Building Consumer Trust Is The Central Component Of Apple Watch Sales Strategy

There has been a great deal of buzz about the soon-to-be-released Apple Watch, and according to a report from 9to5Mac’s Mark Gurman, Apple retail employees are receiving training on how to sell the wearable product by building trust with customers to make the specialized sales process most effective.

Apple will be offering in-store previews starting April 10, when customers will be able to try on the device themselves in advance of the April 24 launch date. In his report, Gurman described what he calls a “sales overhaul” for Apple employees.

“Apple is pushing for retail employees to initiate conversations that build trust, enabling the employee to serve as a valued fashion adviser during the purchase process, similarly to how traditional watches are sold,” wrote Gurman. “Apple Watch sales training programs will take place for Apple retail staff over the course of the next two weeks, teaching entirely new sales techniques to encourage iPhone upgrades, assist with gifting, and guide customers in watch and strap choices.”

Based on Gurman’s report, it appears that Apple is making a serious investment in a markedly different sales strategy for the new device. The company is training its employees to build relationships with customers so that they are able to understand their purchase plans as well as their personal style and fashion interests, in order to build a high level of trust to effectively make recommendations based on a strong connection.

According to the report, employees are being trained to emphasize style over the actual functionality of the device, illustrating that Apple Stores are entering into new territories with this product. Because it is a wearable device, the purchase of an Apple Watch is being treated as a much more personal decision than with any of the company’s previous products, and the sales strategy that is being outlined reflects this changing methodology.

The new sales focus for Apple retail employees to provide fashion advice has certainly been shaped by the company’s recent hires from the fashion industry, including Burberry’s Angela Ahrendts and Chester Chipperfield, Yves St. Laurent’s Paul Deneve and Catherine Monnier, Tag Heuer’s Patrick Pruniaux, and Louis Vuitton’s Jacob Jordan.

There’s no question that the Apple Watch sales approach is going to be radically different from anything that we’ve seen from the company in the past. Apple knows that its massive number of potential buyers aren’t necessarily sold on the new wearable device yet, and we’re about to see a major push when the previews begin on April 10.

Gurman’s report explains Apple has created some sample personas to illustrate the sales process, with the entire concept being centered on developing a relationship with the customer to build a high level of trust in the sales recommendations. Employees have been instructed to make comments such as “You seem to have a fun style. I think the Pink Sport band would match your style perfectly,” or “The white strap looks great on you.”

Furthermore, Apple has outlined some of the reactions the company expects its sales people to illicit from customers, such as “I love how it will coordinate with many of my outfits,” or “I love that I just have to raise my wrist to have the display turn on.”

Beyond the clear focus on providing fashion advice, Apple is said to have simplified its sales process to the following five steps:

• Determine existing knowledge: Apple employees will ask questions to determine the knowledge level of the customer, to decide whether they should take them through the sales process or should instead refer them to specially trained staff to teach them more about the device.
• Discuss Current iPhone and iOS: The Apple Watch requires a paired iPhone 5 or newer running iOS 8.2, so employees will need to discuss this and ask which iPhone features they use so that they can explain how these features will tie into the Apple Watch’s feature set.
• Push iPhone upgrades: Sales of the Apple Watch are being leveraged as a major sales opportunity for iPhone upgrades. Employees are being instructed to discuss newer iPhone models if customers are not using the latest models, and they will have the ability to check a customer’s upgrade eligibility with carriers on the spot.
• Discuss the reason for buying the watch: Apple employees are being trained to ask what functionality interests them, as well as whether it is for them or for someone else. The customer will be asked how they see themselves using the Apple Watch.
• Determine which model to sell: Considering the personal nature of the device, employees are being trained to ask questions such as “What does your current watch look like?” and “Are you more of a classic or modern watch enthusiast?” to determine which casing and band styles will be best suited to each customer.

Clearly, Apple is spending a great deal of resources on specialized training of its retail staff in an attempt to ensure massive success of its hotly anticipated new wearable device. For the preview period beginning April 10, Apple Store employees will be organized into four zones: Apple Watch & Sport sales, Apple Watch Edition sales, questions, and try-ons.15-minute appointments can be made by customers in advance, although they can also simply drop by a store without an appointment.

Will sales of the Apple Watch explode upon its release, or will it be a slow start? Will the device become a breakaway success like the iPhone or iPad? We’ll be watching along with everyone else to see how it proceeds, starting with previews on April 10, followed by the exciting first day of sales on April 24. Certainly Apple is making the necessary sales process changes they feel will meet the needs of the customer and investing heavily in training to build trust with the customer.

This new sales process Apple has created is very specialized and applicable to the focus on customer experience currently being discussed in automotive retail. Are your processes really focused on the customer to build trust? Do customers feel like sales people are advisors with deep product knowledge who can make educated recommendations based on the customers needs? These are relevant questions to consider in order to adapt to the ever-evolving consumer.