Las Vegas Sun

March 28, 2024

Ante Up, Knock my Socks Off and Fire on All Cylinders!

One of my favorite business tools is storytelling. I find it a great way to convey an idea vividly to a client, helping her see an issue differently or providing a glimpse of the future. Using metaphors, similes or analogies are great ways to bridge reality and story, but too often are so overused that they lose their impact.

I once counted 28 metaphors and analogies that were used in one meeting. Most didn’t really add to the quality of the meeting and some were actually distracting. Below is a sampling of some incredibly overused sayings:

• I’d like to get you all up to speed regarding this project.

• OK, people, we need to think out of the box.

• Don’t be afraid, take a stab at a solution.

• I think that idea is too over the top, even for them.

• Are you expecting to learn on the client’s dime.

• It’s a simple concept; it’s not rocket science.

• Good idea, but that’s only reaching for the low-hanging fruit.

• OK, we need to talk about the 800-pound gorilla first.

• I’m not going to throw you under the bus.

• I thought I’d give you a “heads up” about the issue at hand

Clever analogies or metaphors, however, can brighten up a meeting and provide color at least until they, too, become overused. Here are a few that I’ve recently run across:

• Hitting 3 out of 10 gets you into the Hall of Fame (used to help your colleague put his poor sales stats into perspective as being not that bad)

• Today’s business economy is like an economic souffle (apparently this is good if you know what ingredients go into making a souffle)

• People don’t buy the drill, they buy the hole (used to keep someone’s attention on the results and not just the tools used to get there)

• I would have had an easier time setting a meeting with Osama bin Laden (used to make the point of how hard it is to get a return call from a prospect)

• His vocabulary is as bad as, like, whatever (a nice way of reminding someone to use correct grammar and appropriate language)

But be careful. Sometimes trying to be clever can backfire, as illustrated by these sayings I’ve actually read or heard recently:

• Her discriminating taste regarding art is like someone who can tell the difference between butter and “I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter.”

• The red brick was the color of brick red Crayola.

• He was gone but unnoticed, like the period on the Dr Pepper can.

• He just sat there, like an inanimate object.

• The sunset displayed rich spectacular hues like a .jpeg file at 20% cyan, 10% magenta, 60% yellow and 10% black.

I hope you enjoyed this tongue-in-cheek blog. Storytelling is the missing piece of the puzzle; it is what I use to break free of bonds, and plant a seed for a new idea. But for now, I’m out of steam, it’s time to throw in the towel and end this post like a bad movie.

Until next time …

Craig

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