The Tipping Point

Norm M · Member

Book Study Questions - Week 2

Brenda F · Member

The Tipping Point - Week 2 Assignment

Chapter 2. The Law of the Few: Connectors, Mavens, and Salesmen
1. What are connectors, mavens, and salesmen? Connectors are ones with a particular and rare set of social gifts that expedite any kind of social epidemics. They know lots of people with a variety of backgrounds and masters of the 'weak tie'. Mavens are accumulators of knowledge, they keep the marketplace honest and like to be helpers in the marketplace and they have the social skills to start word-of-mouth epidemics. Salesmen have the skills to persuade us when we are unconvinced of what we are hearing. For Salesmen, little things can, apparently, make as much difference as big things; secondly, non-verbal cues are as or more important than verbal cues; and thirdly, persuasion often works in ways we do not appreciate (some messages are incredibly subtle).
2. What is a “small-world problem”? For the vast majority of the world - we live in a very small world and only know a proportionate amount of people. We do not keep in constant contact with a vast number of people all the time.
3. What is “six degrees of separation”? Can it truly be tested? Stanley Milgram ran an experiment where he gave packets to 160 people in Omaha, NE and told them to get the packet to a stockbroker in Massachusetts. Most of the letters reached the stockbroker in 5 to 6 steps. Thus, the phrase was born. It seems like it has been tested over time and proven to be correct.
4. What makes someone a connector? It is someone who like to know a about anyone they run into - they are masters of the 'weak tie'. And they actually see people or into people while others pass people over. Anyone can be a connector - it spreads across the socio-economic spectrum.
*5. Take Gladwell’s “quiz” on pp. 39-40. We will discuss it when we are able to post online
6. What makes connectors so necessary in society? They are casual social connectors who help to keep us all glued together in one way or the other. They know a diverse group of people and look forward to making new acquaintances.
7. What does the phrase “the strength of weak ties” mean? a friendly yet casual social connection.
8. Why did Paul Revere’s ride succeed when William Dawes’ ride did not? Paul Revere knew a lot of people plus he knew what door to knock on in the towns to get the best response. And he wasn't afraid to talk to people along the road as he went. William Dawes did not have this foresight.
9. Describe any connectors or mavens from your school, family, or friends. My husband, daughter, son-in-law and son are both connectors - they have a huge number of friends, acquaintances and use Facebook to keep up with a lot of people. They like to meet new people and take an interest in people. My sister is a Maven because she likes to research about products and likes to help others get the best deals. Of course, in the school setting we have all three - that is how everyone stays in a tight group and news travels fast. I tend to collect all three types in my social life but find the most fall into the Connector area.
10. How much do you rely on word-of-mouth information? Probably more than I think - but I do like to do my own research or go on 'gut feelings'.
11. How did mavens influence the sales of Hush Puppies? They let people know what a great product they are and where to get them. These young people made a fad out of these shoes and that translated into the fashion world.
12. What are the positives and negatives of being a maven? A positive point is that they are socially motivated. They like to disseminate information and they are very knowledgeable. They are information brokers. They like to be around people.
Market Mavens may not be as well-liked by industry because they are not afraid to call the companies on their false advertising. Also, they may go overboard on what they believe and alienate some people.
13. What makes someone a salesman? They have a natural exuberance and 'love' what they do. And they love helping people. They are very persuasive but honest about it. They are the ultimate optimistic person. They don't consider what they do as 'work' - it's just a part of them.
14. According to two studies he cites, what are the three things that Gladden says make salesmen so effective?
1) little things can make as much of a difference as big things.
2) non-verbal cues are as or more important than verbal cues.
3) persuasion often works in ways that we do not appreciate. The subliminal messages are incredibly subtle.
15. What are “micromovements”? It is actually microrythms - the small movements or 'dance' that we engage in as we communicate with other people. Motor mimicry- we connect on all levels. In the horse training world, we call it 'hooking-up' and until that happens little progress is made between the person and horse. They are the 'tells' in our communication.
16. What makes someone good at charades? Senders - who send emotion which is contagious and easy to read.
17. What traits of the connector, maven, and salesman do you see in yourself? I love to observe people in different situations and see how they react.
I read body language and subtle messages well. I thoroughly enjoy doing research and helping other out with what I find.
I get 'lost' in science sometimes and overwhelm people with too much information at one time. But my enthusiasm does transfer and many people enjoy the information put out there. I enjoy passing along what I have found out.
And I truly like to know things about people - not just surface information but deep stuff. And I remember really weird or cool 'stuff' about people.
18. Which traits do you wish you possessed? I am content and have joy in the traits that I possess and don't really wish for any more.
19. Are these traits able to be developed or are we simply born with them? A little of both - our genetics and environment work in tandem with our development. We see this all the time - someone is born in awful conditions or live in undesirable situations but they transcend that life and go on to their own greatness. Or someone 'has it all' and ends up with absolutely nothing.
20. What disadvantages are linked with any of the three classifications? It's all in how you look at life - personally, what seems like a disadvantage could just be a transition to something better or you need to give thought and make a few minor changes to make it an advantage.

Chapter 3. The Stickiness Factor: Sesame Street, Blue’s Clues, and the Educational Virus
1. What is “the stickiness factor”? to make something presented memorable.
2. What makes something “sticky”? it is practical and personal with little clutter.
3. What is direct marketing? What makes for a successful campaign? using advertising to reach the consumer and eliciting a response back from the consumer.
Getting a high response rate back from the consumer.
4. What is the “gold box” that Lester Wunderman used so effectively? In TV Guide and Parade, a gold box was in each issue and if the reader could find it, they could write in the name of any record on the Columbia list and get that record free. The gold box was called a trigger.
5. What changes did she and her team make in order for the show to work? Lorch and Anderson did the toys study and the editing study and came to the conclusion that children watch TV when they understand what is presented and look away when they are confused. Many hours of research went into the Sesame Street Show and through trial and error they found what combinations of humans and make-believe worked.
6. Compare and contrast Sesame Street and Blue’s Clues.
Compare : Sesame Street paved the way for Blue's Clues, these shows made TV an interactive learning tool for children and a lot of positive learning research came out of these shows success.
Contrast: Blue's Clues is probably the more memorable of the two because of the repeat format it used. In talking to high school freshmen, they still remember many of the characters, specific shows and how much fun it was. Sesame Street began the research into children's good educational TV but Blue's Clues refined it down with a fine tooth comb.
7. What is the Distracter? it was called the 'stickiness machine' - while an episode of Sesame Street was played, a slide show would be running on a screen next to it, showing a new slide every seven and a half seconds. The slides were a varied subject matter. Two preschoolers at a time were brought into the room to view the show and they were observed to see when and how many times they looked away to the slide show. The researchers wanted to see what was holding the viewer's attention.
8. What is The James Earl Jones Effect? the idea of learning through repetition. Blue's Clues ran an episode 5 straight times in a week with each repeat the children would show different ways of understanding. They were looking for understanding and predictability.

