A Simple Test

The story is told of a perfume marketer who, with an atomizer filled with her new perfume, sat with friends in a restaurant and puffed out a bit of aroma as people passed by. She was trying to judge their reaction.

Whether this Chanel story is true or not, the interesting point would be that she wasn't spritzing people -- the way aggressive salespeople at perfume counters are wont to do -- she was just filling the air with aroma -- no name, no brand, no price -- just aroma. And, of course, she could judge people's reactions as she sat at the table -- good ... bad ... indifferent. (Indifferent was the most negative possible reaction!)

If you assume that the customers in the restaurant were typical of the people to whom the perfume might be sold, isn't this an excellent test?

If there is no reaction, you fold your cards and walk away from it. If those who smell the aroma -- not knowing what it is or where it comes from -- appear to have a positive response, isn't this a good omen for your fragrance?

How could you use this technique?

Today, of course, you would have to be careful about what kind of restaurant you sprayed in. Be aware of the "clean air" rules that ban smoking -- and, in some people's minds -- the use of perfume. So you might want to find a restaurant with outdoor tables. That should work. But what then? Here is my proposal:

Have your atomizer bottle to spray around your table when likely people walk by. Then, if someone shows curiosity or interest (in a positive way, of course!), without speaking, hand that person a sampler atomizer of your perfume glue gun glued to a slick business card size card that names the fragrance and gives information on where more can be obtained -- your store, website or whatever.

Try this technique and see what response you get. You might make sales but, more likely, you might get people talking about your fragrance and that's good too!