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Metaphors save the day when you have to deliver predictable information.  One such occasion is the graduation speech. How do you engage and hold the attention of graduates and their parents, when everyone pretty much knows you are going to say something along the lines of … congratulations on your accomplishments … this is a beginning, not an end … seek to do something great and true to yourself … there will be bumps along the way, but perseverance and courage will get you over them … be kind … be generous … take risks … make a difference … etc.  It is devilishly hard to be original. 

However, one speaker solved that problem.  He delivered these evergreen messages in a totally unique way by couching his entire speech in a metaphor.  While you may not be giving a graduation speech any time soon, read/listen to how he did this, because it is another example of how metaphors can help you make a major impact in client, colleague, or investor presentations.

Poet and author Maya Angelou once said, “People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” It occurs to me that this sentiment applies to websites as well.
No one remembers all the information on a website, but we do get a definite feeling about a company’s value, services, and culture from a site’s content and visuals.  How that site makes us feel then influences our decision to contact the company (or not).  That feeling begins with the company name. Here is an example of a site that uses a metaphor in its name that immediately evokes an “I-want-to-work-with-this-company” response.  

Mother’s Day is this Sunday.  Love your Mom, but need a little help expressing appreciation of her? Perhaps AI can help you find the metaphors, poetry, or card greeting to communicate your feelings.  I asked ChatGPT to find all three and was amazed at the instant results, not all of which would be my style, but you decide what works for you. Check these out…

What would you do if a colleague (let’s call him Joe) came to you with this problem? “I don’t know what to do. I was appointed to this new job as manager of eleven people and, in the beginning, everything was going well. However, it is now six months later and, I can see that the team is unmotivated and is putting in only the bare minimum effort to get our jobs done.” 

“I have tried various carrot and stick methods to get them to work harder, but that has only led to short- term improvement.  If this situation continues, I am afraid I may lose my job.”

We know about new Covid variants deadly to our health. I just noticed a new speaking variant that can be just as deadly to your sales.  Vax yourself against this at the first sign of use!

In an earlier post, I offered seven suggestions for running a winning webinar.   Today, courtesy of Karen Kaplowitz, The New Ellis Group,  I would like to pass along these really practical seven tips for running an engaging Zoom meeting: http://newellis.com/Monday.html 

As Ruth Bader Ginsburg lies in state at the Supreme Court, she is remembered for inspiring many hundreds of people who worked for her over her long and illustrious career.  Interesting, known for the clarity and strength of her written opinions, when asked in a 2016 interview, which teachers inspired her, she named Vladimir Nabokov at Cornell, who “…changed the way I read and the way I write. Words could paint pictures, I learned from him. Choosing the right word, he illustrated, could make an enormous difference in conveying an image or an idea.” 

Wise to remember in our world when you …

Octavio Urzúa is CEO OSoji Robotics, based in Chile with offices in the U.S. and Japan. He wrote to tell me how he has used metaphors successfully at critical points throughout his business life from getting a raise to positioning his start-up to hiring a new team.  I am happy to share his letter and those stories to inspire ideas for your business as well.

Find out how to create winning metaphors to help you close
business faster in my free webinar “Metaphor: The Ultimate Short Story for Selling” on Sept. 16 at 1PM east coast time. Sign up today at Brighttalk

Quick! Imagine you  have to come up with a catchy name for a project and website whose mission is to expose false political information online. Knowing that the name needs to be unique, memorable, intriguing to arouse attention, and also accurately reflect the mission, what metaphor for a title comes to mind?

What can you learn from bartenders and CIA agents that will help connect better with prospects and client and win you more business? Find out in this excellent article by Kate Murphy, author of “You’re Not Listening and Why It Matters.” Anne Miller Words Matter – Make What You Say Pay! Get Convenient, Live Online …