Georgette B · Member

Chapter 2. The Law of the Few: Connectors, Mavens, and Salesmen

1.What are connectors, mavens, and salesmen?
A connector is someon who knows a lot of people from many different social classes. They are hought to provide the glue. A Maven is someone who know a lot by studying, reading, and help others. hey have a lot of confidence in themselves. Salesmen are people who are very persuasive. They convince you of what they are saling.

2.What is a “small-world problem”? This is the question of how human beings are conected or related.

3.What is “six degrees of separation”? Can it truly be tested? This is the degree in which people are related. How many steps it takes o find their connection. This could and has been tested.

4.What makes someone a connector? It is someone who likes to know a lot about people while others do not give them a time of day. Connectors are pople who are very easy o get along with and get along with a lot of people.

5.Take Gladwell’s “quiz” on pp. 39-40. We will discuss it when we are able to post online

6.What makes connectors so necessary in society? They are people who help keep, glue, others together in society. They know a diverslarge group of people who may not have much in common with one another.

7.What does the phrase “the strength of weak ties” mean? How well you use or keep aquaintances casually conneced.

8.Why did Paul Revere’s ride succeed when William Dawes’ ride did not? Revere was a Revoluionist who knew a lo of people and which ones to tell and how; while Dawse was a tanner who was not well know.

9.Describe any connectors or mavens from your school, family, or friends. In my family my husband is definaely a maven because he researches everything, even when we are not looking to buy, sale, or tell anybody about stuff. He is very intellignt. In my family my parents ass well as my sister and brother-in-law are all connectors. They know a lot of people in many different groups and continue to meet more people. In our school there are definately both mavens and connectors because that is how the district and schools can run so well and smooth. I tend to fall into or go with the connectors.

10.How much do you rely on word-of-mouth information? I would say probably quite a bit; however, I'm trying to do more research aww confuse

11.How did mavens influence the sales of Hush Puppies? The young men wore the product and would tell anyone who'ld ask about them and where to get them. They started the new fashion.

12.What are the positives and negatives of being a maven? Mavens are very knowledgable about producs, behaviors, and how things work because of their study information they gather. A negaive would be that hey may alienate themslves from others who do not beleave in their beliefs.

13.What makes someone a salesman? A person who can persuade others to think and do as they do. They are helpful. They are the great optomist.
They are "mezmorizing" and display a natural exuburance. They do not view what they do as a job.

14.According to two studies he cites, what are the three things that Gladden says make salesmen so effective? 1. Little things make a difference just as big things may, 2. Non-verbal cues are as important if not more important than verbal cues, 3. Persuasion works in ways we do not often appreciate.

15.What are “micromovements”? The small movements or dance that we do when we communicate with others. Motor mimicry, is thoght to be when we connect on all levels. They are the "tells" in our communication.

16.What makes someone good at charades? People who send emotion through their drawing which is contagious and easy to read.

17.What traits of the connector, maven, and salesman do you see in yourself? I se more of the charactrerisrics of a connector in myself than the others. I love to be around people and make them happy.

18.Which traits do you wish you possessed? I enjoy the traits I have. I'm not saying by any means that I'm perfect or shouldn't have more traits, but right now I'm fine.

19.Are these traits able to be developed or are we simply born with them? The traits could be learned if practiced and enjoyed, but your personality may learn towards one trait more thatn another.

20.What disadvantages are linked with any of the three classifications? It depends on how or what you want to be thought of having. I feel it depends on your environment and how you are living/want to live.

Chapter 3. The Stickiness Factor: Sesame Street, Blue’s Clues, and the Educational Virus

1.What is “the stickiness factor”? To make something memorable that is presented or shown to you.

2.What makes something “sticky”? It has little clutter and it is practicle and purposeful to the person.

3.What is direct marketing? What makes for a successful campaign? Direct marketing is using marketing to reach the consumer ant then wanting a direct respnse back from the consumer.

4.What is the “gold box” that Lester Wunderman used so effectively? The "gold box" was an add put in TV guide and Parade magazines. If the reader found the box and lised their favorite record name from Columbia records they would get that album free.

5.What changes did she and her team make in order for the show to work? Hours of trial/testing showed that children watched programs that they understood and liked. They looked away when they weren't interested.

6.Compare and contrast Sesame Street and Blue’s Clues. Sesame Street is a show I grew up watching and loved, but I feel it has paved the way or showed he rought to take when the show first began. The nack of having people characters and muppets was found. Blues clues does not have neer as many characters to have interact together to entertain and educate children but it can be more memorable thatn sesame street do to the repetitave episodes, but Blues Clues has a more repeat memorable format.

7.What is the Distracter? "Stickiness machine" would also be called a distracter. This is when an episode of Sesame Sreet would be shown on tv, while a slide show would be running on the screen next to it. The slides would change every 7 1/2 seconds. The subject matter would vary.

8.What is The James Earl Jones Effect? This is the idea of learning through repetition. Blues clues ran an episode 5 stright times in a week helping children remember and learn the message it was to teach.

