our profile for further details.

What geography do you cover?

We are based on the Slough Trading Estate in Berkshire, UK and offer international in-house coverage.

Where are your open programmes delivered?

Most of our open programmes are undertaken in a high-profile corporate environment on our premises at Regus House, on the Slough Trading Estate, Berkshire, which is conveniently situated just off junction 7 of the M4, allowing easy access from the M25 and M40. The building was designed and opened by Sir Norman Foster in 1998. It accommodates 19 separate training/meeting rooms, 281 parking spaces, a dedicated bistro and has 24 hr security patrol. From time to time we also use alternative venues. There are a number of hotels within ten minutes drive of our offices, allowing for suitable overnight accommodation.

What are your payment terms?

A booking fee of no less than 25% is required within five working days of placing the order. The balance is due no later than ten working days prior to the time of programme delivery. Payments can be made by cheque, BACS, Visa, MasterCard or Switch.