Tapping Into the Incomparable Power of a Good Analogy
Stories are powerful tools in communication, and adding an analogy can be a game-changer.
“Life is like a box of chocolates.”
“Like re-arranging the deck chairs on the Titanic.”
“Like putting lipstick on a pig.”
Analogy turns abstract into obvious. It gives shape to fuzzy concepts, making them feel familiar. It connects emotion to reason. So instead of pushing someone to “just understand,” you guide them with comparison, clarity, and context.
Jesper Sorenson, of the Stanford Graduate School of Business, says, “An analogy very quickly gives people a way of structuring their thinking around an otherwise vague idea.” He and his colleague Glenn Carroll teach MBA students to employ analogies in their presentations because they “are more intuitive than other forms of logical reasoning.”
They point out that it is hard to inspire action around a vague, generalized idea. But analogy is a tool that can help people conceptualise in a more concrete manner.
Want to craft a great analogy? Here’s a quick two-step process:
Know Your Destination: Start with your goal — it’s the anchor for your analogy. What point are you trying to make?
Show your product is better than a competitor?
Justify a bold business decision?
Make it a team sport: Gather your crew and brainstorm comparisons together. The more playful the session, the better the ideas.
You might land on something iconic — like Steve Jobs calling the iPod “a thousand songs in your pocket.”
