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Silence Is Not Golden!

Put The Persuasive Power Of Music To Work For Your Company

A few weeks back, while visiting a nearby small town, I followed my wife into an equally small clothing store. Within 30 seconds, I wanted to leave. I didn’t realize at first why the atmosphere was so unappealing to me, but then it hit me as we walked out: the store was extremely quiet. It felt like a library; like I should have been whispering my objections about the high prices. Even the other shoppers in the store were browsing quietly, as if not to disrupt the hushed stillness. The silence seemed to feed upon itself to the point where it affected my perception of the store, momentarily changed my mood for the worse, and chased both my wife and me out the door before making a purchase.

All the place really needed was a little music.

That’s it.

Music would have given me a reason to stay in that store. It would have let me hum along, tap my foot or rhythmically shake my car keys in that annoying way I do. The right music would have contributed greatly to the “feel” of that store, as well as the feeling I had while in the store.

Music has an extremely powerful effect on mood. For most people, a certain song, the right tempo or a particular style of music can instantly bring a smile to their face or brighten their day. And when people begin to associate the good feelings they get from music with your business, you can only benefit. That’s why music is so important in the office and the marketplace.

The grocery store I frequent plays great music. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve caught myself quietly singing along next to shampoo or tapping on my cart among the bananas. The music truly makes my shopping experience more enjoyable, and contributes to my positive feelings about that grocery store. Does it affect how much I spend at the store? I don’t know, but I continue to shop there, week after week, instead of at the store right down the street.

In addition to having a positive effect on your customers and their perception of your business, music has also been shown to contribute to employee productivity. The April 1996 issue of Men's Health magazine reported that job performance and productivity improved by 10% when workers listened to their favorite music on the job. And if the tension in your workplace can get a little high now and then, you'll be glad to know that, according to research published by Workman Publishing in 2000, stress hormone levels can be reduced by as much as 41% when listening to music with an upbeat rhythm.

There's one caveat about music in the workplace that must be addressed. For most companies, radio is not an option. Radio does not allow you enough control over the music. And it allows absolutely no control over other types of content, such as disc jockey chatter, news or commercials (some of which may be for your competitors). In many cases, licensing laws even make it illegal to play the radio in certain business environments.

If your employees spend just 10 minutes each day selecting CDs and programming CD players...or discussing the ads, news, DJs and contests they hear on the radio, you'll lose over 40 hours of productivity per employee per year! (Music Choice, 1999)

The smart, legal, cost-effective alternative to radio is a satellite-delivered music service, one that provides a number of music channels based on format or tempo. Such a service lets you "program" the right music for your customers. It lets you better control the "feel" of your store or office and, in turn, the pace and mood of your customers and employees.

When you consider that every contact you have with a customer or prospect is a marketing impression, you may see, even more clearly, how important music is to people's perception of your business, and how it can be used to shape your image. Just remember, when it comes to marketing your company, silence is not golden.