The Power of Scent

In a world where loud draws a crowd, there is an alternative.  Of the five senses, sight, smell, hearing, taste, and touch, the one we think about least, smell, may just be the one that has the greatest impact over time.   According to Amanda White, if you want to be remembered, having a subtle, recognizable scent might just be the key. Sight, sound, and touch do not pass directly through the parts of the brain that trigger memory and emotion. Only smell can do that.  

Scent in your professional life

The power of a familiar scent has the ability to create a direct link to our memories and our emotions. Not only that, it may just be the trigger for creating new ones. 

Years ago, I was courted by a salesman who wore two different cuff links as a tool for being unforgettable. He brought it up it every chance he got. In a way, he was right. But while I remember the cuff links, I don’t recall the name of the salesman or his company. 

A different approach taken by one of his competitors proved to be far more memorable. He wore cologne that was understated. His manner was just as pleasant and his approach was helpful. He gave each prospect he visited a small bottle of his cologne whether they did business with him or not.

“It’s my way of saying thank you for your time,” he would tell them. The year was 1982. The man was Timothy Dumont and he sold what might just be one of the most boring products of all time, toner for copying machines. I tried the cologne he had given me at our first appointment and bought some for myself.

Forty-one years later, I read about the depth of emotional response triggered by scent in an article by Artin Arshamian and thought of Tim and how he had made his products seem so much better than anyone else’s. 

Leaving a lasting impression

Over the years I’ve been stopped cold when meeting a woman who wore the same perfume as my first love and ironically, the impact of scent may be more powerful for woman than it is for men.

"‘When he walks through the bar, the heads turn to look, not because he’s so different from everyone else, but because he’s taken time to refine the little things. It’s details like cut of his clothes, the way that he moves, and the scent that lingers for just a moment after he passes. That makes all the difference in the world."

Vetiver, it’s the perfect cologne for making a first impression that lasts.