How to use the intriguing power of scent to sell

Clients pay 10-15% more for the same product or service if your business uses scent branding.

 

• Do you harness the powerful selling power of scent in your aesthetics practice?
• Do you use one consistent signature scent that your aesthetics clients associate with your business?
• Do your clients tell you they just love the way it smells in your beauty business?

Signature Scent

A signature scent makes your business memorable and keeps your business top of mind.  It evokes positive feelings, emotions, and memories for both your clients and your team.  Using a signature scent is an absolute must for top level success; and in an age when it’s difficult to stand out in the market, aesthetics businesses can’t afford to miss any opportunity to be noticed and remembered.

 

Smell is the most emotion-provoking and memorable sense

Why is the sense of smell so powerful?  Put simply, our physiology.  Our body sends smell signals directly to our brain.  And not just to our brain in general, but to the centers for emotions and for memories within our brain.  That’s why smell factors into each of our daily decisions and the reason smell affects 75% of the emotions we generate every day.

 

Choose Simple Smells with no more than two sources

Worldwide hotel chains, retail giants, and big restaurant chains have long utilized customized scents to market and sell their brands.  Your signature scent, however, does not need to be an expensive customized fragrance, just one that fits your brand.  When choosing a  smell, choose simple, a mix of no more than two sources.  Researchers at Washington State found that simple smells beat complex smells in motivating buying behavior.  Another study found complex smells did not provide the increased selling benefits seen with simple scents.

 

Your brand should determine your Signature Scent

If your brand is relaxing, choose from lavender, basil, citrus, and cinamon.  Maybe your brand is more energetic.  Choose an invigorating scent like rosemary, peppermint or thyme.  Or is your brand more a mix of both?  Eucalyptus is said to be both relaxing and invigorating.  At our last medical spa, we used a mix of eucalyptus and mint, which fit our hip, cool, modern brand.

 

Imagine.  When your client opens the door, scent will be the first and lasting impression of your physical business, and your brand.  Scent, therefore, must be an integral strategy in your branding and marketing plan.

 

Your Signature Scent must be an integral part of your branding

By including a signature scent in your marketing strategy, you

• strengthen your brand;
• increase client satisfaction and retention; and
• greatly improve your ROI.

 

Consider these facts.

Every business has a smell that creates memories

Most certainly your business has a smell - from the products you use, the air flowing through your Heat/AC vents, food warmed up in the microwave, the files you’re storing, etc. - you get the picture.

 

Without a signature scent, this could be the impression you’re making on your clients and the memories being created.  Be intentional; eliminate bad odors and replace them with a pleasant smell.  Choose a signature scent to fit your brand so that your clients can imagine how it smells walking into your business even when they are not there.

 

Pleasing smells keep clients around longer spending more

Research (and our years of experience) have shown us that your clients will want to stay at your business longer when it smells good.  The longer your client is there, the better relationship you can build, the more you can educate (i.e. in-house marketing), and the increased likelihood you will make more sales.

 

Take a look at the sales numbers in businesses using scent marketing.  Studies show that clients linger 20% longer at the business resulting in a whopping 300% more in sales.

 

Favorable simple smells improve client behavior, attitude, mood - and increase spending

 

Neuroscience research has shown

• that clients spend more and
• are more prone to buy from higher price tags when happy with the smell around them.

 

Multiple study findings of scent-induced increase in spending are very significant.  For instance, a 2012 study revealed that clients spend 20% more when exposed to a simple scent.  Importantly, the research showed complicated scents did not yield the same increase in sales.

Keep this in mind when selecting your signature scent.

 

Good smells can improve a bad mood and will reinforce a good mood.

 

Studies have also shown that clients are more open to consider recommended products and services when they’re happy with the smell around them.

 

Enjoyable Smells increase Team Productivity

A pleasing smell positively affects your team just as it does your clients.  You’ll find they’re more productive and helpful.  They’ll enjoy a renewed sense of pride in their role in the business.

Plus, if their clients are happy, their job is more enjoyable.

 

You can see how scents actually influence the way your clients think, perceive, and process information.  Your Signature Scent, if chosen properly, has the power to transform your aesthetics business into your dream business.

 

Don’t know where to start?  Here’s the top 7 Hotel Lobby Scents

• Coconut Lemongrass
• Green Tea and Lemongrass
• White Tea and Thyme
• Green Bamboo
• White Tea and Fig
• Green Tea and Sage
• Green Tea and Aloe

We used Eucalyptus and Mint at our last medical spa.

 

If you would like more information about marketing and branding your aesthetics business, visit www.BodyContouringAcademy.com.