[bbgapril]

At some point in the patter their head will inevitably drop, and that's the signal that they've entered a trance. My patter sifts to "Well done. Continue to listen to my voice. Drift deeper. Let go of everything but my words..."

The central theme of the patter is that the subject is to focus on your words and nothing else. You are reducing the world to two people and excluding everything else. Phrases like "nothing but my voice matters" and "my voice fills your body, you hear nothing else but me" set the tone. Remind them to relax, and suggest they need to keep relaxing. "Let go of your worries. Your body is relaxed, you are at peace. There is nothing here but you and I, and my words are compelling, soft, and insistent. You cannot help but listen, and they become everything you hear. Let yourself go limp. Listen only to my words. Yield and obey my words. Relax, obey, and be at peace. You are drifting deeper and all else is fading away. Let go of everything but my words. Listen to my commands..."

Remember: in all things you are presenting them with calmness and confidence - if you sound rattled, they'll likely wake up.

It's a very peaceful process. They may actually appear to fall asleep, but they continue to hear every word. (Never assume they aren't listening, even if they seem unresponsive.)