How to Make Your Ideas Stick Like Superglue

Ever watch someone order coffee in a language they don't speak?  

It's a mess. There's lots of pointing, awkward smiles, and low odds of getting what they wanted.  

In case you haven't noticed, a lot of sales emails are like that.  

You get wild gesturing at value, frantic pointing out of features... and readers who walk away confused or oblivious.  

The good news is, we've got a simple tool that cuts through the confusion:

The analogy.  

Analogies work like the universal translators from Star Trek, turning the foreign into something familiar.

For example, when a tennis instructor tells a beginner, "hold the racket like you're shaking someone's hand," perfect grip usually follows.

Why does this matter for writing effective emails?  

Your brain hunts for patterns while reading emails, trying to connect new ideas to familiar ones. Analogies make this easy—they're like velcro, helping your ideas stick.  

Here's how to write analogies that make your reader say, "Oh, I get it now!"

First, find the "bridge" that connects the unfamiliar to the familiar.

Think about your ideal customer. What’s an experience they know like the back of their hand? The more universal, the better.

For example:

• A busy parent trying to juggle schedules knows the chaos of managing time.
• A home cook understands how the right recipe turns chaos into a perfect meal.

Next, draw a straight line between their world and your solution.

Skip the fancy language and make it obvious. Think about how Airbnb didn’t pitch a "revolutionary accommodation platform." They said, "Live like a local."

Finally, gut-check it.  

If it takes more than a sentence to explain, it’s not working. A clean analogy might be something like, "Our tool is like GPS for your finances—it keeps you on track."

Like a perfect coffee order, a good analogy leaves no room for confusion... which is the key to emails that resonate.  

Your turn: If you've got a message that’s hard to explain, think of one analogy right now to use in your next email.

You’ll be amazed at how it can transform confusion into clarity.

-Brad