Peanut and I finished the Pyramid of Giza LEGO last night.
And, hidden on the 160th step, there was a smol little note. Y’see, after we finished building the Pyramid of Giza, we realized we didn’t have a full pyramid. The back half of the pyramid was non-existent, but not in a way that made the build look incomplete. On the contraire, the build looks finished. In fact, it’s probably better served this way because it’s back is flat, enabling it to fit snugly up against a wall.
But this smol little note that was tucked away on the 160th (out of 177 total steps) step is stuck deep in my craw. Translation: You complete 90% of this build before you even see the note.
And what does this note say?
Well, it’s an irresistible delayed upsell LEGO mindset trick.
On the 160th step, the note was simple:
“You can use the cross axle and matching holes on the back of the model to connect two of these sets together to create a whole pyramid.”
Damn.
The brilliance of this irresistible delayed upsell LEGO mindset trick is fivefold:
Fold #1: They waited until you were 90% finished with this model to even introduce the idea of buying a second Pyramid of Giza to make a whole pyramid.
Here’s why this is so brilliant:
Building LEGO is both hard and rewarding. We stopped for a week or so after completing the 4th bag, which, in hindsight, turned out to be the most difficult bag.
Bags 5-8, which we started on Sunday and finished Monday night, were easy in comparison. In other words, our LEGO motivation meter was much higher on step 160 than it was on step, say, 98.
Not only that, but we also were so close to finishing the build that we could see it in our mind’s eye. Plus, we forgot how difficult bags 1-4 were in comparison to bags 5-8.
Fold #2: They upsold not another LEGO, but the same exact build.
Who said upsells have to be any different?
Better yet, we had no idea upon buying this LEGO that buying two of them would give you a much cooler looking build.
Fold #3: Despite upselling the same LEGO again, the build stands by itself.
We don’t have to buy another Pyramid of Giza to make the one we built look good. In fact, it’s more usable as it stands, since the flat back of the pyramid fits snugly against a wall.
Fold #4: The half-finished build, while more usable, now looks unfinished.
Here’s where their genius really shows:
Ever since reading that note, on step 160 out of 177 possible steps, I’ve been thinking about buying another one.
Not because the Pyramid of Giza we built looks unfinished, but because my mind now believes it’s unfinished.
Subtle, yet potent distinction there.
I’ll probably buy another Pyramid of Giza set before I buy any other LEGO.
And you know what?
That leads me into my fifth fold, which I just realized as I was typing this:
Fold #5: It improves the general experience of LEGO against all odds
Peanut and I are relatively new to LEGO. We’ve only built 4 builds to date… and one of the biggest problems we encountered when browsing the LEGO aisle or their website is confusion over what to buy next.
Should we try a cool super hero one, a fantasy spectacle, or one from their botanical collection (which look the best as decor)?
This indecision delayed our LEGO buying decision. But this smol little note, tucked away on step 160, turned our indecision into a decision:
We’re finishing this damn Pyramid of Giza and building a whole pyramid instead of the half pyramid we have now.
After going through this build, I now realize why LEGO is a 60+ Bill-yun dollar company.
Everything—from the building experience to the finished product to the hidden upsells to the ancillary “benefits” like content creation, for example, of LEGO—reinforces the general experience you have building LEGO.
That’s why it’s loved by kids and parents alike. And even childless adults like Peanut and myself.
There’s plenty of business and email lessons embedded in this email too. And this is the 3rd email I’ve written about LEGO since buying the Pyramid of Giza.
Anywho:
Need help boosting your revenue through email?
Hit reply, and let’s see if we're a good fit.
John
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