Enriching lives. These two words tell you everything you need to know about The Apple Retail Store and why it’s become the most profitable retailer in America. “Enriching lives” are the first two words on the wallet-sized Apple Retail credo card all employees are encouraged to carry. In the research for my new book, The Apple Experience, I kept going back to those two words. They are simple, yet profound. I believe the words have the power to help any business, retail and non-retail, reimagine the customer experience.
Apple doesn’t sell stuff. The vision you have for your business will lead a very specific set of results. For example, Steve Jobs and former head of Apple Retail, Ron Johnson (now chief executive of J.C Penney) both believed in articulating a concise and compelling vision for the new Apple Store in May 2001. They decided that if their competitors had a vision, it would be to “move boxes” or to “sell stuff.” So the two men decided the vision behind the Apple Store would be to “enrich lives.” Jobs realized that if the Apple Store could touch people emotionally, making customers and employees feel empowered, and bring joy to their lives in all aspects of the customer interaction, they would reward Apple with their loyalty.
When Apple Store employees read those words—enriching lives—it reminds them that they are not on commission. Instead their primary goal is to make sure every customer has a magical and memorable experience, whether or not they make a purchase. According to Ron Johnson, “People come to the Apple Store for the experience and they’re willing to pay a premium for that. There are lots of components to that experience, but maybe the most important—and this is something that can translate to any retailer—is that the staff isn’t focused on selling stuff. It’s focused on building relationships and trying to make people’s lives better.”
Enriching lives through empowering customers. When Apple Store executives began asking themselves how best to enrich lives, it lead to the creation of a unique program to help people understand and enjoy their computers: One to One. It’s a one-year membership program that costs $99 upon the purchase of a new Mac. Instructors called “creatives” offer personalized sessions inside the Apple Store. Customers can learn just about anything: basics about the Mac operating system; how to design a website; enjoying, sharing, and editing photos or movies; creating a presentation; and much more.
The One to One program was created to help build customers for life. It was designed on the premise that the more you understand a product, the more you enjoy it, the more likely you are to build a long-term relationship with the company, and the more likely you are to recommend the company or product to someone else. Instructors are trained to provide guidance and instruction, but also to inspire customers, giving them the tools to make them more creative than they ever imagined.
Many One to One instructors were once Apple customers and took the classes themselves. Some creatives are former teachers who have a passion for instruction and seeing someone’s eyes light up when they discover that they can do something they never thought possible. If you can inspire someone to feel better about themselves and their abilities—and to discover abilities they didn’t even know they had—those people are going to be loyal to your brand and evangelize your products. Your customers don’t care about your product or your company. They care about themselves, their hopes, their dreams and their ambitions. Help them unleash their inner genius and you’ll win them over.
Touch the computer. One tactic creatives use to help you find your inner genius is to encourage you to touch the computer. They point to items on the computer (always with two fingers, which is less threatening) and ask the customer to actually do the task. They will not grab the computer from the customer and do something themselves unless they ask permission first with phrases such as “May I touch the computer?” Creatives are trained to let the customer control the experience because it builds their confidence and makes them more comfortable with the notion that they can accomplish a task they didn’t know how to do when they walked into the session. The experience is fun, empowering, and, yes, enriching—an effective combination to win customers for life.
Enriching lives are the two most important words for any business hoping to elevate the customer experience and build insanely loyal customers. When you enrich the lives of your employees and customers, they are more engaged in your business, less likely to leave, and more inclined to provide better customer service. When you enrich the lives of your customers or clients, they will reward you with more business and become your most ardent supporters, actively promoting your business to others. When leave the business of ‘selling’ and enter the business of ‘enriching,’ magical things start to happen. Stop selling, start enriching, and the profits will follow.