Communication Tip of the Day from Treat Consulting: USE METAPHORS TO ENGAGE AN AUDIENCE. Metaphors offer a shortcut to understanding and light up the mind with pictures, sounds or feelings, the mind’s natural language. For example, when you read ‘each blade of grass was a tiny bayonet pointed firmly at our bare feet’ what do you see, hear or feel? Metaphors simplify and clarify. They make the ordinary odd and the odd ordinary. To stand out as a speaker or writer, avoid the cliché metaphor (e.g., ‘a chip off the old block’). Use metaphors that are unique and revealing. They’ll resonate with your audience emotionally and help you to engage their minds.
