Have you ever had a great idea that you were sure would be a hit, only to have it fall flat? Or perhaps you’ve presented a proposal at work that you were confident would be well received, only to have it rejected. It can be frustrating to put effort into an idea and not have it succeed, but the good news is that there is a formula for making your ideas stick.
According to Chip and Dan Heath, authors of the book “Made to Stick,” there are six key elements to making an idea stick, they are: Simple, Unexpected, Concrete, Credible, Emotional, and Story. These six elements, abbreviated as a catchy acronym called SUCCESs, can help you craft successful ideas that will be memorable, understandable, and effective in helping you achieve your goal of making your ideas stick.
Simple
“Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.” - Leonardo da Vinci
In a world full of cluttered, complex and overwhelming ideas, prioritizing the simplicity of your ideas can make them powerful and comprehensive. Simplifying and decluttering your ideas makes it easier for your audience to be able to focus on what is truly important and meaningful in your message.
“The ability to simplify means to eliminate the unnecessary so that the necessary may speak.” - Hans Hofmann
Your idea should be simple. This doesn’t mean it has to be easy, but rather that it should be easy to understand and communicate. People have a limited attention span, so if your idea is too complex or convoluted, it will be difficult for them to grasp and remember. Instead, focus on the core message of your idea and eliminate any unnecessary details or distractions.
One way to make your idea simple is to use clear, concise language and avoid speaking in technical jargon or abstract terms that your audience may not understand. You can also use visual aids, such as diagrams or infographics, to help illustrate your idea and make it more accessible. The key point in this simple heuristic is for you to work hard to un-bury the lead. And if you truly apply this simple logic, rest assured you will give your idea a leg up in the marketplace of ideas.
Perhaps the simplest of all sticky ideas is Einstein’s E = MC², which renders the complexity of the material universe and the mystery of relativity in 5 letters, numbers, and symbols.
Unexpected
When we encounter something that is unexpected or surprising, it captures our attention and keeps us engaged. It’s like a sudden burst of excitement or a bolt of energy that energizes us and makes us want to learn more. By introducing something unexpected into your idea, you can create a sense of intrigue and curiosity that draws your audience in and keeps them interested. Whether it’s through a surprising statistic, a counterintuitive argument, or a twist on a familiar concept, the unexpected has the power to captivate and inspire. And by going against your audience’s expectations, you’ll pique their curiosity and make them more likely to pay attention to your idea.
Expect the Unexpected - Bear Bryant
Concrete
The power of being concrete cannot be overstated. Many experts suffer from the Curse of Knowledge. The Natural tendency to bury the lead in a sea of abstractions.
When we are concrete in the communication of our ideas, we are clear and specific, using language that is easily understood and relatable. This clarity helps our audience to better understand and remember what we are saying, and it also helps to build trust and credibility. Being concrete means using specific details and examples to illustrate the point of an idea, to help our audience visualize and understand our idea. This will make it more memorable and easier to act on. This is essential to making an idea sticky.
“The more specific you are, the more clear you are. The more clear you are, the more memorable you are. The more memorable you are, the more likely you are to be believed.” - Chip Heath and Dan Heath, authors of “Made to Stick”
Credible
How do people decide which ideas to believe in? One way is to rely on authorities, such as our parents, traditions, or experts. If an authority figure supports an idea, it is often seen as more credible. However, what happens when we don’t have access to an authority figure? Chip and Dan Heath lays out other strategies that can be deployed to establish credibility in the absence of an authority figure. They propose using an anti-authority, providing concrete details, presenting statistics, applying the Sinatra Test, and demonstrating testable credentials.
Establishing Credibility
Anti-Authority
One way to establish credibility when you don’t have an authority figure to support your idea is to use an anti-authority. An anti-authority is someone who contradicts or challenges the conventional wisdom on a topic. For example, you could use a dying smoker as an anti-authority to make the point that smoking is harmful to your health. Alternatively, you could use the example of a scientist who was able to prove that bacteria was causing ulcers by swallowing the bacteria himself and demonstrating the accuracy of his theory. These examples show that using an anti-authority can be an effective way to establish credibility when you don’t have access to traditional authority figures.
