Tool No 17: The Metaphor
HOW? Metaphors have to be carefully prepared in advance. Once you’ve decided on one, think about how each part of it relates to each part of your message.
Often, it is the good, well-considered metaphor that sticks in the listener’s mind long after a presentation. If the metaphor is good enough, you might even want to use it for the title of the presentation.
For example, Ken Robinson’s TED Talk “How to Escape Education’s Death Valley” took its title from the metaphor he used to round off the talk: “In the winter of 2004 it rained in Death Valley. Seven inches of rain fell over a very short period. And in the spring of 2005, there was a phenomenon. The whole floor of Death Valley was carpeted in flowers for a while. What it proved is this: that Death Valley isn’t dead. It’s dormant. Right beneath the surface are these seeds of possibility waiting for the right conditions to come about.”
Each element of the metaphor can be translated into elements of the main message. Rain = new conditions. Seed = potential. Flowers = vision. If you use a metaphor, all of the elements in it must relate to something meaningful in your message.
Round off your presentation with a point that applies to both the metaphor and the message.
