Ideas that can be put to question are more reliable. Another source of credibility is personal experience. Statistics are useful, though they suffer from a lack of concreteness. Credible: Sticky ideas give us a reason to believe they're true (even when they're not).Speaking concretely is the only way to ensure that our idea means the same thing to everyone in the audience. This is where most of the business communication goes awry. Concrete: We must present our ideas in term of sensory information.Once our attention is grabbed, sticky ideas refuse to let go, holding our interest by creating in us a need to discover the outcome, to see how things work. Unexpected: The best ideas represent a break from the everyday, the ordinary, the status quo.

Simple does not have to mean short (but it helps) what is important is that the single most important thing be highlighted. Simple: Simplicity is achieved when an idea is stripped down to its core, to the most essential elements that make it work.Additionally, all chapters feature an interactive section called the “Idea Clinic” that provides a specific scenario designed to encourage readers to apply the knowledge they have learned throughout the chapter.Chip and Dan Heath offer us 6 qualities that make ideas sticky, all wrapped up in a clever acronym: Simple Unexpected Concrete Credible Emotional Stories (SUCCES). Chapters 5 and 6 explore how appeals to emotion can encourage people to retain an idea and even be moved to action.Įach chapter follows a precise pattern of alternating narrative storytelling and analysis: Chapters always begin with anecdotes that exemplify the chapter’s core message these stories are then analyzed, and their worth is underlined. Chapter 4 underlines the importance of telling a credible story that builds audience trust. Chapter 3 argues for the necessity of using concrete imagery rather than abstract ideas to help people visualize or retain information. Chapter 2 highlights the efficiency of using shock and surprise, and explores various methods of gaining and retaining attention. Chapter 1 explains how to find an idea’s core and why it is important to never lose sight of this essence. Made to Stick is divided into six chapters, each of which explores one fundamental factor that makes ideas stick. This guide references the 2017 Random House edition.Ĭontent Warning: The source material references a case involving the sexual exploitation of children. Made to Stick enjoyed both commercial success and critical acclaim on publication, making the bestseller lists of the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, and Business Week.

Chip dan heath made to stick