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October 27, 2011
 Rivers
of Blood
Since Halloween is just around the corner, talking about blood seems
appropriate. Lots and lots of blood. Being harvested from one human being after
another, dripping into rows and rows of plastic bags.
Bad opening to a horror movie? No. The happy ending to a story from the South
Texas Blood Bank drive this past summer.
Gayle Prettyman works as Publications Specialist at the San Antonio Blood &
Tissue Center. Their job is to recruit blood donors. She explains that
"Donations are usually down during the summer months, so we really needed to
encourage people to donate." In addition, "Texas was in a severe drought and
everyone was talking about the absence of rain."
That combination of her need and the weather conditions everyone was buzzing
about led to her winning metaphor message that ultimately solved the blood
bank's problem:
"Water isn't the only lifesaving resource we need this summer. Donate blood."
"We tweeted that phrase," Gayle reports, "And the ripple effects were terrific.
Our area water system re-tweeted it, so an entirely different group of people
heard the message. In addition, newspapers used it as the opening line in our
press releases that talked about blood needs and upcoming drives. As a result,
the blood bank got its donors."
Gayle's metaphoric line was a brilliant yoking together of water and blood as
equal lifesaving resources particularly because it related to a widely known
dangerous weather condition. People always ask me how to get ideas for fresh
metaphors. My response is, look around you. The sources of these new metaphors
are in the news, in what’s happening in your family, community, and in your
business. That's what Gayle did and she come up with a winner.
Bloody good ending, that is.
Happy Halloween to all.
Make what you say pay — with metaphors.
Anne Miller
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Apropos of Absolutely Nothing, Did
You Know…
Chinese numerology and Feng Shui for 2011. This year we are going to experience
four unusual dates: 1/1/11, 1/11/11, 11/1/11, 11/11/11, and that's not all; Take
the last two digits of the year you were born and the age you will be this year
and the result will add up to 111 for everyone!!!! This is the year of MONEY.
Also, this year, October will have 5 Sundays, 5 Mondays & 5 Saturdays. This
happens only once every 823 years. These particular years are known as Moneybag
years. This only happens once in 823 years.
Just thought this was interesting and wanted to pass it along. How could you use
this metaphorically? Possibilities: As an intro in a presentation to a
client to a once in a lifetime product, premium opportunity? Or, if this is the
year of Money, to be provocative in a staff meeting and ask staff what they will
be doing to surpass quotas in the coming year? Other?
Need Personal Presentation Consulting? Contact me:
amiller@annemiller.com
"I sing your praises every opportunity I get. I look forward to
continuing our work together"
Jane Newton, Wealth Manager, Regent Atlantic Capital LLC
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