LaDawne B · Member

Chapter 2. The Law of the Few: Connectors, Mavens, and Salesmen
1. What are connectors, mavens, and salesmen?
Connector is a person with a special gift for bringing the world together.
Mavens is a person who “accumulates knowledge”.
Salesmen are the people who persuade us when we are unconvinced about what we are hearing.
2. What is a “small-world problem”?
A small world problem asks us how are we connected?
3. What is “six degrees of separation”? Can it truly be tested?
Six degrees of separation is the idea that all people are connected to any one else in the world by 6 personal connections or less. This can be tested as shown with the test in the book.
4. What makes someone a connector?
Someone is a connector is they have an extraordinary knack of making friends and acquaintances.
5. Take Gladwell’s “quiz” on pp. 39-40. We will discuss it when we are able to post online 98 I think teachers are higher because we deal with so many students and parents we are more likely to know more people then someone with a job that doesn't have so much human interaction.
6. What makes connectors so necessary in society?
Connectors are necessary because of the amount of people they know and they are also a function of our society. They are the people whom all of us can reach in only a few steps because, for one reason of another, they manage to occupy many different worlds and subcultures and niches.
7. What does the phrase “the strength of weak ties” mean?
A weak tie is a person that you would call a friend or acquaintance but not someone you speak with on a daily basis.
8. Why did Paul Revere’s ride succeed when William Dawes’ ride did not?
Because Paul Revere was a connector and William Dawes was not. This is the Law of the Few…The idea that the success of any kind of social epidemic is heavily dependent on the involvement of people with a particular and rare set of social gifts.
9. Describe any connectors or mavens from your school, family, or friends.
My husband is a connector. He knows everyone even people I think I will know and he won’t! Talks to people everywhere we go just to see why they are at the place we are your questions them about a part he is looking to buy and then 20 minutes later they are still talking.
10. How much do you rely on word-of-mouth information?
It depends on the contest of the information but in personal circles I rely on it greater in professional circles. I think that word of mouth is not always accurate is it is spoken from one person to another therefore sometimes you must check the accuracy of word-of-mouth when it concerns important information.
11. How did mavens influence the sales of Hush Puppies?
Mavens influenced the sales of Hush Puppies because a Mavens probably went down to see about shoes and saw a sales sign or a discount that caught their eye that was a sale on Hush Puppies and because of the deal that Mavens spread the word to a Connector who spread the word.

Chapter 3. The Stickiness Factor: Sesame Street, Blue’s Clues, and the Educational Virus
1.What is “the stickiness factor”?
The stickiness factor is the second of the rules of the Tipping Point. The stickiness factor is the ability to overcome to make a product successful.
2.What makes something “sticky”?
Something becomes “sticky” when it grabs the audiences attention and keeps them interested, it “sticks” them like anything sticky stays with you.
3.What is direct marketing? What makes for a successful campaign?
Directing marketing is a act of selling your product by advertising it well enough to make the audience remember it and want to use it again. A successful campaign is one that researches its target audience enough that it uses advertisements based on the research that will make the audience stop and notice the new product, remember the product, and want to use the product.
4.What is the “gold box” that Lester Wunderman used so effectively?
The “gold box” was a trigger that Lester Wunderman used in TV Guide and Parade ads. He told people that if they found the secret of the Gold Box they could write in and get a free record on the Columbia list.
5.What changes did she and her team make in order for the show to work?
She changed the amount of time a segment ran, who was in each segment (human or cartoon) and where the subjects where that were teaching the subject for the day.
6.Compare and contrast Sesame Street and Blue’s Clues.
Compare
Both used interaction from children
Repetition

Contrast
Half and hour/an hour
One character/many characters
Single story line/multiple story lines
Flat format/television show
Long pauses/humor, wordplay, cleverness
7.What is the Distracter?
The distracter is the item that takes away from the lesson. In their case they set up a screen next to the show. When the children would get “distracted” from the show it would let the testers know when the show got to complicated and the children would get distracted.
8.What is The James Earl Jones Effect?
The James Earl Jones Effect is the idea of repeating a show as reruns for five days straight before going onto a new idea. As an adult I do not like to have the James Earl Effect on prime time tv and wish they would start running new shows instead of repeats during the fall and winter!

Erin T · Member

Week 2

1.) Connectors, Mavens, and Salesmen are all vital components of a social epidemic. Each of them possesses a specific skill set and attributes to set an epidemic into motion and carry it through.

2.) A “small-world problem” is how human beings are connected? The answer is Connectors. These people are how “an idea or a trend or a piece of new—the British are coming!—travel through a population.”

3.) Six degrees of separation “means that a very small number of people are linked to everyone else in a few steps, and the rest of us are linked to the world through those special few” called connectors.
I believe the six degrees of separation can truly be tested. Milgram tested six degrees of separation when he did his chain letter experiment.

4.) A person is a connector when they have a “truly extraordinary knack of making friends and acquaintances” thus “bringing the world together.” They also are high scorers on Gladwell’s test or are the Jacobs, Jones, and Brown on Milgram’s Chain Letter Experiment.

5.) I took Gladwell’s test and I scored a 12. I guess I’m not a connector in the Manhattan area. Perhaps I would be considered a Connector in another area, perhaps an area with more last names of Hispanic descent?

6.) Connectors are so necessary in society because they are “people specialists.” They are the “people we rely upon to connect us to other people.”

7.) The phrase “the strength of weak ties” means “a friendly yet casual connection” or an acquaintance. My “strength of weak ties” led me to my husband and current job!

8.) I believe that Paul Revere’s ride succeeded when William Dawes’ ride did not because Mr. Revere’s was a Connector and a Maven!

9.) One of my husband’s friends is a Connector. Everywhere we go he knows someone. He often spends many of our dinner outings visiting with those in the restaurant. Not just those sitting at the table next to us, but everyone, the owner, the wait staff, the people leaving, the people coming in, then his phone rings, and he sees someone outside across the street he knows and then he is going to someone else’s house after we eat. He has just come from someone’s house and knows the people in our stories. It seems as if he knows everyone and enjoys every moment!
I have a coworker that is a Maven. She knows the best everything and wants to show it to you or pick it up for you. She also has Connector tendencies though, because she knows a friend who got this, at that one place for this.
I truly enjoy both of these people, but am often reminded of how different their worlds are than mine!

10.) I rely on word-of-mouth information from certain people from time to time. Those people are generally my family and close friends that I have listened to their word-of-mouth information from before and appreciated or agreed with. However, I must admit at times these family and friends have either risen or fallen in their credibility according to their word-mouth-information.

11.) Mavens brought the information to designers and helped the Hush Puppy craze tip.

12.) Positives of Mavens
• They know where the bathrooms are in every location
• They cannot be resisted
• They are helpful
• They are knowledgeable

Negatives of Mavens
• Sometimes their advice or help is unwanted or not seen as genuine
• They are sometimes obsessed with information and sharing it so that it is detrimental to their relationships
• They are underappreciated by others

13. ) A person is a salesman when they possess the “skills to persuade us when we are unconvinced of what we are hearing.”

