28. In Praise of Analogies and Examples

Add Value and Dimension

Harvard Business School (HBS) established the gold standard for learning with its case study method. In that curriculum, students learn how to deal with real business situations in participatory exercises. As the school’s website explains, “In class—under the questioning and guidance of the professor—students probe underlying issues, compare different alternatives, and finally, suggest courses of action in light of the organization’s objectives.”¹

In doing so, HBS is following the precepts coined by the ancient Chinese philosopher, Confucius, who wrote:

I hear and I forget

I see and I remember

I do and I understand

This is not to recommend that presenters become participatory—they already do that every business day of their lives—but that they illustrate their stories with the narrative equivalent of the HBS case study method, by using analogies and examples in their presentations. Professional writers have long used these techniques to illuminate their narratives, but presenters, in their rushed lives, often take a short cut and deliver “Just the facts, Ma’am.”

Now there is scientific evidence to support the use of such illustrative material. A New York Times article reported that:

Brain scans are revealing what happens in our heads when we read a detailed description, an evocative metaphor or an emotional exchange between characters. Stories, this research is showing, stimulate the brain and even change how we act in life.²

The article demonstrated the power of metaphors by citing a study made by a team of researchers from Emory University:

[W]hen subjects in their laboratory read a metaphor involving texture, the sensory cortex, responsible for perceiving texture through touch, became active.

In the early days of the information technology, the superhighway was the metaphor-of-choice; today it is the cloud. The Swiss Army knife symbolizes multitasking; low-hanging fruit is an analogy for a readily accessible opportunity; and Levi’s supplying blue jeans to Gold Rush miners represents a first-to-market advantage. Several years ago, one of my pharmaceutical clients described their skin patch drug delivery technology by comparing its action to a truck transporting cargo across a border. Find an analogy that helps illustrate your story.

The Times article went on to cite scientific research about the value of case studies or examples. A study made at York University in Canada, found that:

[T]here was substantial overlap in the brain networks used to understand stories and the networks used to navigate interactions with other individuals.... Narratives offer a unique opportunity to engage this capacity, as we identify with characters’ longings and frustrations, guess at their hidden motives and track their encounters with friends and enemies.

You can illustrate the value of your business with examples of satisfied customers who bought your products or services, of partners with whom you developed win-win relationships, or of investors who profited from funding your company.

And when you do, put those examples into human terms; use their names. People like to hear about people.

The Wall Street Journal has a daily human interest story on its otherwise “just the facts” front page. They call the feature “A-heds,” which they describe as “more than a news feature. Ideas rise out of our personalities, our curiosities and our passions.”³

Both analogies and examples, in addition to activating neural activity in your audiences, add value to your presentations.

In the next chapter, you’ll read about two masters of the case study.