Made to Stick by Chip and Dan Heath
If you’re at all like me you’ve probably got more ideas for your business than you have time for. And it may be, too, that you’ve had what you thought were great ideas, but they just didn’t pan out for you the way you thought they might.
Are you curious to know why some ideas stick around, and others die a quiet — sometimes painful — death? Well, the Heath brothers —Chip and Dan — are the ones who can explain the difference.
Using anecdotes as disparate as urban legends (remember the “organ theft” ring story from a few years ago?), the “Chicken Soup for the Soul” blockbusters, and the movie popcorn brouhaha over saturated fats — Chip Heath and Dan Heath break down and analyze what makes some stories work — and why some stories don’t — to give readers a better chance for making their own stories — their own ideas — stick.
Whether you’re a professional practitioner, an independent direct salesperson, or an entrepreneur both online or off, the authors’ findings will help you present your own ideas in a more effective manner.
Some of their suggestions for sticky ideas:
1. Make it simple. A confused mind does nothing.
2. Make it unexpected. Think about surprising people, like that guy who lost 100 lbs. eating Subway sandwiches.
3. Make it concrete. The more you’re able to ground your ideas in someone else’s reality, the more they’ll stick.
4. Make it credible. Statistics, graphics, before-and-after photos all help make your claims or story more believable.
5. Make it emotional. We like logic, but we like emotion more. In fact, some experts argue that most decisions are made emotionally. So you want to appeal to both logic AND emotions.
6. Make it a story. Ever since our ancestors gathered around campfires and shared stories of vanquishing saber-tooth tigers, we have loved stories. Stories are easy to relate, easy to remember, and thus are stickier.
Using the framework and suggestions they present in this book, anyone — a business person, or an elementary school teacher, or a spouse — anyone with something they want remembered by others — can create stories and ideas that stick.
Creating stories and ideas that stick means that people — your ideal clients — remember you and then buy from you.
Did you read this book? Want to add to the review? Please use the comment section below.
Want your own copy of this book? Get it here.
Certified Law of Attraction Trainer, Coach and Author. Huge Adele fan. Grandpa to Benjamin. Soul Proprietor. Lover of all things about business and marketing. Out and proud happily married gay guy.