So, how then do we best create analogies?
Part 2
(Don’t miss the bottom of today’s newsletter, where you’re invited to join me and Ken Daigle on LinkedIn Live this Thursday!)
Continuing our discussion from last week’s post on analogies at Qualtrics X4, Eric Soelberg, VP of Customer Marketing & Analytics for L.L. Bean, has shared his hiking map graphic used in his talk, Blazing a Trail for CX Innovation.
Eric demonstrated the power of using analogies to help bring concepts to life by comparing the innovation journey of a company to the trail followed by a hiker. It (literally) illustrates the point that while we may recall some of a speaker’s talk, it is the stories they tell that are most memorable.
At its heart, an analogy needs two items that we compare, typically something familiar and something unfamiliar. (Think Steve Jobs introducing the iPod nano and comparing its size to the tiny pocket on our blue jeans that nobody uses.) Juan Venegas of Growth Tribe wrote a great post where he offered this simple diagram …
We begin on the right-hand side in the target area for an analogy, the “real world” if you will. To explain this unfamiliar concept or product, we have to travel to the left-hand side to create an analogy and explain the connection between the two. Then we travel back to the target with a richer view of the unfamiliar. I actually think it’s even better if the analogy is so vivid and clear that the audience can draw the connection themselves, but that’s not always possible.
Let me guide you with five strategies to make your own analogies more compelling:
1. Bring the familiar to the unfamiliar. Use what your audience already knows as you try to explain a new product or an abstract concept.
2. Test your analogies with smaller groups first. Almost all analogies break down somewhere, so know your analogy’s limitations by having others help you find them.
3. Infuse your analogies with emotion. Emotional ties increase how well your analogies resonate.
4. Return back to the analogy. Using his journey as a roadmap for the presentation made Soelberg’s hiking trail analogy work. It was also an authentic link to the products L.L. Bean produces.
5. Tell a story, make it shorter. Your audience will remember the tale more than the facts you share. Your best analogies are like short power-stories.
As Einstein said,
“Growth comes through analogy and seeing how things connect, rather than only seeing how they might be different.”
Where can you use analogies to better connect, educate, and inspire your audience?”
JD’s Recommendations: what I’m reading, hearing, and seeing:
Reading: I was honored to guest blog for Chip Conley on the topic of job, career, and calling.
Hearing: Matt Abrahams’ Think Fast Talk Smart podcast has just passed the magic 75-episode mark and is a great item to add to your rotation.
Seeing: It was my privilege to coach Dr. Sergiu Pasca in his 2022 TED talk, a remarkable example of the analogy of “reverse engineering” in brain science.
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As always, jds
P.S. I’ve got a Sneak Peek for you. Join me on LinkedIn this Thursday at 11 AM PT for a look at Realize the Result, a one-day workshop created by my husband Ken and me. In just a few minutes, you’ll see why this is the next workshop you want to attend.
Another great article JD. Analogies are so powerful in communication. Gives jet engine thrust to your communication.