In their book, Made to Stick, Chip and Dan Heath have explained the elements that make some ideas stick in our memory. We can use these concepts to write better messages, design ad campaigns, and make remarkable presentations.
SUCCESs is the acronym for remembering the factors that make ideas sticky.
Simple - A famous sculptor once said that he sees the sculpture in a dumb rock. His only job is to remove the unwanted parts from that rock. Simplicity is knowing the core of our idea and presenting it in a format that makes easy comprehension. Metaphors, Proverbs, Images are great ways of simplifying things.
Unexpected - Human brain is a pattern-making machine. We simplify things using patterns. But, this ability of the brain makes us lose focus. Once we recognize a structure, we automatically fill in the blanks. When we add an element of surprise, break preconceived patterns, and arouse curiosity, we can grab people's attention.
Concrete - We all hate ambiguity. It is, therefore, critical to use universal language, provide definitions, state assumptions. We also need to engage multiple senses and present ideas in terms of human actions. It eliminates varied interpretations of the same message by the audience.
Credible - We all respond differently to similar communication depending on who is delivering it. Therefore, establishing credibility is critical. It can be achieved by the background of the deliverer, providing vivid details, statistics, etc.
Emotional - When we are shown what we care for and what we should care for, we make an association and connect. People look for that they would benefit from first. Therefore, the message should first address their self-interest. We all aspire to be like someone or become part of a group. These things give us an identity. Ideas connect well when these objectives are met.
Stories - Credible ideas make people believe them. The emotional ideas make people care for them. The right stories make people act. People do not think in terms of figures and facts. They follow the narrative in a story, and the information just piggybacks on it.
I have put the essence of the book in a pictorial. Hope you find it interesting. We have now got an idea of what makes ideas stick. I had in the past made a doddle on Jonah Berger's book - Contagious. In this book, he had revealed the secret of how to make our messages viral. Please have a look at that pictorial too. Click here to go to that post.
Subodh
PS: You may subscribe to my blog - Complete Book in a Single Picture - by clicking here.
Comments