Once a prospective car owner takes an automobile for a test drive the chance of her buying goes up 100%. The new car smell, the sound of the stereo, the softness of the plush seats, and the visual impact of the lines and colours of the vehicle all come into play during a test drive. The consumer’s eyes, ears, nose, taste buds and feelers (hands, feet, etc. ) have a tremendous impact on whether or not she buys. Encourage her to touch, taste, look, listen and smell. She could sample food, smell the perfume, sit on the sofa, listen to the sound quality and see how good it looks on her. Utilise the 5 senses to create an atmosphere so people will want to buy.
Michael Vance tells a story about a dentist whose business was not doing very well, so he decided to go to a seminar on how to market more effectively. When he came back from that seminar he and his secretary went through the office on their hands and knees, taking a child’s view of their office. They got a feeling of what it was like to be a child at the dentist’s office.
The first thing they noticed was that the guest desk was too high and the children who came in had to look up over the desk. They had the desk inset into the floor and put little chairs in the front of it so that the children could sit down and have eye contact with the receptionist. They even took the medical forms and made them simple so small children could help fill them out. Colourful graphics that educated children on caring for their teeth were placed on the wall and headphones were installed in the waiting rooms so that children could listen to stories and dental care tips on tapes. They built a play area for the children in the waiting room.
Then they did some research. After the children had their teeth examined, the receptionist would help them fill out a form on how they felt about their trip to the dentist. The most common complaint from the children was that they were terrified before the dentist did the work because they did not know what he was going to do.
The dental staff did some brainstorming and decided to explain the process to the children before the staff actually did anything. The child would work on his or her own teeth without the instruments being turned on. This showed the child exactly what was going to happen, and it took away any anxiety. To top it off, on their way out the children received a signed photograph of their dentist to put on their wall – to keep the crows away. ☺
Later on after the company grew, pictures of the dental assistants were put in the lobby so the children could choose the person they wanted to help them. The business in that dental office doubled.
In the real estate industry you can create a mood in an open house you are showing on the weekend. Light a fire, turn on the stereo, put some cinnamon buns in the oven, coffee on the stove, fresh flowers on the dining room table. Prospective buyers are usually looking for a home, not a house.
Offer your customers extra service. Set up a day care centre and take care of the children so parents can view the home at their leisure.
The question…What can be done in your business to stimulate customer buying response through the following senses of touch, taste, hear, see and smell?