Thoughts From the Train Station

I actually picked this book as an add-on to another purchase on Amazon.com. Hey, I’m a sucker for “good deals” so a discount on two books over just one enticed me enough to say “ok - here’s more money”.

This book, “Made to Stick” by Chip Heath and Dan Heath was an amazingly insightful book that offered a great look at what makes good ideas stand out from those that don’t. In reference to the term “stick”, it’s about making an idea, concept, product or message remain with the person or persons who hear it for a longer period of time.

While at first glance, you may think that this sounds like a book for marketers or advertisers, I would challenge nearly everyone (except self-proclaimed hermits) to consider the content of what this book has to offer. I purchased and read this book with the notion of looking into methods to make my own ideas (business, etc.) stand out but I found myself discovering a wide variety of communication challenges that this speaks to.

One group that I think would benefit greatly from the material in this book is anyone involved in religious ministry. While this book in no way is directed AT the ministry per se, the parallel of people trying to encapsulate the interest and imagination of “Mr. Average Joe” in business or for social campaigns and the goal of disciplining people in and towards the faith is striking.

This material is not about manipulation - a word that makes me cringe. This is about taking a good idea and presenting it in ways that have real STAYING power in the listener. It’s about taking the time and applying some basic but often counterintuitive steps to maximize the effectiveness of the message.

One case study was the marketing campaign surrounding an average guy named “Jared”. That reference alone with conjure up in many people an image of a guy who lost an incredible amount of weight by eating Subway sandwiches. That campaign was a smashing success although I never knew that it almost never made it past the idea phase (read the book to discover the whole story).

If you are a communicator - pastor, teacher, marketer, business-person…I recommend that you give this book a look. It will force you to reassess what and how you communicate. It will challenge the bad habits we often succumb to in communication (one bad habit referred to in the book is called “The Curse of Knowledge”).

The end result? To me, the desired result would be less frustration in communication. It’s important that we not forget the listener when communicating thereby maximizing the positive results for both speaker and listener. A win-win!

[ Click here to order your copy at Amazon.com ]