Everyone has ideas. Why do some fail, while others become a huge success? Urban legends, conspiracy theories, and crazy public health scares circulate virally, while business people, politicians, policy makers, educators and others struggle to be heard.
Chip Heath, a professor of mine at Stanford Graduate School of Business, joined his brother in authoring Made to Stick. The book addresses the question of why some ideas “stick” and others disappear into oblivion. Heath provides readers with methods on how to communicate so that other people remember you and your ideas. I’ve applied many of these principles into my own life and wanted to share them with you.
The six main principles of a “Sticky Idea”:
1. Simple - don’t complicate it
2. Unexpected - element of surprise
3. Concrete - rooted in something substantial
4. Credible - something that can be verified
5. Emotional - make them feel it; make it funny, make it sad
6. Story - everybody likes to re-tell a good story
I used the tactics in this book when interviewing for my job at Meltwater, and continue using these tactics when raising money for investments and selling clients on the value of a product.
Whether you are in a job interview, selling a product, selling a business idea, or trying to stand out on an online dating site, there is one question you should ask yourself: Is what I am selling “sticky”?
The video below goes into more detail of “sticky ideas,” the six principles, and their benefits in random places like online dating sites.
Finally, as a manager of a team encourage “sticky ideas”:
1. Don’t comprise and aggregate all ideas into one
2. The good ideas are found on the margins
3. Let the unexpected ideas thrive in your team
4. You can’t stand out by being abstract.
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Love the analogy of Sticky Ideas with online dating. This could open up far more creative entries from people using online dating sites. Also, the use of the theory of Sticky Ideas could work well in communication within a relationship.