The Tipping Point What’s the gist?

What is a “tipping point”? “That magic moment when an idea, trend, or social behavior crosses a threshold, tips, and spreads like wildfire”

If you were to read the Introduction… Ideas, messages, and behaviors spread just like viruses do Social epidemics are driven by the efforts of a handful of exceptional people There are three rules of the “Tipping Point” –The Law of the Few –The Stickiness Factor –The Power of Context

Today we focus on rule #1… Law of the Few We said that social epidemics rely on a few exceptional people. What makes them exceptional…? -Connectors -Mavens -Salesmen

Connectors “People with a special gift for bringing the world together” A handful of people with a truly extraordinary knack for making friends and acquaintances Not just your average “social butterfly” They “link” us together

Mavens “Maven” = one who accumulates knowledge (Yiddish word) Information specialists –Obsessively glean information usually associated with price or markets Ever heard the term “market maven”? –Once they have the info, they want to share it They want to be helpful

Mavens? Know anyone obsessed with getting the best Groupon deals? Or someone that keeps copies of Consumer Reports on his nightstand?

Mavens According to Gladwell, mavens are “information brokers” They must be able to communicate and have above average social skills Mavenhood = brain for accumulating information + social skills for spreading information

Salesmen What comes to mind when you think of a “good” salesperson?

Salesmen According to Gladwell, a salesman must be: –Charismatic –Communicative –Persuasive Verbally Non-verbally

So What? In order for an idea, product, or trend to be affectively “marketed”, a connector, maven, and salesperson needs interface with it at some point along the way. The odds of this happening are, more or less, rare. When it does happen, something magical happens, according to Gladwell.