I admit it: I’m not an Apple fan. I once was the proud owner of an iPhone 4 and loved it for many reasons, but ultimately went back to Android devices. But there’s no doubt Apple is a brilliant company – and there’s a lot we can learn from them.
So when I heard that there’s a leaked copy of a sales training book for the staff of Apple stores, I was really curious what would be in there.
psychological mastery, banned words, roleplaying—you’ve never seen anything like it.
The Genius Training Student Workbook we received is the company’s most up to date, we’re told, and runs a bizarre gamut of Apple Dos and Don’ts, down to specific words you’re not allowed to use, and lessons on how to identify and capitalize on human emotions.
Well, looking at the success of Apple as a company, that makes for another compelling case to increase your EQ (emotional quotient).
I suggest you read the original Gizmondo post where they reveal more details about the Apple sales manual – it makes for a fascinating read if you have any interest in the psychology of sales.
In fact, sometimes reading this can be a little creepy. Because it shows that they really pull out every trick to get into your head (just short of hypnotizing you to buy the newest iGadget). But who’s to blame them? They’re a company, and of course they strive to not just have the best product, the best marketing, but also the best sales techniques.
What surprised me the most after I got my iPhone was how buggy it actually was and how many things it couldn’t do that it was supposed to be able to do. One of the main points Apple enthusiasts stress is reliability. So when I read the segment of forbidden words, this really made sense to me.
For example, a Genius (= Apple sales person) isn’t allow to use any of these terms in the store: crash, hang, bomb, bug, problem.
(Kind of reminded me of an airport).
Instead of these words (bomb, crash, hang, freeze) they are directed to use phrases like: “unexpectedly quits”, “stops responding”, “does not respond”.
And a bug or a problem isn’t really a bug or a problem – it’s a situation, an issue, a condition.
I find this article so interesting because it shows the application of hypnotic principles in a very real life situation. In my Hypnosis Secrets newsletter I talk about the magic of words, and the emotional resonance each word has. (You can get it free by putting your name and email in the field in the upper right corner of the site).
But I can’t help but think that some of the almost “cult like” language in the manual is overdoing it. What most people need aren’t list of words of phrases which they aren’t allowed to use, but instead they need to be motivated to sell, they need to enjoy selling.
If you need (or want) to sell something, be a product or a service, please try the sales motivation hypnosis download and see what it feels like to actually have fun selling.
