Made to Stick is must reading for sales, marketing and advertising professionals. Written by brothers Chip and Dan Heath, the book reveals the six elements that make an idea unforgettable. Every one of them is routinely ignored in business communication. Here they are–

1. Simple. Is your point obscured by a forest of facts and figures? Have you buried your central thought on PowerPoint slide 26? Do you have a central thought? Learn how to make your point stick by sticking to the point. (Easier said than done, believe me.)

2. Unexpected. Alas, predictability reigns for the vast majority of presentations, brochures, Web pages and ads. The audience has seen it all before … and before and before. Thus, they are inert instead of alert. But surprise the audience, and they will gladly pay attention! And surprise!–whether you’re selling plumbing supplies or plum pudding, you can inject the unexpected into your message.

3. Concrete. If your ideas are expressed in purely abstract terms, they won’t sink in. Prove it to yourself–the authors test the reader to demonstrate how much easier it is to recall vivid details. Fun chapter.

4. Credible. Many times it’s not what is being said, but who is saying it. Credibility issues are partly responsible for growing skepticism of traditional advertising and public relations and the growing popularity of blogs. But credibility is possible in all media–if you know where credibility comes from.

5. Emotional. To be remembered, an idea must engage our hearts as well as our heads. For many businesses, emotional engagement is likely to be the most counterintuitive of the six concepts. Nevertheless, the Heaths demonstrate that emotion belongs in everything from PowerPoints to interoffice memos.

6. Stories. Tell them. Stories are more persuasive than arguments. In fact, as the authors point out, arguments actually drive people away.

Why are these simple, fairly routine principles of so often absent? The Heath brothers chalk it up to the “Curse of Knowledge”. The Curse thwarts our efforts to be remembered every step of the way. For example, in the chapter on “Simple”, the authors say–

“…Becoming an expert in something means that we become more and more fascinated by the nuance and complexity. That’s when the Curse of Knowledge kicks in, and we start to forget what it’s like not to know what we know…” (p. 46)

Chew on that for awhile. It might change your words. As will scores of other passages in Made to Stick!

Further reading/listening …

Brand Autopsy presents key excerpts from the book.

IT Conversations interviews Chip Heath.

Book review from Present Tense.

A recent Word Sell post about stories.

Biz Book Talk with another fine review.

P.S. Thanks to my friend and colleague Bill Welter for turning me on to this book!