In a study, Yale students were sent, one-by-one, down a hallway where they would pass a lab assistant.  The assistant’s hands were full, holding a clipboard, textbooks, papers and a cup of either hot or iced coffee. He asked each passing student for a hand with the cup.

Just minutes later the students read about a fictional person then ranked that individual on a range from warm, thoughtful and social to cold, selfish and less social. You guessed it.  Those who’d held the cup of hot coffee were more likely to rank that individual more positively than the students who’d held the iced java. They were “primed” to do so.  It reflects “the automaticity of everyday life.”  Priming can prompt “good” or “bad” behavior.

Those, for example, who briefly saw words on a screen like “support” or “dependable” acted more cooperatively. Those who saw a briefcase during an experiment became more competitive. From what we touch, smell or see it takes only small sensory cues to influence our behavior.

Priming is most powerful when done in the same sensory mode as the original experience. For example, along the back of the yard of my grandmother’s modest home ran an abandoned railway track. The wood that supported the iron tracks was soaked with creosote. Even today, when I get even a faint whiff of that acrid smell I smile with the memory of many happy times with Grandma Louise.

How are you being primed to feel, act or buy? I have a Las Vegas hotel client that increased per-guest spending and positive views of the hotel staff’s service – even their attractiveness – all evoked by one sensory change. From check-in to gaming areas and hallways, the hotelier wafts the scent of sunscreen lotion. (“Hey honey, we’re on vacation, the world looks good and we’re going to play.”) Why not can prime yourself and those around you for positive experiences?

• What messages and images are on your walls at home to prime your family to feel secure, happy and, well, at home? Or behind you as you sit at your office? What do others repeatedly touch, smell or hear when around you? Do you like to effect those sensory cues evoke?
• What do you share, give away or show others with whom you want to feel closer?
• How can you cultivate closeness and positive memories by special, repeated multi-sensory rituals, foods and celebrations?
• As friends or clients meet with you, what will they smell, see, hear or touch? How might those experiences affect how they feel about you and what you discuss?  It is all about context.

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