6 Essential Elements to Get Your Idea Across – Part 2

Do you know what it takes to get an idea to stick? In part 1 of this series I discussed the first 3 of 6 critical elements that Chip and Dan Heath mentioned in their book Made to Stick. To recap, they state that viral and long lasting ideas have common elements. Irregardless of where, when or for what purpose these ideas were created they must have some or all of these elements to stick with people.

This time I will focus on the elements called: credibility, emotional and stories.

Credible – Who is conveying your message is just as important as what they’re saying.  Credibility provides the person listening to the story with a few benefits.

1. Less work –  If a well known professor was pitching an idea in a field that he/she is a noted expert then you can avoid doing the analysis yourself.  There’s noreason for me to doubt this expert’s findings so I don’t need to do my own research. This type of thinking can save us time, but it can also lead to the herd mentality and is the basis of some cults.

A great example of this was the Bernie Madoff ponzi scheme. Investors jumped at the chance to invest with Bernie because they believed him to be an expert with a proven background. He was deemed an expert by his long list of clients. The longer and more prestigious the list became, the more clients he attracted because if this celebrity or this charity invested their money with him, he must be good.

2. Safety – If the concept or product ultimately fails then I can feel some degree of safety in the fact that I trusted an expert and not some shmuck.

3. Prestige – If I am on the same side as a credible expert I can feel smarter because I recognized the credibility of the expert and believed them.

Emotional - Who cares about the new line of chocolate you sell?!? Probably very few people unless you’re already well known. However if the chocolate you sell has an interesting story behind it (like this for example) then you will not only be selling your idea but also tugging at someone’s heart. For example if you have come from adversity to become an entrepreneur, or if you employ people that need help, or you donate a part of your profits to charity, then you have an emotional component. I’m not saying that this should be your business strategy! I’m just saying that this component affects the way people view you so you should include it in your message.

Stories – Aren’t stories the basis for movies, novels and the newspaper business?

From the beginning of time people told each other stories because they’re effective methods of conveying messages and keeping people interested. The heart of mythology and folklore is really stories about us – human beings living their lives.

What’s the story behind your idea? Idea’s, no matter what they involve, do not just magically appear. They had a genesis and a development – tell people about it. You may not think it’s pertinent or interesting but you’d be surprised that in many cases people are just as interested in how the idea developed as to what the idea is.

Do you agree with these ideas? Or maybe there’s something that was forgotten? Have you read Made to Stick? Let’s hear your feedback in the comments section.

To subscribe to my blog please check out - Entertheblog.com. Thanks.