14.) According to Gladden, a salesman is most effective when they are able recognize the following three items.

1.)”little things can make as much of a difference as big things.”
2.) “non-verbals are as or more important as verbal.”
3.) “persuasion often works in away that we don’t appreciate

15.) “Jumps and shifts of body and face” are “micromovements.”

16.) The “ability to send emotion” is what makes someone good at charades.

17.) I see myself to be a collage of a Connector, Maven, and Salesman. For children and in my classroom I am a Connector, I have the ability to connect students with those that have skills they don’t possess, (i.e. ability to tie shoes, understand a math concept). I am also a Maven in my classroom, full of knowledge and eager to share and help others obtain it. Finally, I am a Salesman in my classroom. I am able to use the 3 items that Gladden mentions to the best of my ability. If I notice the non-verbals during a lesson I am then able to persuade them to interact and buy in to my lesson as I explain that the lesson is part of a bigger picture.

18.) I wish that I were more of a Connector. Connectors always seem so happy. Their relationships with others are a joy and strength for them. They don’t seem to worry about them or be concerned about them in a negative way and thus I am envious of them.

19.) These traits of a Connector, a Maven, and a Salesman can be developed. Sometimes they are sought out, learned by surrounding environment, and then sometimes they are developed out of necessity for a job or a purchase. However, I think that they are those who are naturals and are born with the traits.

20.) I think that a disadvantage to these traits of a Connector, Maven, or a Salesman would be a stifling career choice or relationship in which these skills or traits were not recognized, nurtured, and appreciated.

Chapter 3

1.)The “stickiness factor” is second of the rules of the “Tipping Point”. It is what makes an epidemic memorable.

2.) Something is “sticky” when it is memorable.

3.) Direct marketing is when an item from a business communicates directly with the consumer (i.e. promotional letter). A successful campaign is “getting consumers to stop, read the advertisement, remember it, and then act on it.”

4.) Lester Wunderman “had his art director put a little gold box in the corner of the order coupons for TV Guide and Parade. Then his firm wrote a series of TV commercials that told the “secret of the Gold Box. Viewers were told that if they could find the gold box in their issues of Parade and TV Fuide, they could write in the name of any record on the Colombia list and get that record free.” It created a game and made a connection for the viewers.

5.) Lesser and her team decided to mix reality and fantasy to make the show work.

6.) Sesame Street
• Fast paced
• Magzine format
• 1hour
• several human and puppet characters

Blue’s Clues
• picture board format
• 1 human character (Steve)
• literal names for characters (Mailbox)
• ½ hour long
• wait time accompanied by choral response

7.) The Distractor was invented by Ed Palmer. The Distractor was a ‘varied slide show, showing a new slide every seven and a half seconds next to a television with an episode of Sesame Street to test if the curriculum developed for the show was getting across to its’ viewers.’

8.) The James Earl Jones Effect is “learning through repetition.” A strategy that was discovered when comparing two different episodes of Sesame Street.

Patty O · Member

Chapter 2 The Law of the Few: Connectors, Mavens, and Salesmen

What are the connectors, mavens and salesmen?

Mavens are the information gatherers; they are obsessed with gathering information and knowledge which they disseminate freely to anyone who is interested. The connectors are the ones with the social network and skills to spread the information to a large and varied constituency of acquaintances, and the salesmen are the ones who convince those who are sitting on the fence to make a decision.

What is a “small world problem?”

The small-world problem relates to the degree of connectedness among the people of the world.

What is “six degrees of separation”? Can it truly be tested?

Six degrees of separation is the theory that a select few individuals provide strategic master links that minimize the degrees of separation between the rest of us. Following a friendship chain backward, in itself, does not (to

What makes somebody a connector?

Connectors are those special people that we rely on more heavily by there gift for bringing the people of the world together because they know lots of people from many different niches, subcultures and worlds through some combination of curiosity, self-confidence, sociability and energy.

Take Gladwell’s Quiz on pp. 39-40

75

What makes connector’s necessary in society? Because they have experience in so many different worlds, they effectively bring those worlds together. They have no prejudices; they simply see the best in everyone and truly connect with and like each one for their individual differences—not for the commonalities they share.

What does the phrase “the strength of weak ties” mean? Weak ties are more acquaintances than friends, however they are our source of power because they tie us to worlds outside of our realm and open doors of opportunities that we otherwise would not have.

Why did Paul Revere’s ride succeed when William Dawes’ ride did not? Paul Revere was gregariously and acutely social. He was involved in many clubs and organizations, “with an uncanny genius for being at the center of events.” He was known and respected by many people and he was comfortable conversing with strangers. He didn’t just cover a lot of ground; he made a lot of connections.

Describe any connectors or mavens from your school, family, or friends.

My son’s mother-in law is a connector. She enjoys adventure and loves people. She retired and moved to a new community and, within a very short time, understood the various community cultures and subcultures and had created a network of support and friendship. This was added to the many connections and relationships that she had in previous communities. Though she had only one career area, she was additionally involved in hosts of activities, many connected with her children’s youth organizations, churches, schools as well as an ever expanding circle of family and friends who are always welcome in her new home. It is her enthusiasm for life and her instant acceptance of all people and their differences that ingratiates her in so many environments—and being a county and/or school nurse in a variety of communities provided many opportunities to expand her circle.

My brother-in-law, who sold his lucrative business and retired, is probably both a connector and a maven. His ability at making connections is what allowed him to develop and build a new career field and the business to offer it as a service. The expansion was based on his ability to connect, which he still does instinctively. It’s his life. However, despite his financial stability, he always knows the restaurants, prices, products and is always searching for the best deal, with a desire to share and assist others who have an interest.

How much do you rely on word-of-mouth information?

I am always interested in finding high quality at a good price. I don’t have much confidence in advertisements or sales pitches and am always searching for a variety of opinions on anything—products, prices, politics, etc. Word-of-mouth is often the voice of experience and the more different perspectives I can get, the better chance I have of coming close to a truth and/or solution. It’s what I do.

How did mavens influence the sale of Hush Puppies?

Mavens bought the shoes out of a personal sense of thrift and value and naturally wanted others to benefit from the same value and quality that precipitated their interest.

