Whether you find Donald Trump appealing or appalling, there’s no way you can sit on the fence in your opinion of the world’s greatest liar.

(Check out The Washington Post science article about ‘Why liars lie’).

One aspect of language the Twitterer in Chief has mastered though – surely as a byproduct of his low-level cunning – is the metaphor.

Unfortunately for his rivals, as nobody can stoop as low as Orange Hair, it’s impossible to call POTUS out on his flagrant, picturable naming of his perceived heroes and villains.

His metaphors slip in unchallenged – even as we disagree and the terms sit uncomfortably as descriptions.

Recall some of Trump’s constantly repeated metaphors…simple, though wrong, characterisations which reinforce and resonate with his legion of uncritical supporters.

‘Nasty’ – a woman Trump doesn’t like (e.g. the Danish Prime Minister who called his idea of the USA buying Greenland absurd)

‘Weak’ – a man with the balls to call out Trump’s wrongness

‘Strong’ – the men behind quasi dictatorships in countries like Russia, China, Brazil et al

‘Rat infested’ – generically describing where black people live

‘Invasion’ – immigration when practiced by Latinos

Now a business or organisation is a combination of doing, making, selling…and promoting.

The stories you tell about yourself have a strong influence on how others perceive you.

Anchoring those stories with a metaphor or two is a powerful way to align a business with a perception.

The right metaphors count; though they must ring true or – as sure as god made little green appies – you’ll get caught out for your fib.

Unlike the The White House Falsifier, your business’s metaphors need to be on point and honest.

And if you want to know how to unearth your own elegant metaphors, give Punchline a yell. As we all know, coffee is much more than just a pleasant drink.

(Note: as reported in India’s Business Standard News, the picture is a fake which did the rounds of Twitter…kinda appropriate!)