Metaphors are the perfect tool for explaining complexity to people who have only superficial knowledge of your subject. Just ask Ryan W, Chiropractor and Exercise Research Scientist from West Australia, who uses metaphors regularly in a variety of client situations. Here are two which can occur in any industry.
Dealing with ‘Dr Google’ Patients Who Think They Know The Cause of Pain
When patients come to see him, not only are they unlikely to know anatomy, they are in a fair amount of discomfort with little interest or tolerance for a technical explanation of their pain.
For example, a patient came in with intense pain, certain it was a lower back problem. Ryan’s examination revealed 
that the source of the pain was not the lower back but a serious bone injury at certain levels of the spine above the lower back. The patient was skeptical of that diagnosis. Putting aside medical mumbo jumbo, Ryan helped his patient understand his situation this way.
“Think of your bones as the scaffolding of a house. If the scaffolding support structure (our skeleton) wasn’t there, we would collapse. Think of your body as a three-story house with plenty of support and scaffolding to keep it vertical and erect and it relies on each corner and support beam to function effectively. However, if the second story of that house has a collapsed beam, it would mean that the bottom basement level could not be accessed because the stairs to get down to the bottom level would suddenly be blocked. The bottom level has nothing structurally wrong with it, but its inaccessibility is a result of the blockage on the second level.
In your spine, you injured a level at Lumbar Spine Levels 1 and 2, the equivalent of our collapsed beam on the second floor. That is the actual source of your pain and over the past couple of days it has radiated further down your side into the basement bottom level, Lumbar Spine Levels 3 and 4, so to speak. Now the basement (your lower back) has nothing structurally wrong with it; the pain is a result of the blockage on the second level, those Lumbar Spine Levels 1 and 2, and that is what needs to be treated!”
That simple metaphor totally reframed the patient’s understanding of his pain and resulted in the patient agreeing to Ryan’s plan of treatment, which, ultimately assisted in healing him.
What I like about Ryan’s analogy:
- The comparison was instantly familiar to his listener
- It was easy to visualize and understand
- It changed the way the listener viewed his situation without feeling any pressure from Ryan
What metaphors/analogies do you have on hand to reframe contentious situations with your clients?
Answering the Question: What Do You Do?
In another situation, people are always curious as to exactly what chiropractors do, so here is what Ryan says,
“Most often, you come to me with muscles that are completely tight and tense, perhaps as a result of stress, running a marathon, leaning over at a computer all day, etc.
This causes your muscles to become slack in that position and may make the neck or upper back feel tight causing discomfort.
So, I do three things:
First, I do a Pre-assessment of the whole body on you which may show reduced range of motion in the mid-back or neck / sensitive muscles on touch
Then, I determine the right Treatment intervention which could be dry needling, massage, spinal manipulation, exercise or rehab
Last, we do a Post assessment: Do you now have Increased range of motion in your mid-back and neck? Or, Do you have less sensitivity and perceived increased blood flow and nervous transmission to the area causing less tension and stress around those muscles?
When you say yes, I say, ‘Your muscles went from cement to jelly!’ THAT is what a chiropractor does for you.”
Patients leave Ryan’s office with a smile and they never forget that image (which helps in getting easy referrals).
What simple “before and after” metaphor can you use to describe your work?
- “You come to me with… and leave with…”
- “We begin with… and end with…”
- “I turn … into …”
- “You get … not …”
- “I make the difference between … and …”
Doctor, lawyer, small business owner, whatever, Ryan’s stories once again illustrate how metaphors are great tools for simplifying information and getting people to say yes!
Anne Miller
Make What You Say Pay—with Metaphors!
March is (Obvious Choice) National Metaphor Month – “In Like a Lion & Out Like a Lamb!”
See how many times this month you can use metaphors to sell, persuade or explain anything to anyone! If you share your stories with me and they get chosen for TMM, I will happily thank you with a copy of a book or a one hour complimentary consult, your choice.
Find Out How to Close Business Faster in New Webinar Available Now
Sponsored by Staples and Just posted: “Building Business One Metaphor at a Time.” https://lnkd.in/df5z3NN
Random Metaphors From the News
Chris Chip, Royal Editor at British ITV on Oprah’s Harry/Meghan Interview
“[The couple] effectively loaded up a B-52 Bomber, flew it over Buckingham Palace and then unloaded their arsenal right above it, bomb by heavily-loaded bomb.”
John Mackay on Merger with Amazon
“A big merger is little bit like a marriage. I’ve been married 30 years. I love my wife and I love maybe 99% of everything about her, and 1% I’m not so fond of. A merger’s similar. Amazon has a different culture than Whole Foods. We love most things about Amazon, and they probably love most things about Whole Foods. But, you know, not everything.” (Bloomberg Business)
Charles Schultze, Chairman of the Council of Economic Advisors, Carter Administration on the Danger of Deficits
“It’s not so much a question of the wolf at the door but termites in the woodwork.” (New York Times)
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