Blog Archives
Curb Your Sales Pitch
When someone (or some company) gets it, as in really gets it, that’s worthy of a spotlight.
Apple is the tech company that doesn’t act like a tech company. And, because of that approach, Apple became the leading personal technology firm in the world. Maybe they took a page from Jason Alexander’s book pamphlet Acting Without Acting.
When you’re browsing in a store without any specific focus, do you find it helpful or less than helpful when the salesperson approaches/sprints to you with their commission-based agenda? Most people, I would imagine, would respond with annoying less than helpful. As consumers, we’re well aware that the employee is the store’s personalized informational resource. But, like most situations in life, we’ll ask for help when we need help.
Turns out, Apple executive Angela Ahrendts feels the same way. Ms. Ahrendts recently sat down for an interview with Norah O’Donnell on CBS This Morning.
Apple’s mentality of selling without selling is certainly a multi-faceted, top consumer strategy in the digital era. And this modus operandi should be applied to more than just selling tech products or acting. If you act like a salesperson, you’ll be treated like a salesperson. But if you act differently than people expect, then you’ll be treated differently than people expected.
Imagine the possibilities.
iNeedaTissue
I know it’s not Christmas yet, but the holiday season is under way. You’ll see what I mean in a minute.
As your family gathers together around a grand feast and expresses what they’re thankful for, we must recognize this is the 21st century. The way we celebrate has changed from years past. Technology is a constant presence in our lives, for both good and bad.
This is one of the good times.
Any excuse to play that heartwarming commercial from Apple during the holiday season…
I hope that everyone is ready to enjoy a great Thanksgiving with loved ones tomorrow!
Did Apple Cook Up a Winner?
“It’s the best iPhone we’ve ever made.”
The concluding line in the iPhone 7 introductory video revealed that Apple’s latest smartphone is not a new, groundbreaking invention. Instead, the iPhone 7 (and iPhone 7 Plus) are innovations from the past with impressive, eye-catching updates. Specifically, the focus of the engineers and design teams at Apple was on the improved camera of the 7 and the dual cameras on the 7 Plus. Moreover, the new iPhone 7s will be water resistant (huge plus) with an improved Retina HD screen resolution, stereo-quality speakers and the removal of the headphone jack with wireless earbuds/AirPods.
The forced Bluetooth feature may cause a toothache for Apple’s consumer base, but that’s still in the speculative “TBD” phase.
Without holding, listening, perusing or taking pictures with an iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus in my hands, it’s difficult to rate the flashy new tech. My first reaction is that this series of iPhones look intriguing enough to consider for an upgrade after a couple of years with the iPhone 5. Avid fans aside, the question for many consumers will likely center on upgrading to a phone that will hold the creative and futuristic appeal for a couple years or so. Plus, the dramatic change in purchasing and carrier plan options could certainly impact consumer decision-making. Having said that, the updates in the iPhone 7 models will be easy to test through snapping/tapping test pictures, listening to songs in stereo mode and (potentially) pouring water on a test phone in the store.
Salespeople: Get ready for especially playful, interactive demonstrations with curious customers.
Tim Cook has been waiting for that “wow!” moment as the face of Apple. Today did not bring about that signature revelation, but perhaps slow and steady will, in fact, win that show-stopping race for Mr. Cook at some point down the road…
And the verdict on the iPhone 7s will all but rely on the invisible space between headphones/AirPods and the iPhone, as well as the location of said AirPods when not in use.
One thing’s for certain: Apple will definitely hear about its daring wireless experiment either way with unrivaled clarity.
Would They Sell a Bad Apple?
Can Apple hear the critics now?
Speculation, as is the permanent protocol with tech and lifestyle giant Apple, has been building with the release of the iPhone 7 this September. Rumor of a dual camera has been an intriguing, potentially exciting new feature. Then there are rumors that the iPhone 7 will be the thinnest iPhone yet.
Here’s where Apple’s well-oiled rumor mill experiences some friction.
And from a familiar, beloved source, no less. He goes by “The Woz.”
“I would not use Bluetooth … I don’t like wireless,” he said. “I have cars where you can plug in the music, or go through Bluetooth, and Bluetooth just sounds so flat for the same music. He added, “If there’s a Bluetooth 2 that has higher bandwidth and better quality, that sounds like real music, I would use it. But we’ll see.”
–Apple Co-Founder Steve Wozniak / “The Woz”
The rumor is that Apple is going to remove the headphone jack from the iPhone 7.
Wireless headphones are gradually increasing in availability and improving in quality, but the wireless innovation for music listening hasn’t reached everyone by any stretch of the imagination. Currently, I can turn my Bluetooth on my iPhone and listen to music in my car from my iPhone and it works well. It’s important to note, though, that there is still a headphone jack for a wired connection. Bluetooth and a wired connection can and does co-exist in harmony.
The question is whether a thinner phone frame and disappearing headphone jack is worth irritating consumers and dedicated fans in the uncertain and still fragile post-Steve Jobs era?
The Apple Watch is a fun invention, but we live in a world in which most consumers will choose an iPhone or an Apple Watch. The functionality is strikingly similar, as was the design to promote a synchronized front. The point is that Apple consumers and followers haven’t experienced that “wow” moment the late Steve Jobs seemed to deliver with regularity. If Tim Cook’s Apple (which has made positive changes towards increased philanthropy pledges, as one example) makes the conscious decision to design and release an iPhone that doesn’t feel and sound like the revolutionary iPhone we all fell in love with, then the fragile standing of Apple’s superiority may take a slight hit.
Not a major hit, but in the aforementioned fragile post-Steve Jobs era at Apple, the last thing Mr. Cook and Co. want is to trend downward at any angle.
If only there was a way to remain connected to its celebrated past…
Jimmy's Daily Planet 