Get in sync with your customer’s brain

Roger Dooley, author, speaker, and consultant, presents in his book Brainfluence, some suggestions on how to persuade consumers using “neuromarketing”.

1. Clean Up Your Font – Go easy on consumers’ eyes; use a clear, easy-to-read font such as Arial, for product and service descriptions as well as any instructions.

Are you using a stylish, elegant font on your signage? It’s time to dump it!

2. Don’t Show Them the Money – If you’re a restauranteur, take dollar signs off the menu to increase your sales.

«When people see a currency symbol like a dollar sign or a euro symbol, that … activates a part of the brain that can sometimes help the marketer, but often not,» Dooley says.

3. Remember the Senses – Find creative ways to tempt customers‘ senses.

Look for environmental elements that you can control, like pleasant scents – even if your products don’t naturally have a smell. «The scent will then trigger consumers’ senses and create a desire for that [the product or service].» Tests have shown that scents in shopping areas can increase sales.

4. Respond to Customers – Keep your cool and respond to customers promptly.

Nobody likes being ignored—so make sure you can provide real feedback to social media messages and posts. Also, the customer doesn’t need to be right every time, Dooley acknowledges: «But you’ll almost never score points when arguing with a customer. You may win the argument, but you’ll lose the customer.

5. Tell a Good Story – Turn percentages and figures into a good tale to capture—and keep—your customers’ attention.

Statistics are great. But you need people to pay attention to your numbers to help drive sales. Our brains are wired to process stories in a more engaged way, Dooley says: Brain scan work shows that when people read a story with a lot of action elements, their brains actually mimic the motions.

An excerpt from article by Caitlin Berens, published at INC.com.