Made to Stick by Dan and Chip Heath is one of my classic picks for best business books. As you can probably tell, I’m fond of business books that tell stories through anecdotes (case in point, The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference by Malcolm Gladwell). I’m even more fond of books that make me sit down and rewrite my business plan.
By the first chapter, which focused on Simplicity, I was already thinking how to refine my business plan to make it more “sticky.” After years of struggling with what makes the Downtown Women’s Club different from other women’s business groups, I needed only half a chapter to suddenly turn off the CD (I listen to most business books in my car), and announce to no one in particular — we make networking fun and accessible for everyone. Bingo. CD goes back on and I’m off focusing on how the other chapters apply.
 The six principles that they discuss are:
- Simplicity
- Unexpectedness
- Concreteness
- Credibility
- Emotions
- Stories
Yes, they spell “SUCCESS.” One anecdote that stuck with me had to do with a local newspaper that had a 110% success rate (certain households bought more than one copy). In an era where print is dying (see Lena West’s post in the Tech Forward Entrepreneur blog), the idea that someone could sell more than 100% of their newspapers is incredible. How did they do this? They listed as many names as possible in the paper. Everyone bought it to see if they were in it. In lieu of indepth stories, they opted for names, names and more names.
Now, I just gave up my subscription to the large daily paper because they were piling up at my door and I was getting most of my info online before I could walk downstairs to get it. Yet, I still read my local town paper cover to cover. Partly for the names, partly to see what’s happening (i.e. the fate of the pet snake that escaped from the local library), and yes, I love the police blotter. No drug busts or armed robberies, instead we get “the inebriated gentleman trying to enter the neighbor’s house has been returned to his wife.â€? Or, “suspicious car has left, but it was a Monte Carlo and clearly didn’t belong here.â€?
But, think about it – imagine if, like that newspaper owner, you could find the one simple thing, that was unexpected, yet concrete enough to give you credibility because it stirred people’s emotions enough to tell stories. Now that would be a business plan worth funding.
The Bottom Line: What makes ideas “sticky” are not their complexity or “newness,” but their ability to reach people and make a lasting impact.
This entry was posted on Sunday, September 9th, 2007 at 7:51 pm and is filed under Nonfiction. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.5 Responses to “Top Shelf Classic – Made to Stick”
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September 10th, 2007 at 9:20 am
Diane:
This is a great review. This is my second time hearing about this book. Now, I’ll have to read it
The print newspaper with all its success is indeed amazing. I wonder why other print pubs aren’t knocking down their doors to learn exactly how they did it. I guess that would be too much like right – as my Mom would say.
I thought I was the only person who lived in a town that had a police blotter that rivaled Mayberry’s.
-Lena
September 10th, 2007 at 7:41 pm
More help for women who own their own businesses… MyWomanOwnedBusiness.com, a social networking site for women businessowners. (Think of it as the “myspace” for female entrepreneurs.)
It is a space for women to gather, to ask questions of each other, to market their businesses to other women, and to share their successes. The site is for women who already have businesses, as well as for those who want to launch a business. It is for the woman you know who makes jewelry and wants to take her kitchen-table project to the next level. It is for the accountant, the software engineer, the realtor, the clothing designer, the web designer, the pet-sitter and the pediatrician. It is for any woman who wants to see her idea evolve into a business.
Kimberly A. Porrazzo,
Founder, publisher – MyWomanOwnedBusiness.com
September 10th, 2007 at 10:02 pm
I read this book when it first came out and it is one of the very best. I couldn’t stop talking about it. It isn’t just a marketing book. This book taught me several things about the way people think, including me! Profound insight into the learning process. It is packed from cover to cover with excellent and very original examples. Good review.
September 19th, 2007 at 2:19 am
Sheryl and I just finished listening to unabridged version of this book during a road trip to Minneapolis. We had to keep turning it off to write down the ideas it was spawning in our heads. Took forever to finish it, and now all we want to do is start over.
Co-author Chip Heath, by the way, will be a main stage speaker at the National Speakers Association Winter Meeting in San Francisco, February 14-17. Might want to tell the DWC-San Fran chapter about it.
One last note – the narrator of the audio version is sensational – and I can’t place where I’ve heard him before. If anyone knows, write to me.
Great book review site, Diane.
September 20th, 2007 at 3:13 pm
Accordig to the cd’s I have, the narrator is Charles Kahlenberg. Film credits include Wedding Crashers and Fun with Dick and Jane. (Can’t say I liked either movie much.) Thanks for the info about Chip!
Diane