Page 161 - The Apple Experience

all part of the Apple show. Would the person who plays the character of
Cinderella at Disneyland rush to her supervisor to say, “Did you see the smile

I put on that little girl’s face! I must be really good.” Of course not. Magical

moments are expected all the time at Disney and the Apple Store.

“Was your life enriched by our Apple experience?” I asked Patty.

“Yes, it was,” Patty confirmed.

“When you fill out the e-mail survey that Apple will send, will you say

that you would recommend Apple to someone else?”
“Yes, definitely,” Patty responded.

That’s what matters to Apple.

What Your Customers Really Love

Apple employees talk benefits, not features. Apple dedicated itself to

communicating benefits with the opening of its first store in 2001. At the

time retailers were finding opportunities to talk to their customers less; Apple

decided to talk to their customers more. “We found ways to strike up a

conversation at every possible opportunity. We talk while they play with

products on the tables. And when they join us for a workshop. These

conversations have taught us that customers love our products, but what they

really want is to make a scrapbook out of family photos. They want to make a

movie about their kid. Or a website about traveling across the country.”
2
Steve Jobs wasn’t passionate about computers. He was passionate about

building elegantly designed and simple-to-use tools that would help people

unleash their personal creativity. The most effective Apple employees—and

the best salespeople in any company for that matter—focus on the needs of

the customers and how the product or service will improve their lives.