Is your presentation dull and boring, or is it simply copied from websites? Do you want to know how you can make your presentation catchy, interesting, and not just something copied from templates?
Metaphors are the simple answer to this question. A metaphor is a figure of speech in which two things, people, ideas, etc. are compared by stating that one is the other. The two are not similar, but the comparison serves to emphasize, symbolize, or add humor/color to an author’s language.
You should not believe anything without looking at the proof! So, let’s take a look at how using metaphors change the game when it comes to making your presentations more engaging.
Why Use Metaphors in Your Presentations?
Presentations with a lot of information, data, and difficult concepts can turn off the audience. They may experience overload, confusion, and, most likely, plain boredom.
Boredom simply leads to a lack of creativity, which results in the presentation’s overall goal being lost. As a result, all of your efforts are futile.
Metaphors can help you solve all of the above in various ways like they can assist an audience in visualizing something intangible concretely, they can captivate an audience by providing them with something to which they can relate, and moreover, they are effective communicators.
Let’s see what impact does use of metaphors have on the audience
Metaphors get your audience to think about your ideas differently and uniquely. A well-chosen metaphor can represent a new insight that you are attempting to teach your audience.
Visual metaphors allow your audience to process ideas in two channels of their brain, resulting in a more powerful impact as they sync the visual with the verbal. You can use a metaphor to help a prospect recognize the misunderstanding that is preventing them from purchasing your product or service.
Metaphors stimulate the subconscious, emotional part of your audience’s brains because they are creative and thought-provoking.
How to start using metaphors in your presentation?
Effective metaphors simplify the concept rather than leaving the audience wondering what you were trying to say. Only use metaphors that are appropriate for the content you are presenting, rather than simply copying and pasting.
Using a metaphoric theme in your presentation: Using a smattering of metaphors that are unrelated to the presentation’s content is not recommended. Instead, stick to a single theme. This will assist you in maintaining audience interest and avoiding confusion.
Including a metaphor in the first slide will help to set the tone: This would help in engaging the audience in the start only and making them curious about what’s next. Inserting a metaphor in between the content whenever it is relevant and appropriate. Don’t overdo it with them.
Including a metaphor on the final slide: This will help to conclude the presentation with a bang and will leave the audience satisfied with the overall presentation, resulting in a successful presentation.
Some examples of business metaphors that can be used in your presentation to make it more appealing and stimulating are:
● Products are solutions
● Business growth is horticulture
● Companies are ship
The main goal of using metaphors is for the audience to get a sense of the entire presentation with just a few words; the audience should be able to click on the main point that the presenter is emphasizing.
In writing, we are always advised to use a catchy headline so that the readers are more interested just by reading the title of the article or a blog. Similarly, using metaphors in a presentation always enhances the output.
Using metaphors in a presentation makes your presentation stand out from the crowd. The audience will remember that little phrase of metaphor you used to express your views and explain the concept in such a unique manner.
