Make What You Say Pay!
By: Anne Miller
Published: July 14, 2010
Format: Paperback, 164 pages
ISBN-10: 1450583873
ISBN-13: 978-1450583879
Publisher: Chiron Associates, Inc.
"When there is a point to be made, attention to be grabbed, a wish to be remembered, or an audience to persuades, the savviest people in business and in the public eye regularly reach for a metaphor to do the job", writes renowned author, speaker and seminar leader Anne Miller, in her persuasive and connection building book Make What You Say Pay!. The author describes how the simple metaphor, that deepens the rapport with an audience, is a powerful tool for enhancing any message, and for engaging people in conversation and richer understanding.
Anne Miller recognizes the importance of enriching the connection with an audience. Whether a person is selling a product or service, sharing ideas, or working to improve the greater community, being understood is critical to success. When the audience fails to grasp the meaning of the message as presented, the connection is never achieved fully, and the opportunity for engagement may be lost. In many cases, as in the wonderful and inspiring stories presented in the book, a lack of understanding could lead to tragic results. To counter this often encountered problem of lack of comprehension, Anne Miller offers the simple yet powerful solution of employing metaphors. An analogous story or word can create that aha moment when the audience feels a complete oneness with the speaker and the concepts being shared with them.
Anne Miller (photo left) understands that people are bombarded with countless messages on a daily basis. Every one of those communications is vying for attention in an information crowded world. The people sending those messages are all hoping that their ideas, products, or services will reach their desired audience and bring positive results. To the listeners, most of the messages are all garbled together, and very often sound the same, or fail to resonate with them. Anne Miller offers the simple, yet often overlooked metaphor as a way of cutting through the information clutter, and being heard by the intended audience. The metaphor possesses the ability to engage, surprise, and even entertain the audience. As a result, the metaphor captures the audience attention. The metaphor creates a picture in the right brain, moving past the words and logic of the left brain, to engage the entire intellect in new and appealing ways. The use of the metaphor is memorable, because it evokes powerful images that the mind retains, and causes the listener to move to action.
For me, the power of the book is how Anne Miller describes the power of using metaphors when speaking, writing, or engaging an audience. The theory of why metaphors work so well in grabbing and holding attention is supported through practical and actionable techniques for employing metaphors successfully for sales, presentations, speeches, and for creating the impulse to action. Anne Miller shares stories of how metaphors have been used successfully in the real world, to very often achieve tremendous and life changing results.
In a more everyday world, using metaphors will help people connect better with one another in communities, in business, in sales, and for life in general. The real power of metaphor use is that everyone is able to create and offer their own metaphors in any situation. Instead of concerning herself with the various types of comparisons defined in literature classes at school, Anne Miller simplifies metaphor usage to include any comparisons made by the speaker in any circumstances. By keeping her definition of metaphor simple, Anne Miller empowers the speaker to make any comparison, to tell any related story, and to make connections through shared meaning.
I highly recommend the communications enhancing book Make What You Say Pay! by Anne Miller, to anyone seeking to improve their ability to engage and deepen clear understanding with any audience. Whether the person is in sales or marketing, public speaking, public office, community service, or non-profit organizations, the need to engage with the intended audience is essential for success. The use of the simple but powerful metaphor transcends barriers to communication and understanding, enriching the relationship between the speaker and the listener.
Read the competitive edge creating book Make What You Say Pay! by Anne Miller, and empower your speeches, presentations, and communications through the clarity of metaphors. When you employ metaphors, you blast through the background noise of countless other messages seeking the attention of the audience. The metaphor helps your thoughts and ideas stand out from the crowd, achieve results, and builds your success in any endeavor.
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