Book: Made to stick

Author

Chip Heath, Dan Heath

Summary

An overview of communication techniques for effective messaging of ideas.

Takeaways

In order for ideas to stick with an audience they have to be framed as Simple Unexpected Concrete Credible Emotional Stories (SUCCES). If we follow the SUCCES framework, we can drill to the core of the message to know what to say (simple) and frame it in a way that helps people to pay attention (unexpected), understand and remember (concrete), believe and agree (credible), care (emotional), and act (stories).

Quotes

“Abstraction makes it harder to understand an idea and to remember it. It also makes it harder to coordinate our activities with others, who may interpret the abstraction in very different ways."

“How can we make people care about our ideas? We get them to take off their Analytical Hats. We create empathy for specific individuals. We show how our ideas are associated with things that people already care about. We appeal to their self-interest, but we also appeal to their identities—not only to the people they are right now but also to the people they would like to be”

“The story’s power, then, is twofold: It provides simulation (knowledge about how to act) and inspiration (motivation to act)."

“So, rather than guess about whether people will understand our ideas, we should ask, ‘Is it concrete?’ Rather than speculate about whether people will care, we should ask, ‘Is it emotional? Does it get out of Maslow’s basement? Does it force people to put on an Analytical Hat or allow them to feel empathy?'"