The MAYA Theory
Make a new idea understandable, and give a familiar idea a reason to be noticed.
4 minute readBegin readingSales - the one thing every business needs and the one skill every CEO needs to understand.
So today, we’ll talk about one selling secret most don’t know, and how every major brand like Supreme, Tiffany, and Toyota use it to 4x their prices.
What is it?
The MAYA Theory - how to change one thing about your product to sell more of what you already sell.
The MAYA Theory
“To sell something surprising, make it familiar. To sell something familiar, make it surprising.” - Raymond Loewy
When the store Trader Joe's first started in the 1970s, it had a rough time getting customers to buy its ‘unique food.’
Today, most of us are used to seeing things like ‘ketchup sprinkles’ or ‘Bacon Jam’ on their shelves…
But 50 years ago they were too weird to try.
So after the Trader Joe’s Founder came across Raymond Loewry (a famous logo designer at the time) he had an idea…
The “Fearless Flyer” - A flyer that introduced the weird foods of the week and their backstory.
The concept: Teach customers about foods they would not normally try. Then when customers see the foods in store, they seem more familiar and want to buy them.
This is what Raymond Loewy calls The MAYA Theory - “Most Advanced, Yet Acceptable”
To sell unique things you need to attach them to ideas that customers are familiar with.
But to sell things that most already sell, you need to change them a little bit to keep them interesting.
Why?
Because people only buy what they understand, but are always interested in new things.
This is why car companies release a new car every year that’s almost the same as the previous year…
Or why Spotify adds new songs to your playlist instead of giving you a completely new one.
Two months after the start of Fearless Flyer, it became Trader Joe’s main marketing channel and led to a 59% increase in sales.
The MAYA Theory applies to everything from product launches, writing copy, entering new markets, etc.
Let’s take a look at how some of the biggest brands in the world use this to make millions.
Lamborghini x Supreme
Other than the Fearless Flyer, here are a few examples of brands that use The MAYA Theory:
Lamborghini x Supreme
After a slight dip in sales during the Pandemic, Supreme took their top-selling jackets and partnered with Lamborghini to add a ‘classy twist’.
They sold out in less than 4 hours.
Nike and Tiffany
When Nike partnered with Tiffany, Nike took one of their top-selling shoes (Air Force 1) and accented it with Tiffany blue.
Then 4x’d the price.
Nike sold out in less than 1 hour.
Disney
With almost every movie released by Disney, they make a new version of it a few decades later.
They keep the same plot but change up the delivery and few details.
Same story, different delivery.
How To Sell More Of What You Already Sell
Here are 3 ways I’ve personally used The MAYA Theory in my business to sell more of what I already sell:
1 - Upsells
When someone buys your product, they’ve already told you they value it enough to pay for it. So following The MAYA Theory, offer them the same product with a slight twist.
EX - A different color, price point, extra features, etc.
2 - The Hero’s Journey
Your Hero’s Journey is a story about why people should buy from you.
Your avatar faces a problem → Finds your brand → Overcomes the problem
Although your story may stay the same, the way you tell it can change.
The best example of this is when brands use different avatars based on who they’re targeting.
EX - Some Coke commercials feature a runner drinking a Coke after a long run. Others market to teens as a party drink.
3 - Reframing
When Airbnb first came out, it was an unheard-of concept. So Airbnb called themselves “The eBay for houses.”
When Uber first came out, it was also an unheard-of concept that scared people. So Uber called themselves “The Airbnb for cars.”
New A.I tools will relate themselves to ChatGPT:
“It’s like ChatGPT for your inbox”
“We’re like ChatGPT if it could talk”
Reframe your product so that it pulls on what your buyers already understand, but adds a new application.
