Sometimes it’s useful to take notice of how your environment effects your own thoughts and feelings in certain situations before you try and sell someone else in that particular space.
If your office is loud, disruptive and puts you off working then how is a prospect going to handle it either in person or on the other end of the phone?
Interestingly studies have shown that environments effect your ability to influence prospects on a far deeper level than just thing such as background noise.
The environment you find yourself in skips straight past your conscious thought –
Environment is (burger) king
New research out of Francisco State University shows that the mind is very poor at shutting out the external environment when thinking.
“Our conscious thoughts seem protected from our surroundings, but we found that they are much more tightly linked to the external environment than we might realize” said Ezequiel Morsella, associate professor of psychology and co-author of the study.
Fast food chains have known this for years which is why they choose very specific décor and music to appeal to the senses. Sight, hearing, and touch can all influence behaviour, increase customer satisfaction, and capture guest loyalty on a deep level.
For example red and yellow, are known to subconsciously trigger hunger and promote levels of excitement, which is one reason why many brands such as McDonald’s, KFC and others use these colours in their logos and restaurants.
Blue can make diners feel calm and relaxed, however it’s often associated with spoiled or toxic food and can even suppress appetites, which means it’s a colour not often incorporated in the foodservice industry.
In addition, a recent study by researchers from universities in New York and Georgia showed that noisy environments, like those often found in quick-service restaurants, can encourage customers to overeat.
Diners who ate at a restaurant with soft lighting and jazz music, as opposed to a restaurant with an identical menu but a brighter and louder environment, ate an average of nearly 175 fewer calories during their meal.
Environmental influencing
Say you want to close a prospect who you know needs a little excitement to get him over the finish line to get that invoice paid.
For sure your vocal tonality, body language and how hard you’re pushing him will make a difference but what could you do to ignite his subconscious and motivate him further?
Perhaps being in an office that has motivating music in the background at a decent tempo and a busy vibe around the place could promote a feeling of fast pace and urgency.
If you’re closing a law firm for a 7 figure contract you better be sat around a fine oak desk and have everyone in the office suited and booted.
And when you finally have the prospect in your office, after months upon months of chasing and follow up. Where you have a number of details to discuss and dive into before looking to sign everything off that very evening – you better have damn comfy, luxurious leather chairs and coffee on tap.
When you’re discussing the location that you want to meet to close that big deal with your sales manager, make sure they give you the keys to the castle or the funds to book a meeting room suitable to the outcome you’re trying to influence.
