Magnificent metaphors are one of the issues we discuss extensively in our 5-day Discovery Public Speaking Courses.
‘The society that scorns excellence in plumbing as a humble activity and tolerates shoddiness in philosophy because its exalted activity will have neither good plumbing nor good philosophy: neither its pipes nor its theories will hold water.’ John W. Gardner
Imagine if you called out a plumber to fix a leak. The plumber arrives, and you lead him into the kitchen and point to your offending pipework. He spends five minutes looking at the apparatus. He observes it this way, then that, from above and below. He grumbles. Finally, he puts his hand on the dripping pipe and measures the flow.
“Yeah. You’ve got a leak,” he proffers. “Do you have a wrench?”
You look around. Where’s the man’s toolbox? Is it in the van? You’re astounded. He is a plumber, and he doesn’t have a wrench? Is this the beginning of a bad joke? No, it’s not a joke, but you’re angry because he hasn’t brought his tools. How can he do his job correctly without his tools?
The short story and the quotation above are tools, and the toolbox, of course, is a metaphor, and metaphors hold water.
These tools are essential to the speaker because we’re making a point and building an argument. I’m creating the analogy that plumbers and speakers need their tools. You won’t get many call-outs if you’re a speaker or trainer and don’t know your tools.
Tools so far:
Metaphor, analogy (a comparative form of metaphor), a story, and a quotation (qualitative evidence).
Metaphors are shortcuts; shortcuts are themselves metaphors. They cut to the point so much quicker. We tell stories to make points that underpin the central premise of the argument. Equally, the quotation founds, builds on, or around the main premise. Using the tools, you can create a story with a point that uses rich and persuasive language.
In this Toolbox series, we’ll be examining the speaker’s toolbox in depth. With a wrench, you’ll develop a tighter grip on public speaking and endless opportunities for expression. It’s essential that what you say holds water.
As a speaker or trainer, you’ll find a more fulfilling and rewarding career path by becoming familiar with the best training tools and putting them to use every day.
If you're looking to enhance your professional skill set or want to help an employee on the road to success, enroll on our 2-day train the trainer courses The course is ideal for new trainers coming into the industry as well as experienced trainers looking for opportunities to improve their CV and career prospects. Book a place on this career-enhancing 2-day course for just £795 + VAT.
