Saturate Your Store with Sweet Smiles

Smiling signage and packaging boost purchase intentions. Researchers at University of Rochester, University of Oxford, Giessen University, and Universidad de La Sabana had study participants view tea, juice, and shampoo items. In some cases, the labeling for the item carried a concave, smile-like, line, while in other cases, there was a convex, frown-like, line. The subtle cue was enough to influence ratings of the items and the participants’ declared purchase intentions. They rated the items more favorably and were more likely to say they’d buy the items after seeing labeling reminiscent of a smile.
     With additional groups of participants, the labeling carried either a straight line or no line at all. After analyzing the results from these consumers, the researchers concluded that the purchase pull upwards for the smiling line was stronger than the purchase pull downwards for the frowning line. The smile is both more positive and more powerful than the frown. An implication I see in this additional finding is that a salesperson shouldn’t hesitate to frown in facing a shopper when that frown shows genuine concern about a shopper’s problem. This can be followed by a sweet smile when the problem’s addressed.
     Smiles, whether spotted on signage or faces, set the tone. Let’s say a sales clerk looks up at the approaching shopper and smiles gently. If that event is followed by a sincere greeting from the cashier as the shopper passes by, the shopper is likely to consider the cashier’s greeting to be sincere and welcoming. This is less likely if the shopper had received no more than a cold stare from the sales clerk when entering the store.
     Researchers at University of California-San Diego University of Michigan, and University of Wisconsin-Madison offered thirsty study participants a serving of a beverage. Along with this, some were exposed to a brief image of a frowning face and some to a brief image of a smiling face. The exposure was so brief that any notice of the emotion would almost surely be subconscious.
     The thirsty people shown the smiling face didn’t report feeling much different from those shown the frowning face. However, those shown the smiling face poured more beverage from the pitcher into their cup, drank more from their cup, and were willing to pay about twice as much for the beverage. A smile—even one so brief as to have no conscious effect—made for more motivated consumers.

For your profitability: Sell Well: What Really Moves Your Shoppers

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