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stand. Give human characteristics to abstractions to arouse the listener's emotions. |
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Examples: "This machine is temperamental; you have to make love to it before it responds to what you want." "This company is like an octopus; it has so many arms reaching out in the marketplace that one arm can get cut off without severe pain to the rest of the body." "This organization is sick; it's underfed; its energy is drained. We've simply got to find operating capital." |
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Tip 304: Speak metaphorically. |
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Metaphors create powerful pictures. One metaphor can convey a lifetime of experience or a head full of logic. In one of my client workshops, a sales rep presented an analogy of data files to socks. Black dress socks worn every day to the office represent data files needed daily; dress socks go in the top drawer for easy access just like data files you retrieve often must be easy to access. White athletic socks worn for exercising only on the weekends represent data files that you need only monthly or quarterly; these white socks are stored in the middle bureau drawer for limited access just like data files you don't need to get to often. The rep's green plaid socks, worn only when Aunt Martha comes to visit, represent the data files needed only once a year. Those plaid socks are stored in the bottom bureau drawer for infrequent access just like files you may never need again. His audience immediately understood his explanation about quick access to disk storage space. |
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We occasionally explain the various fee arrangements of our licensing of training programs to customers with this analogy: "As you determine which is the best fee arrangement for your organization, consider it a mortgage." You can pay for a house all cash up front, or you can pay for it over time with interest. With our licensing fee, you can pay for the entire course and all master copies up front, or you can pay participant by participant. The last arrangement will cost you more over time, but you have your money free to use for other things as you go along. Customers understand the concept: they can make an outright purchase or they could take out a mortgage. |
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Metaphors clarify what would take hours to explain in detail. |
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Tip 305: Use anecdotes and stories to make your points. |
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Aesop did. Jesus Christ did. Norman Lear does. People can digest only so much factual information. Anecdotes tie it all togetherlogic and emotion. Don't tell us what kinds of problems users can have if the system crashes. Tell us what happened to Joe Smithers when his hard disk |
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