Apple Stores will focus on building trust, upselling bands and fashion for Apple Watch sales

BY Evan Selleck

Published 24 Mar 2015

image Apple Watch sales

Leading up to the Apple Watch, several different reports have outlined how Apple Stores are going to change the way they work with customers to sell the upcoming wearable.

Specifically, it’s been revealed that Apple will focus on the customer much more than ever before, essentially learning as much as they can about certain elements of their life to find out where the Watch fits in, whether that’s as a fashion piece or an accessory for fitness. And now, a new report has shed even more light on how Apple Store employees will communicate with potential Watch buyers to try and sell the device.

The report, originally published by 9to5Mac, has revealed that Apple Store employees will work on speaking to customers in a way that builds trust, which Apple hopes will equip the employee as a “valued fashion advisor” to the customer as they pick out the Watch they want. These methods will be taught in specific training courses to employees over the next couple of weeks, leading up to the launch of the Watch, and will help employees not only pick out the right Watch for the customer, but also the right bands (as an added purchase).

image Apple Watch training

In the report, a couple of slides from that aforementioned training have allegedly been revealed, showcasing different situations where a customer will come in, looking at the Watch, and the Apple Store employee will try to converse with them to find out which wearable to sell. The first slide, for example, shows “Susana” as someone who hasn’t worn a watch in quite some time, and has picked out a few favorites already. The employee is said to work up a conversation about the pros and cons of each variant, and even describe how earlier customers chose their own Watch option and relate it to the current customer.

image Apple Watch training2

The other slide in the report highlights “Lee,” who is looking for a watch that will “look great while he’s working and when he’s out with friends.” Apple actually outlines some statements that customers might make:

  • Looks good—”I love how it will coordinate with many of my outfits.”
  • Functionality—”I love that I just have to raise my wrist to have the display turn on.”
  • Good financial investment—”I think I can afford that.”
  • Durability—”I’m sure I’ll have this for years.”
  • Ease of use—”That’s so easy.”
  • Versatility—”Wow, there’s so many options for straps.”

And, whittling it down even more, as Apple tries to approach the best way to sell these new devices to customers, here’s the five key steps that Store employees will reportedly utilize:

  • Determine Existing Knowledge: Apple wants employees to determine how much knowledge the customer has about the Apple Watch’s functionality. For example, customers will be asked, “What excites you about the Apple Watch?” or “What features from the Apple Watch are you familiar with?” Once the employee discovers the customer’s Apple Watch knowledge, they can decide whether or not to take them into the sale process or take them to Apple Watch-related retail staff specifically trained to teach and answer questions about the device.
  • Discuss Current iPhone and iOS: As the Apple Watch requires iPhone 5 hardware or newer as well as iOS 8.2, Apple employees will be instructed to discuss the customer’s current iPhone and iOS version. The employees will also be instructed to ask customers which features they use on the iPhones so that they can explain how these features will tie into the Apple Watch’s feature set.
  • Push iPhone Upgrades: In line with our Apple Watch reporting earlier this month, Apple will leverage the Apple Watch launch as a major sales opportunity for iPhone upgrades. Apple Retail Store employees will be instructed to discuss newer iPhone models if a customer using iPhones older than the current iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus. Employees will have the ability to check a customer’s iPhone upgrade eligibility with carriers on the spot. For customers wanting an Apple Watch without an iPhone, this will be an opportunity to leverage the new Android trade-in program for Apple Stores.
  • Discuss Why the Watch is Being Purchased: Moving toward the Apple Watch sale, Apple Store employees will be instructed to ask customers about what specific functionality from the Apple Watch interests them. Customers will be asked who the Apple Watch is for, such as themselves, for someone else, or a special occasion. Apple employees will also ask how the customer sees themselves using the Apple Watch before leading into which specific model to sell.
  • Determine Which Model to Sell: Also corresponding with our earlier report, employees will determine casing and band styles based on a customer’s use cases. Apple Store employees will ask variants of the following questions in order to determine which Watch model to sell the customer: “What does your current watch look like?,” “How do you plan on using your Apple Watch?,” “Which Apple Watch look matches your personal style?,” “Do you prefer leather or metal bands?,” and “Are you more of a classic or modern watch enthusiast?”

There doesn’t seem to be any doubt that Apple is going all-in with the sales of the Watch, which simply goes to show that Apple’s very serious about the wearable its adding to its product lineup. It will be interesting to see how well the Watch sells, but we’ll have to wait some time before Apple reveals those numbers.

Are you planning on going into the Apple Store to try out an Apple Watch on April 10, before the wearable goes on sale April 24?

[via 9to5Mac]