I read a news story recently that proved all those retail gurus right. For years NAILS has been preaching the value of literally putting retail products in your clients’ hands. One way to do this is with testers on your retail shelves. The other way is during the service. You can tell the client what product you’re using on them, explain why you’re using it, then hand them the product to hold onto.

The proof that this translates into increased retail sales comes in a study that appeared in the August 2008 issue of Judgment and Decision Making. The study, conducted by researchers at Ohio State University, shows that feelings of attachment can begin in as little as 30 seconds after first touching an object. Participants in the study were shown an inexpensive coffee mug and were allowed to hold it either for 10 seconds or 30 seconds. Then they were allowed to bid for the mug. The researchers found that, on average, people who held the mug for longer bid more for it. In fact, people who held the mug for 30 seconds bid more than the stated retail price four out of seven times.

— Judy