The Tipping Point

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

1.         What are connectors, mavens, and salesmen?

a.      A connector shares the information

b.      A maven collects the information

c.       A salesman persuades people of the information they are hearing

2.     What is a “small-world problem”?

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

            In less than 6 steps everyone is connected to someone else. 

4.     What makes someone a connector?

Connectors have their foot in many different worlds.  They have an effect in bringing the

 worlds together.

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?

            People need to know people that are connected.  We as a society have a world we live

 in that it is not what you know but it is who you know.

7.     What does the phrase “the strength of weak ties” mean?

            The “weak tie” is a friendly yet casual social connection.  Everyone needs these kinds of

 ties.  The people that you are really good friends with walk the same circles you do so

they know what you already know.  However your acquaintances do not walk in the

same circles so they know things you don’t know.  So this is the strength of a weak tie.

 They give us opportunities that we would not get otherwise.

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

            Paul Revere had connections and knew people so therefore he was trusted.  I think Paul

 Revere was a connector.  He had many social connections and they are more like “weak           

 ties” but they all work together.  He knew the right people to tell.  He knew all of the leaders and was connected to many different groups.

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

            Connectors and mavens are everywhere.  There are many people that just sit and

 quietly collect information but do not say anything.  As for connectors we have the

 people that go out there and make sure that people know what is going on and make sure that people stay out of the troubles that come in small towns.  So I have both in every area of my life.

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

            I work in a small district we all work in a place where we rely on word of mouth.  We

 tend to find things by listening to word of mouth.

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

            Mavens found the shoes in some small store and liked them for the price.  They went

 and told a friend or a few friends because they like to help.  So they started a trend on

 accident because they found some good shoes for a good price and they were not being “sold” by a main sales person.

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

            A maven is not a persuader, a maven is a teacher and a student.  They are information

 brokers that share and trade what they know.

13.  What makes someone a salesman?

Salesmen have the skills to persuade us when we are unconvinced of what we are

 hearing.

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

            The three things that these two studies point out that make the salesmen effective are:

 that little things can apparently make as much of a difference as the big things, non

-verbal cues are as or more important than the verbal cues, and persuasion often works

 in ways that we do not appreciate.  In other words the subtle, the hidden and the

 unspoken are important.

15.  What are “micromovements”?

            Patterns that occur over and over again. It is part of the physical dance between people. 

            When we move when we talk and we answer each others movements.

16.  What makes someone good at charades?

            Someone who is good at charades is a good affective communicator.  They can

            communicate with all parts of their communication.  They can use their verbal,

            nonverbal and body cues to get their point across.  Most of them do not need the

 verbal.

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

            I am a connector and a maven in my school.  I know everyone and I can talk to everyone

 and gather information.  I only feel like a salesman when it comes to the students.  I try

 every day to get them to do things based on my excitement and what I see in the things

 we are learning. 

18.  Which traits do you wish you possessed?

            I wish at times I was more of all three.  I could have the ability to help make things

            happen that need to happen in our school.  There are some changes that need to take

 place for everyone’s sake.  I just don’t have the right answers is what I was told.

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

            I think many people are born with them, but I think that some people can gain these

 traits and develop them.

20.  What disadvantages are linked with any of the three classifications?

            I think with all three of these ideas you are placed with a stigma.  With some people they are just natural and people listen.  However I think that some people are too pushy or too into everyone else’s business and they gain the stigma of people watching what they say around you.  So I think that being in these three roles can be difficult.

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

1.         What is “the stickiness factor”?

a.      The stickiness factor is what makes the thing that is being sold stick.  In this case we talk a lot about Sesame Street and what made it stick with the kids.  What made them want to watch it and what made them interested…instead of doing something else.

2.         What makes something “sticky”?

a.      Something is sticky when it sticks and someone wants to do it or watch it.

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

a.      Direct marketing is when a company buys an ad in a magazine or sends out a direct mailing with a coupon attached that they want the reader to clip and mail back to them with a check for their product.  A successful campaign must stick.  It must be something that people follow through on.  They must make a profit.

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

a.      Lester added a gold box to his fliers that made people stick to the item.  It had to be sent back in order to get something.  This worked so that he could get the most out of his marketing and he got it taken care of.  This worked well for his return.

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

a.      Sherman made changes to the show once they tested Blue’s Clues on kids.  She knows that the order had to get harder with the clues.  She does not want the kids to be able to figure out the main animal from the first clue, but she wants them to be able to solve the clue.  The original order of the clues did not work so she changed the order.

6.     Compare and contrast Sesame Street and Blue’s Clues.

            Blues Clues has just one live actor where SS has many.  SS was varied a lot and was an

 hour long.  Blues Clues stuck to one story line for 30 minutes.  Blues Clues has a flat two

 dimensional feel where SS is more of a 3d feel.  Blues Clues has a deliberate pace where

 they have long pauses on purpose.  SS was made for parents to watch with their kids.

 Blues Clues was just made for the kids.  SS has the word play and makes things fun. 

Blues Clues took that out and just worked on learning.  The animated characters on

Blues clues are not with fun names and creative they are there to serve a purpose.

 Blues Clues plays three times consecutively in one week where Sesame Street was new

 every day.  But they share two important things.  They wanted the kids engaged so they

 would be interested in watching.  They also wanted active participation in the show.  So

 they leave room for the students to answer back before saying the answer themselves.

7.     What is the Distracter?

            The distracter was a screen that they put slides on that they put next to the TV when the

            kids were watching Sesame Street.  The researchers sat there and watched when the      kids went from watching the TV to the distracter and this told them what changes           needed to be made.  IF the kids were distracted by the distracter then they knew that       part had lost its stickiness.

8.     What is The James Earl Jones Effect?

                The James Earl Jones Effect is learning through repetition.