Attractive salespeople may scare away customers

We assume physical attraction will be an advantage in life, including helping attractive salespeople to increase shoppers' purchasing intent and satisfaction.

However, according to a study by Lisa Wan, assistant professor at the School of Hotel and Tourism Management and director of Center for Hospitality and Real Estate Research at The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) Business School, and her colleague Robert Wyer, a visiting professor from the department of marketing in CUHK Business School, an attractive salesperson may actually keep people from wanting to buy her products, and consumers may react more negatively to a highly attractive service provider than to an average looking one. Attractive salespeople may lead consumers to have self-presentation concerns about their ability to make a good impression on others.

According to the research, the consumption of some products or services such as condoms, medical check-ups and weight-loss services can lead to embarrassment. Consumers may wish to avoid interacting with attractive providers in such situations.