With March 9th the date that we all have pencilled in as the day we find more out about the upcoming Apple Watch, those tasked with selling the device have been receiving briefings and instructional documentation which Apple hopes will see the smartwatch hit the ground running when it lands in its retail stores in the coming weeks.
Set for a launch in April in the United States and a handful of other territories including the UK, Germany and Australia if rumors are to be believed, the Apple Watch marks a change in the way Apple will try to sell the device to customers who come into its retail stores. The documentation – revealed by 9to5Mac – includes cue cards of sorts, giving retail employees the questions they should be asking during the Apple Watch sales process.
The questions revolve around understanding what a potential customer’s needs are, why they may benefit from an Apple Watch and whether they see themselves as choosing different bands during the watch’s lifetime. New Senior VP of Retail Angela Ahrendts hosted a Town Hall meeting for some of the company’s retail employees last week at which the sale of accessories, in particular those for the Apple Watch, was reportedly a main focus. With multiple watch bands available, it’s likely that some people may have multiple bands in their collection, completely dependant on price of course.
Beyond pushing new accessories as part of the Apple Watch purchase, retail employees are also told to ensure that customers have iPhones that support the new device. If they don’t, then the discussion will turn to that potential upgrade path with staff told to push the benefits of such an upgrade. Those switching from Android devices are also targets for the same treatment, according to the training documentation.
Apple is also set to revamp its retail stores with the Apple Watch in mind. New security measures have already been put into place in order to keep the more expensive Apple Watches safe and a possible pre-reservation system could be set to go live which would allow customers to order a customized Apple Watch and then try it on in-store before making their purchase.
With relatively concrete information around regarding exactly what the Apple Watch will cost in all its forms and how the interchangeable bands will be sold, the March 9th event is hopefully when some of the remaining Apple Watch questions get answered. We’re hoping for some more solid information on launch dates and regional availability, too.
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