What are the positives and negatives of being a maven? The maven stores and shares information as an educator, a teacher, but is not interested in persuading a person. He has no interest in the outcome; he is simply providing input to allow the listener to make an informed decision.

What makes someone a salesman?

Salesman have the ability to draw other people into their speech and body rhythms so that they gain control of the interaction. They are able to build rapport and trust much more quickly than other individuals.

According to two studies he cites, what are the three things that Gladden says make salesmen so effective?

Salesmen have to be ultimately believable in every way. Subtle clues, non-verbal communication and the littlest things that can alter a “buyers” perception make a big difference in the response. Salesmen must be perfect in their pitch as well as in all three areas of these areas.

What are “micro movements?”

They are the slight, brief body and/or facial movements that create a rhythmic bond between a speaker and a listener.

What makes someone good at charades?

Charisma

What traits of the connector, maven, and salesman do you see in yourself?

I am not a connector. I prefer one-on-one or small group conversations and do not like to be the center of attention. I have some characteristics of a maven, in that I am constantly seeking information and share it in an informational way, allowing them to take the advice or not, but to do so with an informed consumer. My first response is that I am not a salesman; I can provide a variety of perspectives and thoughts. However, as a former student once shared with my son (when he found out we were related), “Your mother could talk a bum out of a bologna sandwich and he’d leave thinking he got the best end of the deal.” I guess I just have to believe in the “product,” and the scientist in me is hard to convince.

Which traits do you wish you possessed?

I would like to be a connector. It provides so many opportunities to learn and understand. I enjoy people and I envy the opportunities and adventures that accompany the life and experiences of the connector’s I described.

Are these traits able to be developed or are we simply born with them?

Skills can always be developed and learned, however to be the best genetic predisposition gives one the edge in a competition. (ie; a genetically gifted basketball player compared to a “loves the sport” player will always win—with all other variables constant. So—I would expect that a person can become effective at any one of these, but working in your strength will allow you to be better.

What disadvantages are linked with any of the three classifications?

Disadvantages seem to be linked to inability to perform the other tasks, but none of the classifications are self-sufficient. They require each other to be effective, so it is not so much the disadvantages of any of them, but the success of the combination. That seems true to me in a marriage, on a team or in a classroom. The inabilities are not as important as the strengths. When you combine unions of opposites, they become more complete--more highly abled-- than combining the expertise of two savants in the same discipline. Some of the skills, in fact, overlap. Revere was both a connector and a maven. A maven would overlap salesmen in that many are wholly or partially convinced by the information related by the maven or by knowledge of the maven and his/her reputation. Maven to maven—info is the source of persuasion more than emotion, which is the tool of the connector and the salesman.

Chapter 3: The Stickiness Factor: Sesame Street, Blue’s Clues, and the Educational Virus

What is “the stickiness factor?”

The stickiness factor is determined by ability of the item or service to be remembered and whether or not it can create a change that is able to produce sustained activity.

What makes something “sticky?”

To be sticky, it must be made to be practical and personal to be memorable.

What is direct marketing? What makes for a successful campaign?

Magazine advertisements and direct mailings to customers that require a direct response from the consumer are examples of direct marketing. Making the campaign successful, on the other hand requires a trigger that makes the consumer stop and notice it, read it, remember it and act on it.

What is the “gold box” that Lester Wunderman used so effectively?

It was a gold box inserted randomly in the magazine, accompanied by televison advertisements that offered specific free gifts to those who located the box and called in. This box created an interactive element to the campaign that involved people and gave them a practical reason to notice and read.

What changes did she and her team make in order for the show to work?

The biggest change was in defiance of the psychologists, mixing fantasy with reality. With careful data collection they were able to realize that that adults conversing, arguing or in confusion lost the attention of viewers, so they altered those things as well as anything elsethat did not hold the children’s attention. They also noted tracking to discover whether viewers were attentive to the lesson or other action and altered segments to make sure the stickiness factor was on their intended subject.

Compare and contrast Sesame Street and Blue’s Clues.

Sesame Street was fast-paced with rapidly changing, unconnected topics and ideas. It had myriad cast members and visitors interacting with a host of fantasy characters over the course of each one hour show. It was designed to appeal to both children and adults, precipitating parent involvement in their child’s education. Blue’s Clues was a half hour show with one person interacting with the main fantast character, Blue. He increased the visual cues, in lieu of words for the non-verbal pre-schoolers and carried the story line through the entire show with literal, not clever, narrative to address the longer attention span that he believed children had and mimic the way children think and learn best. Blue’s Clues, however noticed the times Sesame Street precipitated interaction with the TV and added the “questions to viewers idea into the program. They also added opportunities to help “Steve,” they included the repetition and

What is the distracter?

Distracters were used in testing to provide children an alternative focus when the show was not capturing their interest. This allowed them to accurately measure interest and reconcile parts of the show that were not capturing the attention of the viewers.

What is the James Earl Jones Effect?

The James Earl Jones Effect is centered around the response of young children to repetition. Unlike adults, they are not bored by it. They need repetition, they need longer pauses to think and respond, and they respond to cues that begin simply enough that they can have success, but deep enough that they can peel it off a layer at a time and experience it in a different way each time.

