We have all walked into a store, dealership, showroom, etc. and heard zero music (let alone messaging) over the loudspeaker. Leaving nothing but the distance conversations of employees to fill the air. As you walk through the doors the air instantly turns from fresh to stagnant, bringing with it a sense of boredom and fatigue. A death knell for any sales attempt.

The question is, how long do these owners feel their guests will stick around when the siren song of an afternoon nap begins to wale in their guest’s heads? As you can image it is about as long as you can say “I’ll be back later”.

Music fills each and every one of us with emotion. Whether is it a cinematic score, concert, or just the songs we sing into our steering wheels every morning. In-store music is no different. Playing in-store music will keep the customers mind moving, forcing them to stay engaged and fight off the body numbing feeling of silence. When one adds in-store music with in-store messages it entertains the guests while informing them, a revenue boosting combination. Here are a few ways you can use that combination to your advantage.

1. Make the Music and Messaging Work In Concert With Each Other. (Pun Intended) 
Most often if there is music playing in a showroom it dances all alone. But when adding a partner, such as messaging, there must be a delicate balance or else that waltz will turn into a spastic fit for the minds of your guests. The best way to avoid this is to ensure your messages play once the songs have come to a natural end. In-store music adds an illusion of atmosphere to an otherwise four wall brick and mortar building. But having a message ram its ugly head in the middle of Freebird’s famous solo and you’ll soon collapse that illusion and render the guest off put. No bueno for any business.

2. How Often Should The Messages Be PlayedPerhaps just as important as it is to have the message play at the end of the song, it is possibly more important to have the messages play at an acceptable time apart. This time is something that each business owner will have to toy with and decide the optimal time between messages. As a baseline, try playing the messages 13 to 15 minutes apart from each other and go from there.

3. Know Your AudienceTo those who despise a certain type of music, silence would be preferable. As any good business owner knows there is generally a typical crowd that comes into their business to buy based on the part of the country they are located and the items they are selling. Match your music to meet this crowd if possible. It shows the guest that you are like them. Heck, you even listen to the same type of music they do. But a truly savvy business owner will not choose just one genre of music to play, as most people are not so 2 dimensional in their music choices. Instead choose options that compliment each other, like country and rock, or hip-hop and R&B (I’m talking Usher not Marvin).

4. Give The Guest A Story To BuyNothing sells better than a story. It has been proven time and time again from the beginning of time. From movies, to books, to religious teachings and so on, we as a people love stories. So don’t try and reinvent the wheel, tell the guests your story. How did you get started? How long have you been around? Is it a family owned and operated business? But most importantly tell them the good things your business does, not only for your guests but also for the surrounding community.

We all saw (and probably cried from) that Hyundai ad during Super Bowl LII explaining how Hyundai donates to pediatric cancer research for every Hyundai purchased. Can you think of a nobler goal than curing cancer in children? People who own these cars are now breaming with pride and those who do not have a Hyundai are going to consider getting one the next go around. Guaranteed.

Why you may ask? The answer is because people love the story Hyundai told. The one where if you buy from Hyundai you can feel you have done something good. It has nothing to do with the quality of the vehicle or the ancillary items but entirely on the emotional feeling. Now you don’t need to cure cancer to have the same effect but informing your customers about the good you do may give them the same pride in purchasing from you.

Click here for sample messages.

5. Set It But Do Not Forget It.The final note I will leave you with my friends is that the best practices for music and messages is sometimes difficult to keep up with. A business owner probably does not need to change the music mix or messages every week or even month. But there is something to be said about staying fresh. So if there is a hit song rolling through your chosen genre, try to incorporate it. If there is a massive social change, such as the 2008 market collapse, do what you can to sooth your guests, perhaps discounted warranties or extended financing. The world today is not always the world tomorrow. So to get the most out for your music and messaging you need to stay on top of the changes.