How to trick someone’s judgment. Book#53
I got attracted to this book Made to Stick by Chip Heath and Dan Heath for two reasons: first to learn to communicate with impact so that people remember, and second to remember not to fall in the trap when other people master the art of story telling.
I read this book some time ago and I still remember the formula now “SUCCES”, i.e. tell a: simple, unexpected, concrete, credible, emotional, story and it will be remembered and spread easily.
How to get people interested in what you are saying ?
Here are my main takeaways :
- Play the mystery game, tease, don’t give the answers, ask questions
- Drop concrete and visual objects as the details of a story add to its credibility, use pictures not numbers or even better videos, use testimonials and endorsements, give a name to the person you are telling the story about
- Don’t forget the upper part of the Maslow pyramid needs, a sense of higher purpose. It tells the story about a restaurant for soliders in Iraq during the war: “This restaurant in Iraq serves food but defines its mission as solider moral”.
That book made me rethink my powerpoint presentation skills. lol.
The more I think about it the more I realise how many people in life are great at selling themselves and master these technics. This is the bread and butter of mass advertising and influencers. Be wary not to let yourself seduced. The above are tricks to play with your judgment.
My purpose in life is independence, fulfilment and a better understanding of how the world works. Like Charlie Munger, I believe in the discipline of mastering the best that other people have ever figured out. And like Sir Isaac Newton, I believe in our ability to see further than any others before us by acknowledging that we are standing on the shoulders of giants. With this blog I hope to keep track of my learning about investing, business, decision making, entrepreneurship and self development while inspiring others to do the same. For the moment the format of this blog will be one post for each book that has influenced me, but I expect it to evolve over time. Join my Journey. John.
