A picture is worth a thousand words, but you can paint a picture verbally with far fewer words. Communicating in succinct, concrete and exact language is often a plus in the legal world, but there are times you should also break out your verbal palette to better convey your message.

If you want to communicate your vision on an issue, including resolving a case through negotiation or mediation, you should try using image-based words, according to Andrew Caron’s article in the Harvard Business Review.