How to use Metaphors to create Impactful Business Presentations

Metaphors allow you to make the complex simple and the controversial palatable. Conversely, metaphors allow you to create extraordinary meaning out of the seemingly mundane.
~ Brian Clark

Brian couldn’t state it better, and don’t think that metaphors are only for fiction writing and movie making; they are highly useful in business settings.

And that's what we're going to explore today in this post.

But then you’d ask, why go through the trouble to creating something just to tell another thing, when telling it as it is would be enough?

Well, the truth is, not everyone thinks like us - if you’re married or have communicated with young children before you will get what I mean. Metaphors will help them understand the gist of the message better.

In their researches, learning theorists concluded by leveraging on metaphors, we are essentially using something called "prior knowledge" to bridge new concepts to something we are already familiar with.

Let’s look at some examples.

“The ballroom is the size of a football field” - picture of football field immediate comes to mind.

“This software is the whatsapp for client services” - it’s a communication tool for improving customer service.

"The news hit my boss like a bullet train" - Whamp! The announcement literally threw the boss off the chair! Hey, that's a metaphor too!

See, metaphors paint pictures of familiarity, and if you use them well, they can make your presentation messages more relatable to your audience. As a matter of fact, it makes technical information so much more relevant to your audience.

Image source

Remember in my previous post on the presentation secrets of Steve Jobs? I mentioned one of his secrets was using metaphors, and one of the examples was Steve talking about the capacity of the iPod. You see, instead of saying it having 5GB of space, which frankly, most consumers won't be able to relate, Steve said,

"This iPod can hold over 500 of your favourite songs."

"500 favourite songs" is something you can grasp immediately, without working out the math of 5GB.

Here's another example that I gave.

"The iPod Shuffle is smaller and lighter than a pack of gum".

There you go! Without delving into the weight and size of the device, you can already imagine in your mind how the iPod Shuffle will feel in your hands.

By now, your next question will be, how do you create metaphors? Let's go.

Tips of Creating Metaphors for your Business Presentations

Here are a basic tips to get you "metaphoring" in no time. And I thought to make it easier for you, let's use insurance policies as an example, NOT because I'm trying to sell you one, but because it's a service that we are all familiar with.

• Think about the message you want to drive home - highlight the key points

  So in the case of insurance policies, the key points would be words/phrases like security, peace of mind, and protection.

  
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• List down a few objects, scenes or stories that can be linked to the message and/or the points.

  So what comes to mind when you think of the key points above? For me, umbrellas, a firm helping hand from a friendly stranger, a hug that a parent gives to a child, or even a teddy bear.

  Tip: Find something generic that most people can relate to

  
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• Test the link

  Using the examples above, test it out with friends, family members and colleagues. Ask them questions like, "If you see a child holding a teddy bear tightly, does trigger the words like protection and love?"

  

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• Use descriptive words

  Colors, emotions, expressions, even tiny details.

  For example: "Picture this: you see your child holding her teddy bear tightly, lovingly and protectively. Deep down, do you wish that you, too, can do the same for her too?"

  Bonus Tip: The art is to keep the descriptive words to be sufficient, meaningful and effective. Too many descriptive words will bore people - overdetailed.

  
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• Totally optional, but you may want to add a ‘twist’ to the metaphor to make yours message more impactful

  To add a little spin to the story, introduce the next slide where the same teddy bear is now lying on the floor, covered in dirt. In the background, you see a child weeping for her lost. Then, in a swift gesture, like a superhero, someone picked up the teddy, dust it clean, and hand it to the now smiling child.

  

  Setting -> Tragedy -> Heroic Act

  BTW, that just described most of the movies you've seen in the past, and yet you don't get tired of it because it's a proven formula around a familiar metaphor!
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• Use a picture or short video clip if you can find one.

  If you’re using the video clip, make sure it’s “chunked” high enough for you to blend your message in (What’s chunking? I’ll talk about that in detail in an upcoming post. Promise.)

So there you have it. And like anything else, practice leads to improvement. Even in casual conversations, try using metaphors. The worst that can happen is they can’t catch your “drift” or “ball”, and that oddly, that still can work to pique their interest!

Oh yeah. What are some metaphors that you caught yourself using regularly? Mine's "You know that euphoric feeling you get when you suddenly win a prize? That's what Steemit makes me feel everytime I check my account!"

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