Think about the recent election cycle.  When Donald Trump wanted you to thinkabout an opponent ina derogatory way, he found a simple metaphor – that stuck.

Remember, these people? “Lyin’ Ted”, “Low-energy” Jeb, “Little Marco” Rubio, “Crooked Hillary” and  “Crazy Bernie”. Sure you do. Why, because, just as a picture is a thousand words, metaphors are memorable because they paint the “big picture” and leave out all the words, that often no-one wants to read!

In Conversations that Win the Complex Sale, Erik Peterson and Tim Riesterer, remind us of this point and give us some interesting pointers when we’re engaged in selling.  In a sales situation, the first thing you need to do is set the framework – draw a picture of what your prospect’s world looks like.  This allows you to demonstrate you understand his/her world and enables you to help create the framework you want to use.

(Remember, in the “old” world of sales, where people were to note features, sell benefits and overcome objections, the objections usually came from the fact that your framework missed key issues and they arose “objections”. For instance, if you’ve qualified the prospect as having the budget you need, and created a framework for high ROI and value, then price isn’t an objection anymore.)

After you’ve created the Big Picture, present the detailed sales points, providing evidence to support each one. Then, close with a metaphor that summarizes your point and makes it memorable.  Another example: a client with a warehouse, created a sales pitch in which he notes the pain many customers experience in other facilities (often hidden charges, complications, slow services), describes the quality, speed and efficiency of its logistic services, while showing the facility, and ends with a metaphor that appeals to the emotional side of the buyer:  warehousing made easy.

What metaphors do you use in your sales presentations?  Share them with us!