Written by Rohit Bassi, ROI Talks
Rohit Bassi has been given the title of "The Communication Wizard." He assists clients in improving careers, businesses, and lives.
It sounds absurd, but Supreme, the popular streetwear brand, achieved just that. They took an ordinary clay brick, slapped their logo on it, and created a must-have item that got resold for up to $1000.
This isn't just about selling a product; it's about understanding and communicating value in a way that transforms perceptions. This concept is crucial not only in sales but in how leaders, salespeople, teams, and individuals work, communicate, and connect with others.
Let's delve into the lessons from Supreme’s brick and another innovative product, MittiCool’s clay refrigerator.
The supreme brick: Elevating perceived value through branding
Supreme's branded brick shows how branding can turn the mundane into the extraordinary. Here’s how they did it and how these principles apply beyond sales:
1. Strong brand identity
Supreme’s brand stands for exclusivity, style, and cultural relevance. The logo alone adds immense value.
For Leaders: Develop a strong, distinctive identity that resonates with your team and stakeholders. Your leadership style and organisational culture should reflect this identity.
For Salespeople: Use your unique qualities and brand to make strong connections with clients. It's not just about the product; it's about what you represent.
For Teams: Cultivate a team identity that aligns with the organisation's values. A strong, unified team brand can drive motivation and cohesion.
For Individuals: Build and maintain a personal brand that highlights your unique value. Make sure your actions and communications reflect this brand.
2. Creating scarcity and urgency
Supreme releases products in limited quantities, creating a sense of scarcity and urgency.
For Leaders: Create a sense of urgency around key initiatives. Limited opportunities for involvement can drive engagement and participation.
For Salespeople: Leverage exclusive offers or limited time deals to create urgency in client interactions.
For Teams: Use time-bound projects and limited resources to foster creativity and efficiency.
For Individuals: Highlight unique skills or experiences that are in high demand to create a sense of urgency around your personal brand.
3. Cultural significance
Supreme has embedded itself into popular culture. The brick goes beyond a brick; it’s a status symbol.
For Leaders: Position your organisation as a trendsetter in your industry. Lead with vision and innovation.
For Salespeople: Tap into current trends to make your offerings more relevant and appealing.
For Teams: Stay ahead of industry trends to keep your team innovative and competitive.
For Individuals: Align your personal brand with cultural trends to stay relevant and influential.
MittiCool: Enhancing practical value through innovation
In contrast, MittiCool, a non-electric refrigerator made from clay, solves a critical need for cooling in areas without electricity. This product showcases the power of innovation and practical value:
1. Solving real problems
MittiCool addresses a common issue—lack of refrigeration in rural areas.
For Leaders: Focus on solving real problems within your organisation and for your clients. Innovative solutions can drive significant impact.
For Salespeople: Understand your clients’ challenges and tailor your solutions to meet their needs.
For Teams: Tackle real-world problems with creative, practical solutions. This fosters a sense of purpose and achievement.
For Individuals: Position yourself as a problem-solver who offers unique solutions. This enhances your personal value.
2. Affordable and accessible
Made from clay, MittiCool is affordable and accessible, increasing its value for many.
For Leaders: Ensure your strategies and initiatives are inclusive and accessible to all team members.
For Salespeople: Highlight the affordability and accessibility of your products or services.
For Teams: Create solutions that are cost-effective and widely accessible.
For Individuals: Make your skills and services available and affordable to a broad range of clients.
3. Sustainable and eco-friendly
MittiCool’s design is environmentally friendly, appealing to those who value sustainability.
For Leaders: Integrate sustainability into your organisational values and practices.
For Salespeople: Emphasise the sustainability aspects of your products or services.
For Teams: Innovate with sustainability in mind, ensuring your projects align with environmental values.
For Individuals: Incorporate sustainable practices into your personal brand.
Impact of perceived value on success
Supreme’s brick and MittiCool provide striking examples of how perceived value can be dramatically different depending on branding and innovation.
Supreme turned an ordinary brick into a high-demand luxury item through powerful branding and creating a sense of exclusivity. In contrast, MittiCool’s innovative clay refrigerator addresses a real need in rural areas, showcasing how practical value and problem-solving can drive success. These examples highlight that understanding and effectively communicating value is crucial for leaders, salespeople, teams, and individuals.
Leaders should develop and promote a clear, compelling vision that emphasises their organisation’s unique strengths. Salespeople need to blend branding with practical benefits, demonstrating how their products or services solve specific problems. Teams should align their projects with organisational goals and societal trends, while individuals must focus on building a strong personal brand and continuously innovating to solve real-world problems.
By mastering the art of conveying perceived value, all can achieve better outcomes and build lasting, meaningful relationships.
Call to action: Elevate your value proposition
Embrace the principles of value identification, education, alignment with needs, and transparency to ensure your stakeholders see, understand, and appreciate the true worth of your offerings.
For leaders, this means clearly communicating your organisation’s unique strengths and fostering a culture of learning and openness. Salespeople should highlight what makes their products or services stand out while being honest and transparent. Teams need to align their projects with organisational goals and clearly demonstrate their contributions. Individuals should build a personal brand that showcases their unique value and continuously educate others about their expertise.
By doing so, you will achieve better outcomes and build lasting, meaningful relationships.
Framework for communicating value
To communicate value effectively, consider this four-part framework:
1. Identify your unique value proposition (UVP)
Clearly define what makes your offering unique.
For Leaders: Develop a clear UVP that differentiates your leadership and organisational approach.
For Salespeople: Use your UVP to create compelling interactions.
For Teams: Align your strategies with the team’s UVP.
For Individuals: Ensure your personal UVP is clear and well-communicated.
2. Engage and educate
Help others understand the value of your offerings.
For Leaders: Foster a culture of learning and education.
For Salespeople: Use demonstrations, testimonials, and case studies.
For Teams: Create content that demonstrates the value of your projects.
For Individuals: Be knowledgeable and share your expertise.
3. Align with needs
Tailor your communication to meet specific needs.
For Leaders: Ensure your strategies align with organisational needs.
For Salespeople: Customise your approach to individual client needs.
For Teams: Develop strategies that address key pain points.
For Individuals: Listen to feedback and adjust your approach.
4. Build trust through transparency
Be open and honest about what you offer.
For Leaders: Lead by example in practising transparency.
For Salespeople: Be clear about your product's or service's capabilities.
For Teams: Ensure all communications reflect true information.
For Individuals: Build trust through honesty and clear communication.
By identifying your unique value, educating others, aligning with their needs, and building trust through transparency, you can enhance perception and satisfaction, leading to better outcomes and lasting relationships.
Mastering the art of selling a $1,000 brick goes beyond mere sales tactics; it’s about deeply understanding and conveying true value. This principle is vital for everyone—leaders, salespeople, teams, and individuals alike.
When leaders grasp and communicate their organisation’s unique strengths and vision, they inspire their teams and build a compelling brand. Salespeople, by blending strong branding with practical benefits, can effectively demonstrate how their offerings solve real problems, thereby enhancing perceived value.
Teams that align their projects with organisational goals and broader societal trends can showcase their contributions more effectively. For individuals, building a strong personal brand and focusing on continuous innovation to address real-world problems can significantly elevate their professional standing.
By adopting these principles, everyone can transform how they work, communicate, and connect, ultimately driving success and building lasting, meaningful relationships in any context. Understanding and articulating value is the key to thriving in today's competitive environment.
Rohit Bassi, ROI Talks
Rohit Bassi has been given the title of "The Communication Wizard." He assists clients in improving careers, businesses, and lives. He does this by serving leaders, teams, and change-makers to be wise and impactful with their communication.
