In the 1980s, Neil Rackham and his team of researchers conducted a monumental and pioneering study when they investigated what works in major and complex selling. They observed 35,000 sales calls, analyzing the behaviors displayed by salespeople that led to successful outcomes.

The Rackham research question was simple, but elegant:

Made to Stick
Chip Heath & Dan Heath
Random House, 2007

Reviewed by Harry Koolen
Managing Partner, PfP Consulting

The Heath brothers (Chip and Dan) have written an enormously useful and wonderfully entertaining book about how to address a problem that has reached epidemic proportions in today's business world - good ideas that often lead nowhere because the intended audience neither understands nor remembers them.

Since good ideas have such difficulty succeeding in today's noisy, cluttered business environment, the Heath brothers wrote this book to help you make more of your ideas "stick." A "sticky" idea is simply one that is understood, remembered, and leads to a change in your audience's ways of thinking or behavior. Indeed, the authors adopted the stickiness metaphor from Malcolm Gladwell's bestseller, The Tipping Point.

One of the things that make the book such an entertaining read is the eclectic nature of the research (and supporting anecdotes) that underlies the authors' prescriptions. The Heaths spent hundreds of hours collecting, coding, and analyzing what they consider naturally sticky ideas ranging from urban legends to proverbs (the oldest class of naturally sticky idea), conspiracy theories and jokes, as well as examples of successful business and marketing messages and effective instructional styles. The results provide fascinating insights into the psychology of persuasive ideas.

Tilden & Associates is pleased to announce a collaboration in SSTŪ: Successful Selling to Type with Versse, a Lithuanian consulting firm. Versse's motto is: Trusted solutions for our clients. Their ambition? To be the best sales consulting professionals in Lithuania.

The consultants at Versse chose to become certified in the SST method as means of reaching their aim to provide worldwide training and consulting programs of the highest quality. Our initial certification training is scheduled for mid-July. Plans to translate the SST book into Lithuanian are also in process.

We are both flattered and delighted to be chosen as training partners with Versse.

We are pleased to announce that the World Headquarters for Tilden & Associates has moved to 778 W. Aaron Drive, State College, PA, 16803.

Our other contact information remains the same.