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It is primarily a verbal technique, although pantomime can be usedfor confusional purposes as well as for communication. As a verbaltechnique, the Confusion Technique is based upon plays upon words, aninvolved example of which can be readily understood by the reader butnot by the listener, such as "Write right right, not wright or write." Spoken to attentive listeners with complete earnestness, aburden of constructing a meaning is placed upon them, and before theycan rejectit, another statement can be made to hold their attention.This play on words can be illustrated in another fashion by thestatement that a man lost his left hand in an accident and thus hisright (hand) is his left. Thus two words with opposite meanings areused correctly to describe a single object, in this instance theremaining hand. In the 1988 Vice Presidential Debates, the young, then-Senator Dan Quayle attempted to position himself in the minds ofviewers in the same category as the enormously popular President Kennedy. He claimed he had as much experience inCongress as John Kennedy did when he sought the presidency. Quayle s opponent, Senator Lloyd Bentsen, skewered himby responding, Senator, I knew Jack Kennedy. He was a friend of mine. You, sir, are no Jack Kennedy. We may not hit home runs, but we win by hitting singles and doubles.

It s apples and oranges.A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.We are the Tiffany of the industry.It s a jungle out there.He s a diamond in the rough

The window of opportunity is closing. analogy to the topic at hand drives home your point and spares yourlistener any confusion which might derail the deal.YOUR TURNMake sure the metaphors you chose for your three clientsThink of a client you re having a tough time winning. What objections, if any, has he voiced?

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Which of these objections can you take at face value and clear up with a simpleexplanation or compromise?

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_______________________________________________ _______________________________________________ Which one is hiding a subtext a skewed perception based on emotion or experience or strongly held belief?

_______________________________________________ _______________________________________________ _________________need it most (such as calling 911 on the highway). I suppose yo

u couldargue a toilet, like a cell phone, is an invention of convenience (compared, say, to an outhouse), but itis definitely not something that connects people quickly. The metaphor also fails on an associativelevel. What we associate with toilets is not what we associate or even want to a

ssociate with our cellphones. The word toilet takes us into the bathroom, hardly an appropriate placeto shift our thoughts.How much better if the hedge-fund manager had seized upon the world of cars forhis metaphor!Metaphors are like railroad tracks coming from opposite directions to meet in the middle: Eachhalf must wind up close______________________________