Made To Stick

Made to Stick, with added material, is a new release by Chip Heath and Dan Heath. This updated version is now said to be “extra sticky”. 

When we seek to roll out a new idea, invention or initiative, we want it to be a memorable experience for as many people as possible. We want that one in a million idea that will spread like wildfire throughout the marketplace.

The challenge is in figuring out what idea will provide the basis for that kind of unique experience, and what kind of marketing plan can be put into motion to provide the best chance for success.

Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die has proven to be a book that lives up to it's title.

After reading this book, you will process your ideas and key messages differently, planning how to communicate is a way that has a greater chance of "sticking" with your audience.  

The authors identify a common enemy of effective communication... The Curse of Knowledge.  They explain that one of the greatest barriers for a leader when trying to communicate a key message is their own knowledge or expertise.  

Your audience does not share your expertise. Therefore, they do not process the language you use in the same way you do. But everyone can process a sticky message.  

Stickiness, is a universal language, which comes from wrapping your message with simplicity and storytelling - using words and ideas that light up the senses will enable every team member to understand and better remember the ideas being communication. 

Six Principles of Made To Stick

The authors of Made to Stick have thoroughly researched what it takes to identify and market your next greatest product or service. They have discovered that most ‘sticky’ ideas are rooted in six core principles. 

Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die provides countless examples where these six principles are illustrated in great detail. The book is highly recommended as a tool to get your creative energies flowing.

Four of the six core principles for increased "stickiness" includes:

1. Simplicity - how to find the essential root of every idea. Don’t try to sell ten benefits, sell the best one or two.
2. Unexpectedness - how to properly 'violate' people's expectations. We can use surprise - an emotion where the purpose is to increase alertness and cause focus - to grab people's attention.
3. Concreteness - the best sticky ideas provide vivid and memorable images. These are concrete visions that you can't help but remember. Examples might include a powerful word on someone's forehead, or a pig swimming in the ocean. The human brain is naturally wired to remember concrete information.
4. Credibility - create questions or other ways to help people test your ideas for themselves - a "try before you buy" opportunity that a customer can easily process on their own. Questions like, "Are you better off today than you were four years ago?" made it clear to a nation that the economy needs the attention of new leadership.

Many times ideas are best remembered when told through a story. In 'Made to Stick' readers learn the natural power of good old fashioned story telling. 

Stories & Ideas Evolve

Stories, ideas, key messages or quotes will naturally be voted on by an audience. The consumer always retains the rights and power to forget anything at any time. In addition, the audience will often change the story or message over time.

There are many examples where a famous quote is attributed to a certain individual, when in fact that person did not actual say the words attributed to them.

Usually, they said something similar to the quote, but as the saying was shared over and over, the audience modified it slightly. When this happens, the end result is usually a more polished, effective and memorable quote.

This is one reason why this revised, and improved, version of Made to Stick is now even more valuable to the reader. The Heath's have provided a section of free resources on their website.  

Resources include a copy of the first Chapter of the book; templates for creating a key message, elevator pitch or preparing a memorable presentation.

Overall, Made to Stick is highly insightful and an enjoyable read and the authors have provide an easy quick reference guide in the back of the book.

This updated edition of includes three new sections, which include:

1. Advice for Managers
2. Advice for Teachers
3. Advice for Anyone

These new sections make the book even "stickier". Nice job Heath brothers!

Author Bio's

Chip Heath and Dan Heath are brothers. Chip is a profesor of organizational behavior in the Graduate School of Business at Stanford University.

Dan is a consultant to the Policy Programs at the Aspen Institute. A former researcher at Harvard business School, he is a co-founder of Thinkwell, an innovative new-media textbook company. 

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