DO YOU STINK?

Dear all,

Hope we are all well and membership numbers are creeping up.

Be warned, this post has nothing to do with Wellness System.

I want to share something with you that I have been reading in a fascinating book. Buyology by a Danish marketing expert Martin Lindstrom. Basically it looks at why we make the buying decisions we do based on the different activity in the brain when we are exposed to information by advertisers and brands to get our attention.

I want to share one of the areas that it looks at that I feel is relevant to our industry. How much a smell can have on your decision to buy something.

I want you to think for a second about your club. Think about what it smells like. How would you describe it? is it a pleasant smell? does it give you a good positive feeling?, does it energize you, do you control the smell or does your members sweaty shoes create the smell? what impact does the smell have when a completely new customer walks in on their likelihood of joining your club.

What kind of an environment are you trying to create? a relaxing area for sitting and sharing coffee, a high energy feeling, a luxury spa feel etc?

There are many questions above which you should know the answer to. What you might not know is the power that smell has over your emotions, and how powerful emotions are when we are making buying decisions.

The most recognizable smell in the world is Johnson's Baby Powder. This has been scientifically proven. This is because it was an extremely widely used product and in its day there were very few other baby powders on the market.

The slightest smell of Johnson's baby Powder instantly transports you to a safe place, a place of comfort, security and happiness (for most people). It is this reaction in the brain that we call association. What does a smell do to us that makes us instantly think or visualize something in our memory so clearly. we have all experienced this at some stage.

One of the most popular smells in the western world is vanilla. This has been demonstrated all over the world with brands such as Coca Cola choosing Vanilla as a key flavor to it secret formula. Many luxury perfumes are vanilla based and of course the most popular type of ice cream is vanilla. It is also one of the key smells in Johnsons Baby Powder. Ikea sell nearly 8 times more vanilla candles then any other scent.

One of my wifes clients told her the other day that she was in Ikea and when walking through the candle section was instantly reminded of her last Pilates session. (She fills the room with them)

So, what is my point?

Based on the research presented on how our brains respond to smell and it association with something we do or have done, I can strongly recommend that you control the smell in your club as much as possible. Whether it is the smell of fresh coffee, lemon air freshener or the luxury smell of Vanilla candles, there has never been more choice or methods of creating a pleasant smell in your club. The important thing is to keep it consistent. (If you are clever, you will strike a deal with your local gift/interior shop and say that you will put a sign next to the fragrance saying where it is available. Don't worry, people will still associate the smell with a good feeling of working out.)

Think about the type of feeling you want people to have when they walk into your club and find a smell that best represents that. The nose creates far more emotional response than the eyes.

Looking forward to smelling the difference.