Chip and I devoted a Fast Company column to making presentations stick--we discuss similar themes as the video but in more detail. You can also check out a longer 4-page document we wrote called "Making Presentations that Stick"--just ...READ»
George Loewenstein is the behavioral economist who formulated the "gap theory" of curiosity--here's his original paper on the topic. In Made to Stick, we talk about the gap theory in our chapter on Unexpectedness. (For teachers, we ...READ»
The story of how Jared was discovered--and why Subway initially rejected the campaign--is told in the Story chapter of our book Made to Stick. (Here's an excerpt of the Jared tale.) For more on the power of stories and storytelling, ...READ»
Chip and I love Snopes.com, the urban-legend clearinghouse. See its write-up of the false Snapple/KKK legend. In Made to Stick, we have a long section about testable credentials in the Credible chapter of the book. (Here's an excerpt ...READ»
Here's my brother Chip's research paper on the bias we have about other people's motivations. And In the Emotional chapter of Made to Stick, we discuss in detail what makes people care about an idea. And for a refresher on Maslow's ...READ»
Chip and I wrote a Fast Company column, "The Gripping Statistic," about making numbers stick. There's also a long section on sticky data in the Credible chapter of Made to Stick. Here's a link to the Charles Fishman piece on bottled ...READ»
Download this document Chip and I developed: "5 Tips for a Sticky Strategic Vision." Here's a funny and illuminating review of a book on Mission Statements. My opinion is that most organizations would benefit more from setting a ...READ»
Start here, with the column my brother and I wrote about making your strategy simple enough to be actionable. For more depth, see the Simple chapter of Made to Stick--it includes the full story of the Dunn Daily Record ("names, names, ...READ»
For more on the "anchor & twist" concept, see our Fast Company column on the topic. If you're interested in learning more about how the automobile was introduced to a skeptical American public, read this book, Market Rebels. Also ...READ»
If you're curious, check out Voodoo Doughnut and Zipcar--both businesses have managed to stand out brilliantly in crowded, mature marketplaces. My favorite book on the topic of standing out is Seth Godin's Purple Cow--it's a ...READ»
Dear Dan,
Maybe you can help my colleague and me settle a disagreement. We are making a presentation soon to our regional SVP, who could approve or disapprove our plan. In essence, what we are proposing is to streamline our ...READ»
Why do Americans need to attach creation myths to everything, including the origins of our most visible business ventures? We idealize the lone inventor over the company man, the garage over the office space. We tell the story of ...READ»
BY Dan Heath & Chip HeathMon Jun 1, 2009 at 2:00 PM
When the economy finally turns around, you'll start hiring people again. You'll sift through dozens of impressive-sounding résumés -- who knew there were so many VPs in the world? -- and bring in the standouts for the ...READ»
The police have issued this warning: "If you are driving after dark and see an oncoming car with no headlights on, DO NOT FLASH YOUR LIGHTS AT THEM!" Why? Because the no-headlights car is being driven by a gang member, and as part ...READ»
We worry about many things. Our kids' grades, our parents' health, the world at large. (Also, will all those unemployed investment bankers have enough to eat?) Add to that list one really odd thing we worry about: our own future ...READ»
1. Debt Snowball
Financial struggles often feel insurmountable: Will I ever be able to retire if I can't get out of debt? Personal-finance guru Dave Ramsey recommends making a "debt snowball" by combining small amounts of money ...READ»
Ken O'Brien was an NFL quarterback in the 1980s and 1990s. Early in his career, he threw a lot of interceptions, so one clever team lawyer wrote a clause into O'Brien's contract penalizing him for each one he threw. The incentive ...READ»
