In their book, “Made to Stick, Why Some Idea Survive and Others Die,” brothers Chip and Dan Heath define a sticky idea as one that is understood, remembered, and creates some kind of change in a person’s opinion, behavior, or values. They studied the panorama of what makes ideas sticky by examining urban legends, ad campaigns, and even proverbs.
What they discovered was that making an idea stick is not about being charismatic, having lots of resources behind you, or even being a creative genius. What they identified were six traits that make ideas sticky.
To help you remember each trait, the first letters of the six elements are the first 6 letters of the word SUCCESS. To communicate an idea successfully the idea must be refined to a simple and relatable core message (Simple). It must make people stop and pay attention (Unexpected). It must make people understand and remember it (Concrete). They also need to agree or believe it (Credible), care about it (Emotional), and be able to visualize it (Story).
Over the next few days, we’ll look at how to make your message stick and how to apply these sticky ideas to your business.
