Crafting Your Message
#1 Metaphor and Simile
Metaphors and similes are figures of speech which make comparisons between things that are different. They are a great way to explain something so that your message becomes easy to understand and a great way to make your language colorful and engaging. Metaphor and Simile create mental images in the minds of your audience. They stimulate the brain and make your message more memorable.
Metaphors make indirect or nearly hidden comparisons between two things that are unrelated, but share some similarities.
You’ve probably heard the expression “Time is money”, this is an example of a metaphor.
A CEO at an annual company event gave a speech and said “We still have many mountains to climb, but we have made great progress this year.” In this example, the CEO is comparing ‘facing and overcoming challenges’ to ‘climbing mountains’, this is another example of metaphor.
A simile is similar to a metaphor. It also makes a comparison between two things which are unrelated. The difference is that similes make a more direct comparison, they use the words “as” or “like.”
- Adding stylistic devices to your presentation is like adding sambel to your soto.
- A great presentation is like a work of art.
- Many people feel that public speaker is like swimming with sharks.
- Some presentations are as boring as watching the clock
- For many people public speaking is as scary as jumping off a cliff.
How could you use simile or metaphor in your presentation?