Greg L · Member

Chapter 2. The Law of the Few: Connectors, Mavens, and Salesmen
1.What are connectors, mavens, and salesmen? These are the few people who, by their personality, have a vast number of personal connections. They can make things tip due to this network of connections.
2.What is a “small-world problem”? Most people only associate with others who are in close proximity. We need the “Connectors” to bridge the gap between one proximal group to the next.
3.What is “six degrees of separation”? Can it truly be tested? The idea states that any two people, idea, etc. can be connected with six or less “degrees” that separate the two. It can be tested, as shown by Milgram's chain letter experiment and Brett Tjaden's actors experiment.
4.What makes someone a connector? A connector knows a lot of people from a broad socioeconomic and occupational base.
5.Take Gladwell’s “quiz” on pp. 39-40. We will discuss it when we are able to post online
I scored a 35
6.What makes connectors so necessary in society? Connectors help disparate groups to keep ties with one another.
7.What does the phrase “the strength of weak ties” mean? The more acquaintances you have gives you more social power.
8.Why did Paul Revere’s ride succeed when William Dawes’ ride did not? Simply put, Revere was a connector and Dawes was not.
9.Describe any connectors or mavens from your school, family, or friends. One friend of mine is a real connector. He enjoys the company of many different people. He runs a business, in which he deals with many types of people on a daily basis. He grew up in the town that he works, which gives him many local connections. Finally, he serves on the boards of many community organizations, which gives him an even greater network of connections. I always turn to him if I need to make a connection in the community.
10.How much do you rely on word-of-mouth information? Word-of-mouth is actually a very important form of communication. I use word-of-mouth to hear about good restaurants, doctors, car repairman, etc. It is usually very reliable.
11.How did mavens influence the sales of Hush Puppies? Since Mavens can't help but share info with others, they most likely bought the Hush Puppies and then raved about what a great deal they found with their friends. Perhaps, then one of the friends they told about the shoes was a connector, who then spread the message about Hush Puppies to lots of other people from all walks of life.
12.What are the positives and negatives of being a maven? A real positive of mavens is that they are the “go-to” person when you need to find information about products you may know little about. Since they love to research the minutiae of information about products, they will likely steer you in the right direction. I think that this quality could also be a liability to the maven. They can get so mired in the details that they may never be able to decide on a product to buy, or waste vast amounts of time before making their decisions.
13.What makes someone a salesman? Salesmen have a way of getting people to look at a product from a variety of viewpoints. Frequently, a potential client will think they know all the answers about a product. The salesman will point out new aspects that the client may have never considered before, thereby increasing the chances of making a sale.
14.According to two studies he cites, what are the three things that Gladden says make salesmen so effective? The first point, is that little things can make a big difference. Second, non-verbal cues are just as important as verbal cues (usually the non-verbal are more important). Third, the art of persuasion is hardly noticeable when the salesman is making his points, yet they have an extremely powerful effect on the success of the sale.
15.What are “micromovements”? Micromovements are the subtle gestures that we use in everyday interactions. They are easily detected if you look for them, but usually go unnoticed. They are very important to salesman. They include: the subtle, the hidden and the unspoken in communication.
16.What makes someone good at charades? Someone good at charades is able to notice the big picture along with subtle details in order to solve the problem. Making connections between the two usually help find the solution to the puzzle.
17.What traits of the connector, maven, and salesman do you see in yourself? I probably most resemble the maven. I do like to be well-informed before making a purchase and frequently will do research before buying a large-ticket item. I do not consider myself a connector or salesman. My personality type simply doesn't fit into these molds.
18.Which traits do you wish you possessed? As a teacher, I do wish that I had more of the connector and salesman as part of my personality. The connector would be able to interact easily with all types of students. The salesman would be able to persuade even the most difficult child to “buy into” whatever topic was being taught.
19.Are these traits able to be developed or are we simply born with them? To an extent, these traits can be developed – particularly salesmanship. A salesman employs many different techniques to connect to the client. These techniques can be learned. I think it would be more difficult to learn to be a connector because having a sincere interest in all types of people is more of an inborn trait than something that can be learned.
20.What disadvantages are linked with any of the three classifications? I'm not sure that there are any real disadvantages to any of these classifications. Connectors would certainly have more friends than any other personality type.
Chapter 3. The Stickiness Factor: Sesame Street, Blue’s Clues, and the Educational Virus
1.What is “the stickiness factor”? Stickiness factor is mainly the ability to make an idea memorable. The more memorable the idea, the more likely it is to effect a change in the individual.
2.What makes something “sticky”? When something is sticky, it grabs your attention and make you want to return to it later on.
3.What is direct marketing? What makes for a successful campaign? These marketers will do large-scale mailings or ad buys. Campaigns must be well-researched in order to be successful. Marketing firms will do extensive testing to see which campaign works best with the intended customers. The goal is to get as many customers as possible to reply to the ad or mailing.
4.What is the “gold box” that Lester Wunderman used so effectively? The “gold box” ad was used in the Columbia Record Club. When a TV ad was viewed it reminded the consumer to find the gold box in a print ad. Once the gold box was located, the customer could order a free record of his choice. The secret of this ad was that it created a kind of trigger that impelled the customer to actively look for the ad.
5.What changes did she and her team make in order for the show to work? After much research, the Sesame Street producers discovered that kids didn't enjoy watching “human only” interactions. They preferred watching humans with fantasy creatures (even though the psychologists of the time warned them not to meld fantasy with reality.) They combined this with lots of 3-4 minute sketches that constantly kept the kids attention – never allowing it to wane.
6.Compare and contrast Sesame Street and Blue’s Clues. Both Sesame Street and Blues Clues were great at creating stickiness. Both shows used repetition to great effect. However, they differed in many ways. SS relied on showing many different skits per show. It would never run a skit for more than three to four minutes. SS used humor that was mainly aimed at adults, so that adults would enjoy watching with their children. The program was similar to a magazine, in that they included a large number of unrelated segments in each show.
Blues Clues would stay on topic for longer periods of time. There were no “adult” jokes. All the characters had literal sounding names. The host, Steve, would ask questions directly to the camera and then pause for a long time to allow the viewer to formulate an answer. Each episode of BC would incorporate a theme that was carried from beginning to end.
7.What is the Distracter? The distracter was the use of a slide show of random pictures that was shown beside a TV while children were viewing. It was noted every time the children looked away from the TV due to loss of interest. By using this tool, the producers of Sesame Street were able to fine tune the Stickiness Factor of their scenes.
8.What is The James Earl Jones Effect? James Earl Jones did a skit on Sesame Street which involved the deliberate recitation of the alphabet. He performed it with long pauses between letters. The producers found that these long pauses allowed the viewers to absorb the information more completely. The children then began to recite the alphabet during the pauses and learned to recognize the letters on sight. This skit was used as a model for later episodes teaching new skills.

Betty B · Member

Book Study Questions - Week 2

Chapter 2. The Law of the Few: Connectors, Mavens, and Salesmen

1. What are connectors, mavens, and salesmen?Each of these possesses specific skills and attributes that set them apart, to set an “epidemic” into motion and keep it going.

