Subliminal sales tactics for sellers

BY JAY BRIJPAUL

The fear of loss is one of the greatest fears. Losing a loved one is very emotional and is the same sort of emotion felt when a buyer is about to lose the home they love. Limited supply and high demands for housing trigger a fear of loss and start bidding frenzies. Selling is all psychology; we must tap into a buyer’s emotions. Enough positive responses create an emotional reaction while a few negative responses create a logical decision. We buy emotionally and then justify our purchase with logic. To get the best price we must trigger a positive emotional response. Sales are subliminal, arousing emotions from the buyer through their feelings, their eyes, nose, ears and taste buds.

Our eyes love light and that’s why at the casinos, when someone wins, there are flashing lights! Clean all your light fixtures and replace the bulbs with LED. Think “candle light dinners.” It is best to use warm lighting instead of white to trigger a feeling of love. Open the blinds and clean the windows so that our eyes can see out. In the “eyes mind”, the home appears larger and less intimidating but with heavy blinds the eyes cannot see outside, creating an emotional response of fear. Reduce furniture to a minimum. Mirrors placed strategically on the walls create an impression of more space and on a subliminal level, the buyers can see the most loved person in the world—themselves!

Our nose hates bad odors. Once a buyer enters the front door, what they smell will cause a pleasant or unpleasant experience. Avoid keeping a smelly shoe rack near the front door and refrain from cooking certain dishes or restrict your cooking time for the late night.  The nose loves neutral scents like fresh air. Plugins with high perfume content is noticeable—go for a more natural aroma.  Remove garbage bins and store them in the shed or at the back of the home. There they will be out of sight and will not smell. One of the greatest turnoffs in sales is a stinky toilet. Clean, remove mats, clear countertops, pull shower curtains to one side and remove the garbage bins. Always keep the lids on the toilet seat down so that no one can see inside. Baking powder and vinegar are amazing odor busters. Everyone loves the smell of fresh baked bread. The smell can linger for hours in a home, so it’s a great time to enjoy fresh baked croissants.

Our ears love silence or soft music. The trick is to play soft music at low volume, appealing to the subliminal mind. The sounds of nature are appealing such as waves crashing on the shores and the call of song birds in the background.  Keep the home warm in winter and light the fireplace because it’s a good welcome from the cold. Buyers will spend more time in the home as well. Always leave clean towels near the front door so that once the buyers remove their shoes, they can step on something fresh.

Appealing to the taste buds starts at the front door with a fresh bowl of mints. Our reaction is to pop one in our mouth, triggering a pleasant response. The team for the taste buds should be at different places in the home.  The kitchen counters should be bare. Fresh fruits on the kitchen table appeal to the eyes, nose and taste buds— a bowl of fresh lemons will cause salivation. Avoid using anything fake because subliminally, the mind knows. I remember assisting one client to declutter their main floor and we moved the coffee table to the basement with two chairs and a chest board all set for the next game. At one corner, we arranged some glasses, a few bottles of wine and some lovely snacks. The aim is to provoke enough positive responses to establish an emotional connection. Once that is achieved, it’s time to work on creating a sense of loss.

To do this, it is best to set the asking price slightly lower than the market price. A lower price is like a magnet that will attracts more buyers. It is a device that creates a fear of loss. In psychology, we created a “carrot and stick” system where the buyers really want the home and by the stick, the fear of losing it to other buyers. Always allow adequate time before looking at offers. Expose the property for at least a week but have a set offer presentation date and time. Let the buyers and their representatives meet in person at the home to review offers. The fear of loss is greatest when a buyer sits in anticipation waiting for all the other buyers to give their bids.