When we sit down to write an article, or design a presentation, we tend to slip in an analogy.
However, most of the analogies that we seem to come up with a “boring and tired”. The reason why we struggle so much is because we're going about it the wrong way. And analogies – in general – should be written backwards.
How do you write an analogy going backwards? That's what we'll find out in this article.
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What’s so interesting about sitting on a chair and getting up?
That’s the question the audience had to consider when I made a presentation for The Brain Audit. I said: “I’m going to sit on the chair and get up. Then I’m going to sit on the chair again and get up. Finally, I will sit on the chair and get up again.”
The repetition of this mundane action creates a level of curiosity, but let’s set that aside for a moment because we’re here to understand how to create an analogy. When you want to create an analogy, your first step should always be to understand the concept you’re explaining.
When I tried to explain *The Brain Audit*, I wanted to get people to think about a system that works consistently.
Which is why the presentation continued like this: “I’m going to sit on the chair and get up. I’m going to sit on the chair again and get up. And finally, I will sit on the chair and stand up. So, who among you thought the chair would break?”
“The chair doesn’t break because it’s built on science and structure. That is why we never check a chair before sitting on it. Regardless of how much we weigh, we trust it will hold us. Structure is what helps you improve your business and marketing, but most of us lack that structure, which is why we struggle so much.”
Do you see what’s happening here?
The idea is evident from the start: it’s about using structure. A simple chair can become a dramatic analogy. The act of sitting down and standing up is nothing special, yet it grabs the audience’s attention and adds power to the message.
When creating an analogy, it’s easy to think you need to come up with some clever concept. Instead, you need to work backwards. Ask yourself, “What is really happening?” and “How can I reduce what I’m saying to a single word or a few words?”
Let’s take another example—the bikini principle.
The bikini is a tiny garment, yet what it holds back is the key. This principle works on the idea that by giving away 90% of the concept and keeping 10%, the attraction factor remains just as strong—if not stronger. The part that isn’t revealed is the most attractive of all.
Again, the focus is on the concept itself, not the analogy. What are you trying to convey? How can you reduce it into a single idea? Once you have the idea, you can build outwards and find simple, effective analogies.
Let’s take a third example and describe a painter at work.
The painter completes the first coat of paint, then applies a second coat, and finally, the final one. Notice how this analogy might seem tedious, but it’s not because the goal isn’t to find the analogy. Instead, we need to work backwards.
Let’s assume that the idea you wanted to convey was one of “drafts”. That when you create a first draft, it’s shoddy, despite doing your best.
Then, you work on a second draft, and things look better. And blah, blah, blah, third draft, and you’ve got a polished finish. The painter analogy isn’t terribly exciting, but if you work backwards, it becomes incredibly memorable.
Ok, we’re done with Lesson 1:Go backwards.
What do you want to say? That’s the first and most important part of a memorable analogy.