Connectors are people with a particular and rare set of social gifts that expedite any kind of social epidemics, good or bad. They know lots of people with a variety of backgrounds and masters of getting acquainted. The connectors are the ones with the social network and skills to spread information to a large variety of acquaintances,

Mavens are magnets of knowledge; mavens are the information gatherers. They study, read, and generally help others. They are often obsessed with their gathering of information and knowledge. However, they enjoy disseminating the information freely to anyone who is interested. They keep the marketplace honest and they have the social skills to start word-of-mouth “epidemics” or fads.

Salesmen are people who are very persuasive. Salesmen are the ones who convince those who are sitting on the fence to make a decision. They have the skills to persuade us and sound very convincing even when we ourselves are unconvinced.

2. What is a “small-world problem”? A “small-world problem” is the degree of connectedness among the people of the world. Normally, most people live in their own small little world and only know a small proportionate amount of people. With modern technology though, people’s world is becoming much bigger. So it really is how us human beings are being connected or related.

3. What is “six degrees of separation”? Can it truly be tested?Six degrees of separation is the theory that a very small number of people are linked to everyone else by just 5 to 6 steps. This is supposedly how many steps it takes to reach a final destination or connection. This was tested by Stanley Milgram, who ran an experiment wherein he gave packets to 160 people in Omaha, NE and told them to get the packet to a stockbroker in Massachusetts; it was found that it took 5-6 steps for the packet to reach its destination. This has been tested over time and proven to hold water.

4. What makes someone a connector? A person is a connector when they have that extraordinary ability to make friends and acquaintances… thus, “bringing the world together.” It is someone who likes to get to know people as they truly are. They can “connect” with anyone they meet. They are people who are very easy to get along with. They get along well with a lot of people. They never know a stranger. They seem to possess some combination of curiosity, self-confidence, sociability and energy.

5. Take Gladwell’s “quiz” on pp. 39-40. We will discuss it when we are able to post online

I took Gladwell’s test and I scored a 53+… I did not score whole families! It looks like I am a connector

6. What makes connectors so necessary in society? Connectors are so necessary in society because they are “People Persons” and who “we rely upon to connect us to other people.” They are casual social connectors who help to keep us all glued together in one way or the other. They know a large diverse group of people. They are the communicators. They are the people who help “glue” others together in society, even those who may not have much in common. When my mother-in-law died a couple of months ago, we all said that she was the glue that kept the family together, and it was true.

7. What does the phrase “the strength of weak ties” mean? It is a friendly, yet a casual social connection or an acquaintance.

Weak ties determine whether someone is a friend or an acquaintance. For instance, you can be friendly with a student, but not a friend. However, even acquaintances can tie us to worlds outside of our realm and open doors of opportunities that we otherwise may not have.

8. Why did Paul Revere’s ride succeed when William Dawes’ ride did not?

Paul Revere was a Revolutionist and a Connector and a Maven! He knew a lot of people “with an uncanny genius for being at the center of events.” He was known and respected by many people. He was gregarious and was comfortable conversing with strangers. He made a lot of connections. Because of this, he knew how to approach the people and how to get the best response. William Dawes did not have this knowledge, sociability and communicative ability to do what Revere did, so Dawes was not well known and trusted.

9. Describe any connectors or mavens from your school, family, or friends.

I guess, I myself. I deem myself as both a maven and a connector. I have four sons who also seem to be taking after me. They are both connectors and mavens. They are very friendly and have lots of friends. They are adventurous and love people. Their ability to make connections has allowed them to build their careers. They seem to just absorb knowledge and many people flock to them because of their wealth of knowledge. Each one of my sons has their own specialty of knowledge. One is mechanically inclined, another is very political, another is a computer genius, and the other is so friendly. He has a special gift of making people happy.

In our school, I think nearly all the teachers are both mavens and connectors. They are about the friendliest and smartest people you would ever meet.

10. How much do you rely on word-of-mouth information? Probably a lot, however, I try to do my own research.

If the person is known to be reliable, I am more likely to listen to them.

11. How did mavens influence the sales of Hush Puppies?

They did it by exposure. Young people simply just started wearing them. Other people saw them wearing the shoes and liked the shoes or wanted to be like the youth that was wearing them and then, they “caught” on and a fad was born. Soon the fashion world caught on to the style as well and soon Hush Puppies were a fashion statement. How did mavens influence the sale of Hush Puppies?

12. What are the positives and negatives of being a maven?

A positive effect is that they are socially motivated. Mavens are very knowledgeable about behaviors, products, or how things work because they did their research. They are helpful in the knowledge they impart. The maven is the teacher; they like to disseminate information that they learn. The maven stores and shares information as an educator, but is not interested in persuading a person.

Market Mavens may not be as well-liked by industry because they are forthright in calling the companies on the carpet over their false advertising.

The negative effect would be that they may alienate themselves because they know more than other people and the other people may resent it. Sometimes their advice or help is unwanted; they may grind on other people who may differ in their beliefs. They may become pushy in their beliefs or obsessed with information and alienate others. Often, they are under appreciated by others

13. What makes someone a salesman?

A salesman is someone who possesses the “skills to persuade us when we are unconvinced of what we are hearing.” Salesmen have the ability to draw other people into their speech and body patterns so that they gain control of the dealings. They are able to build rapport and trust quickly-much faster than other individuals. They can be helpful and tend to be great optimist. They are "mesmerizing" and exuberant. They do not consider what they do as a job; it's just the way they are. They are very persuasive but this is not necessarily in a negative way. They deem themselves as helping people. They are the ultimate optimistic person. Persuasion works in ways we do not often appreciate. Subliminal messages can be incredibly subtle.

14. According to two studies he cites, what are the three things that Gladden says make salesmen so effective?
According to Gladden, if salesmen are going to be the most effective (believable), then they must be able recognize three things:
1. Little things can make just as much of a difference as big things-subtle clues

2. Non-verbal cues are as or even more important than verbal cues

3. Persuasion often works in a way that we don’t appreciate

These 3 things can alter a “buyers” perception and make a big difference in their responses.

15. What are “micromovements”?

It is actually micro-rhythms; they are the slight, brief body and/or facial movements that create a rhythmic bond between a speaker and a listener. They are the small movements or dance that we do when we communicate with others. Jumps and shifts of body and face are “micro movements.” They are the "tells" in our communication.

16. What makes someone good at charades? People who has the “ability to send emotion is what makes someone good at charades.” They can project emotion through their drawing.

