A process for enhancing the electrostatic chargeability of powder coatings or powders intended for surface-coating solid objects, by homogeneously incorporating at least one salt-like, cationic compound of the formulae (1) and/or (2) ##STR1## in which R.sub.1, R.sub.2, R.sub.3 and R.sub.4, independently of one another, are hydrogen atoms, straight-chain or branched alkyl groups having 1 to 30 carbon atoms, oxethyl groups of the formula --(CH.sub.2 --CH.sub.2 --O).sub.n --R in which R is a hydrogen atom or a (C.sub.1 -C.sub.4)alkyl or acyl group, and n is a number from 1 to 10, mononuclear or polynuclear cycloaliphatic radicals having 5 to 12 carbon atoms, mononuclear or polynuclear aromatic radicals or araliphatic radicals, R.sub.5 denotes a hydrogen, fluorine, chlorine or bromine atom or a (C.sub.1 -C.sub.6)alkoxy or primary amino group, and where R.sub.1 and R.sub.3 may be part of a ring system having 5 to 7 atoms and 0 to 3 double bonds, and A.sup.- denotes the equivalent of an anion, in an amount from about 0.01 to about 10 percent by weight into powder coatings or powders, where the salt-like cationic compounds of the general formulae (1) and (2) are dissolved or dispersed in the powder coating or powder.