This man packaged ordinary rocks, sold them, and became a millionaire in 6 months.
But the real question is, how did he convince people to buy something they could easily find for FREE in their backyard?
Even if you have a great marketing strategy ā it can be damn hard to get people to spend their hard-earned money
But, this man managed to sell 1.5 million units of rocks within 6 months, netting him close to $6,000,000! I spent weeks researching and found the dead simple formulas he used not only to get people to buy but also to accelerate his sales like thereās no tomorrow.
Best part?
Itās super easy to understand and can work for pretty much anyone on this planet.
Letās dive right in š
Gary Dahl came up with the idea to sell rocks after he joked that he had the perfect pet.
A pet that would not need to be fed, walked, bathed, or groomed. it would not die or get sick and would remain loyal.
He decided to put this idea to the test and purchased some rocks from a local supplier for a penny each and started his business; Pet Rock
Well, Dahl knew that the rocks had to be priced low and sold at scale, hence the pricing of the rocks was the first stroke of genius that made Dahl a millionaire.
Formula 1 - Pricing šµ
Dahl priced his product at $3.95, which was a strategic decision.
He chose a price that was low enough to encourage impulse buying, but high enough to create a perceived value.
He also chose a price that was odd, rather than even, which is a common technique to make prices seem more appealing.
But he couldnāt just sell the rock itself, because no one would buy that.
The rocks themselves wouldn't be perceived as a worthwhile purchase. And this is where his next move comes inā¦
Formula 2 - Humor š
Dahl designed an instruction manual to be used with the rocks.
Now most instruction manuals are BORING and you want to throw them out the moment you open the box.
But not this one. It was absurd to include an instruction manual on the care, feeding, and training of the Pet Rock.
However, he used humor, jokes, and puns in the copyā¦And people LOVED it.
Why?
Because he made people laugh and feel good about themselves by buying something that was harmless and fun.
However, the manual and pricing are not enough. To buy something, people need to feel that it is worth their money.
And Dahl nailed this to perfection with what he did nextā¦
Formula 3 - Packaging š¦
Dahl packaged the rock with an attractive, functional, and symbolic design. He did these 3 things:
It had an easy-to-carry design. Like the Happy Meal Package but designed to look like a gift.
He used a cardboard box and shaped it like a pet carrier.
He added air holes to ensure the rock was ābreathingā. This gave the perception that the rock was a living thing.
These simple choices of design in the packaging gave the perception of a high-value and branded productā¦
But all of this would fail if it wasnāt for this next bit.
Formula 4 - Timing ā
The launch timing of Pet Rock was perfect.
Why?
Firstly, The Vietnam War had just ended and the Watergate scandal had begun. People were depressed, sad, and there was bad news everywhere.
Secondly, Christmas was around the corner and people were lining up to get presents for their loved ones.
So, People want to overcome their sadness and get gifts for Christmas.
Dahl saw an opportunity and launched Pet Rock.
And it took off like hotcakes, selling hundreds and thousands of units in a few weeks.
However, there was one last technique that Dahl adopted that accelerated his growth and made him a millionaire within 6 months.
And he didnāt even have to lift a finger to do thisā¦
Formula 5 - Scarcity Principle ā
After he launched Pet Rock, demand was high and supply was short.
EVERYONE and their grandmothers wanted one.
This created a fear of missing out.
It also created a sense of urgency due to the holiday season, when people were looking for gifts.
As a result, sales skyrocketed and Dahl sold 1.5 million rocks, netting him close to $6 million within 6 months.
Dahlās story has valuable lessons for your own business.
It shows how he used marketing, branding, and psychology to sell ordinary rocks as novelty items.
Now, you may or may not be able to replicate his success, but you can use his formulas and apply them to your own brand!
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Until next week š
Cheers,
Ashar