INSIGHTS: Selling to the senses Print
Written by Staff   
Tuesday, 16 November 2010 04:45 PM America/New_York

by Kathy Williams

Small yet powerful changes will cause people to linger longer in your store—and the longer customers stay, the more products they are likely to purchase. Making use of our God-given five senses harnesses a powerful marketing tool.

Smell: If your store is large enough, disburse gentle scents in different areas. Men find cinnamon pleasing, and women react positively to vanilla. Mulberry is a wonderful scent, appealing to a wide array of people—that's why it's often used in model homes.

Use potpourri, fragrance oils or candles, but be sure to keep safety in mind. You should only ever use a gentle fragrance, as some people have strong allergies to perfumes.

Sight: Everyone is affected by color, whether they know it or not. Your color palette should be soothing, avoiding clashes in displays or décor. Provide adequate signage so that customers can easily find what they are looking for, and ensure that there is sufficient light to view the finest of details on your products. Avoiding clutter keeps the store pleasing to the eye. Purge items from the shelves that aren't selling, and change displays often to interest repeat customers.

Touch: Make as many items as possible accessible for customers to touch and hold, saving out-of-reach areas for additional stock. Women especially like to touch before they buy. Consider making an area available for trying on apparel. If you have jewelry locked up or put behind a counter, you should always have staff available to get it out for the customer.

Sound: Though it is hard to please everyone when it comes to music, keep in mind that you are trying to create an atmosphere conducive to shopping and buying. This can't be done if your music gives people a headache. You don't want people to hurry, so find something soothing. Instrumental music is always a good choice.

Taste: Keep a bowl of wrapped hard candy near a place where an employee usually stands. When customers come to the candy dish, engage them in conversation, asking how you can help them. You can assist them in their search for products, and you can probably also guide them to some cross-promotions.

—Kathy Williams is the director for the Esther Ministries Church Bookstore at Palmetto Avenue Baptist Church in Sanford, Fla.

—Click here to read the complete article: http://www.thechurchbookstore.com/a.php?ArticleID=17011