17. What traits of the connector, maven, and salesman do you see in yourself?

I am both a Maven and a Connector. I wish that I were more of a Salesman, because frankly, at times, I can be quite gullible. I would like to know ways that I may persuade someone else to make wise decisions.

18. Which traits do you wish you possessed?

I am a Maven because I am always doing research on almost anything. I thoroughly enjoy doing research; I enjoy passing along what I have found out. I love to do historical research. I have a natural curiosity about a large variety of things and always seeking to increase my knowledge of how things happen. Then, I love to teach others what I have learned.

Yet I am a connector; I love to meet people and find out where they are from, what they do for a living and what they are interested in. I love to watch people; they never cease to amaze me. My husband use to make fun of me, saying, “I can’t take you anywhere and you know someone!”

19. Are these traits able to be developed or are we simply born with them? A little of both. I do think that they are traits that are natural, while other traits people are born with them. Our genetics and environment work altogether in our development. We see this all the time. Children can be so totally different than their parents--children outgoing while the parents are introverts or vice versa. Yet there are genetic traits that may show up in their abilities, such as a child getting their artistic abilities from one of the parents. Some traits could be learned if practiced, such as music abilities. Your personality may lean towards one trait more that another. The skills of a Connector, a Maven, and a Salesman can be developed and sometimes learned by the surrounding environment. BUT…working in your strength will allow you to be the best you can be.

20. What disadvantages are linked with any of the three classifications? I believe it all depends on your point of view. It all depends all in how you look at life. If you want to do something hard enough, you will do it. It may often call for change—change of people around you, environment, work, college, or any number of possibilities, but will you do it? That’s another story. Only you can decide how you want to live. Like Ford said, “If you think you can or you think you can’t, either way you are right!”

However, we all must learn to appreciate each other for what we are and learn from each other. We all have abilities of some sort or another.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Chapter 3. The Stickiness Factor: Sesame Street, Blue’s Clues, and the Educational Virus

1. What is “the stickiness factor”?

The “stickiness factor” is one of the rules of the “Tipping Point”. The stickiness factor is determined by ability to be remembered. It, also, can create a change that is able to produce sustained activity. It is to make something (or someone) memorable that is presented or shown to you. Stickiness factor is mainly the ability to make an idea memorable. The more memorable the idea, the more likely it is to effect a change in the individual. For instance, “Plop, Plop, fizz, fizz…” Most people my age can finish that jingle.

2. What makes something “sticky”?

Something is “sticky” when it is memorable. It is simple. It has little “clutter.” It is practical and purposeful to the person. It has meaning to that person.It grabs the attention of that person and keeps them interested; it makes them repeat it and / or want to return to it later on.

3. What is direct marketing? What makes for a successful campaign?

Direct marketing is using advertising to reach the consumer and eliciting a response back from the consumer, especially getting a high response rate back from the consumer.

Marketing firms will do extensive testing to see which campaign works best with which customers. The campaign does require a trigger that makes the “consumers to stop, read the advertisement, remember it, and then act on it.”

The goal is to get as many customers as possible to reply to the ads or mailings.

4. What is the “gold box” that Lester Wunderman used so effectively? Lester Wunderman “had his art director put a little gold box in the corner of an ad in the TV guide and Parade magazines. TV viewers were told that if they could find the "gold box", they could write in the name of any record on the Columbia list and get that record free. The gold box was called a trigger that motivated the customer to actively look for the advertisement. It created a game and made a connection for the viewers. It gave them a practical reason to notice and read.

5. What changes did she and her team make in order for the show to work? After much research, the Sesame Street producers discovered that kids didn't enjoy watching “human only” interactions. Lorch and Anderson did came to the conclusion that children watch TV when they understand what is presented and look away when they are confused. They found that children enjoyed watching fantasy creatures that had human characteristics. Many hours of research went into the Sesame Street Show and, through trial and error, they altered those things that did not hold the children’s attention. They combined this with lots of 3-4 minute sketches that constantly kept the kids attention – never allowing it to wane. They also made sure the stickiness factor was on their intended subject.

6. Compare and contrast Sesame Street and Blue’s Clues. Sesame Street is a show that I raised my sons on, but it was something adults could enjoy watching as well, since it used humor that was mainly aimed at adults.

Compare:

Both Sesame Street and Blues Clues were great at creating stickiness. Both used interaction with children. Both shows used repetition with great results.

Sesame Street relied on showing many three to four minutes skits per show. It became an interactive learning tool for children through television. A lot of positive learning research came out of these shows. Sesame Street is fast paced, an hour long, magazine format, with several human and puppet characters

Blue's Clues did what Sesame Street did, but they refined it by being repetitive and memorable. It does not have nearly as many characters in their shows, but it can be more memorable because it has the repetitive, sticky element. Blue’s Clues is a picture board format, with one human character (Steve) short ½ hour long, with literal names for characters (Mailbox) and intervening time accompanied by singing.

Contrast:

Sesame Street is based on much research into children's good educational TV

Blue's Clues is probably the more memorable of the two because of the repeat format it used. It would stay on topic for longer periods of time. Each episode of Blue’s Clues would follow a theme throughout the show from beginning to end.

7. What is the Distracter? The Distracter was a ‘varied slide show invented by Ed Palmer. It was called the 'stickiness machine.' . During an episode of Sesame Street, a slide show would be running on a screen next to it, showing a new slide every seven and a half seconds showing varied subject matter. It tested if the curriculum developed for the show was getting across to its’ viewers by observing two preschoolers to see how many times they looked away to the slide show. The researchers wanted to see what was holding the viewer's attention. This allowed them to accurately measure interest and parts of the show that were not capturing the attention of the viewers so they could remedy it and be able to incorporate the Stickiness Factor into their scenes.

8. What is The James Earl Jones Effect?
The James Earl Jones Effect is “learning through repetition. It is centered on the response of young children to repetition. Blue's Clues ran an episode 5 straight times in a week with each repeat the children would show different ways of understanding. They were looking for understanding and predictability.”

This verbiage came from when James Earl Jones did a skit on Sesame Street which involved the deliberate recitation of the alphabet. He performed it with long pauses between letters. The producers found that these long pauses allowed the viewers to absorb the information better. The children then began to recite the alphabet during the pauses and learned to recognize the letters on sight. This skit was used as a model for later episodes for teaching new skills.