Providing concrete details
Sometimes, we don’t have external authority figures to support our ideas, so our ideas need to be able to stand on their own. In these cases, it is important to ensure that our ideas have “internal credibility,” meaning that they are convincing and trustworthy on their own merit. One way to establish internal credibility is by providing a lot of details about the topic at hand. This can be seen as a sign of expertise and can increase the credibility of the idea. To drive home the persuasive power of concrete details; a social science study found that potential jurors were more likely to grant custody to a parent in a case where they had a lot of details from that parent, even if those details were not directly relevant, than when they had only a few essential details. This suggests that providing a lot of details can be an effective way to establish credibility for an idea.
Presenting statistics
Using statistics is a common and effective way to support an idea and increase its credibility. However, it is important to use statistics correctly in order to effectively illustrate a relationship. Instead of focusing on the specific numbers, it is more important for people to remember the relationship that the statistics are trying to convey. Statistics should be used as input, rather than output, in order to effectively support an idea and increase its credibility. Used correctly, statistics can be a powerful persuasive tool for establishing credibility and making a strong argument for an idea.
Applying the Sinatra Test
The Sinatra Test is a method for establishing credibility for an idea that is based on the idea that “if you can make it in one place, you can make it anywhere.” The authors of this concept suggest that finding a test case that demonstrates the credibility of an idea can be an effective way to establish credibility for the idea in other contexts as well. The idea is similar to the concept of a “proof of concept,” in which an idea is tested in a specific context to determine its viability and potential for success. By finding a test case that makes the idea completely credible, you can use that example to establish credibility for the idea in other situations.
Demonstrating testable credentials
Sometimes it’s necessary to challenge the audience to test the idea for themselves. An example of this is the “Where’s the Beef” commercials from Wendy’s in the 1980s. These ads claimed that Wendy’s hamburgers were larger than those at other fast food chains, and that other chains had more bun than burger. By allowing the audience to see for themselves whether these claims were true, Wendy’s was able to establish credibility for its hamburgers and differentiate itself from its competitors. Providing testable credentials can be a powerful way to establish credibility and persuade others about an idea.
Establishing credibility is a matter of providing evidence and data to support your idea, and consider using experts or firsthand accounts to back up your claims.
Emotional
What do people care about? A reliable way to engage people’s attention is to appeal to their self-interest. Psychologist will tell you people generally care about things and ideas that directly affect them, so framing a message in a way that highlights how it relates to the audience’s personal interests can be an effective way to get them to care. By focusing on what matters to people, we can increase the chances that our message will be well-received and have a lasting impact.
Evoking some level of emotional connection is a must have ingredient for crafting an idea’s stickiness. Be sure to lean into storytelling, using imagery or anecdotes to illustrate the impact of the idea.
Story
It is well-known that a good story can be very memorable and persuasive. Good stories have the power to inspire and motivate people to take action. One way to make an idea stick is to present it as a story, as this can help to engage the listener’s attention and create a deeper connection with the idea.
There are three main types of stories that can be used to convey an idea: the Challenge plot, the Connection plot, and the Creativity plot. The Challenge plot is a classic story of overcoming adversity, and is characterized by obstacles that seem daunting to the protagonist. The Connection plot is a story about people who form a relationship that bridges a gap, and can inspire us to be more tolerant and helpful towards others. The Creativity plot involves someone making a mental breakthrough or solving a problem in an innovative way, and can inspire us to think creatively and find new solutions to problems. By using these types of stories, we can make our ideas more engaging and memorable to our audience.
TLDR
Simple — keep it simple, unravel the idea down to its core message. un-bury the lead.
Unexpected — delight your audience with the unexpected, break their preconceived schema about the topic to grab their attention.
Concrete — clear and concise communication, using language that is easily understood and relatable. Clarity over Abstractions.
Credible — give them a reason to believe in your ideas. Establish credibility via authority figures, or through anti-authority, details, statistics or other heuristics like the Sinatra Test.
Emotions — people share when they care, if you want your ideas to stick, you must evoke some level of emotional connection from your audience that ties your ideas to their personal interests.
Stories — storytelling is the ultimate art of persuasion. A well crafted idea in the form of a story is not only persuasive but also can be very memorable.
Conclusion
The Success checklist is a deeply practical framework that is neither hard nor natural or instinctive, it is one that requires diligence and awareness of human nature. All sticky ideas have the SUCCESs framework in common, and applying them to your ideas is sure to guarantee you a favorable outcome.
Thanks for Reading ✌️