Page 156 - The Apple Experience

It’s only the storage space that’s different. It goes 16 gigs, 32 gigs, and 64
gigs.

By now, Patty has the “deer-in-the-headlights” look: totally befuddled. I

feel horrible because I told Patty that buying an Apple product would be a

memorable experience. I’m debating whether or not to jump in and end the

misery. I let it go to see what would happen next. Yes, I know, bad son-in-

law!

Patty: My husband is a photographer, and he wants to store his

prints on it.

Alba: He can definitely do that. (Long pause. Nobody speaks.
It’s getting painful to watch.)

Patty: Would you recommend one over the other?

Alba: Like I said, they all do the same thing. The only difference

is storage space, and if you want one with Wi-Fi or 3G.

At this point, my six-year-old daughter, who was also with us, saved all of

us by loudly proclaiming, “I have to go potty!” She wasn’t the only one who

needed relief. Patty and I left the store without having made a purchase or

being “enriched.” Patty was thoroughly confused, and Apple had failed to

make a sale or establish a relationship with a new customer. Where did Alba
go wrong? Here are a few factors:

 Alba explained the features of the product, but not the benefits. Nobody

cares about features. They care about how the product or service will

improve their lives.

 Alba failed to probe. She didn’t ask questions to guide the conversation.

When Patty asked if the iPad was “top of the line,” a well-trained Apple
Specialist would be concerned about whether the product was the right one