We often hear about how brilliant Steve Jobs was, and what a good job Apple does of marketing its products.  What I want to talk about is their employee training in retail stores, and how it can be applied to any small service business.  (And if you don’t think you’re in retail health care, take some time and read Chapter 3 of my book—it should convince you.)

As you may have noticed, Apple stores are the busiest stores in the mall.  For the statistic-minded, retail stores in malls average sales of $341 per square foot per year.  The top 20 retailers average $787.  Apple stores average $6,200!!  More than twice the next highest retailer, Tiffany & Co., which does $3,000 per square foot.*  And this is just what is sold in the Apple stores, not online.

So, now that I have your attention, here’s an acronym Apple uses in its employee training for the retail stores:

Approach customers with a warm, personalized greeting;

Probe politely to understand all the customer’s needs;

Present a solution for the customer to take home that day;

Listen for and resolve any issues or concerns;

End with a fond farewell and an invitation to return.

Do you see how these might apply to your practice?  I’m thinking they all do.  A warm, friendly greeting by everyone in the office who encounters the patient?  Check.  Probing politely to find out what their dental needs and desires are? Roger that.  Presenting a treatment solution that can be started and ideally completed that day?  Sounds ideal.  Listen for issues they may have, concerns about cost, treatment complexity, time involved, fears or misgivings they may have?  Pathway to success. And finally, ending with fond farewell AND an invitation to return or, better yet, an appointment already scheduled, and expressing how you’re looking forward to seeing them at that time.

In reality, it isn’t magic.  It’s just what we all want, and Apple is just smart enough to do it in a genuine and consistent way.

*Source: RetailSails Company Data 2012