The secret's out. Apple's confidential employee training manual has been revealed to the masses.
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The latest Genius Training Student Workbook for Apple sales staff landed in the hands of Gizmodo, which shared its spoils on Tuesday. It should be noted, however, that nowhere in the story does Gizmodo mention Apple confirming that the manual is legitimate.
Still, it is compelling reading. The book schools employees on basic human behavior, and helps them relate to customers -- all in the name of a sale. "Everyone in the Apple Store is in the business of selling," the manual states pointedly.
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Selling is summed up in the acronym, APPLE, which stands for Approach, Probe, Present, Listen and End. Staff are encouraged to show empathy -- a repeated theme throughout the tome. They even go through empathy exercises that role play possible customer situations. The workbook lays out guiding principles, such as, "We deepen and restore relationships" and "We enrich their lives."
Employees are taught about positive and negative human emotions. For the uninitiated, people show frustration by making "fist-like gestures" and boredom by giving a "blank stare." Conversely, "hand rubbing" shows expectancy and an "unbuttoned coat" demonstrates cooperation.
In Apple's eyes, negativity is a no-no, so the workbook outlines a section that prohibits staff from using words like "bomb" and "crash," and instead replacing them with "unexpectedly quits" or "stops responding." This emphasis on positivity extends to relationships between employees, who are encouraged to give "fearless feedback" rather than openly criticize each other.
Every Apple "Genius" must also attend a 14-day bootcamp that mandates programs as diverse as "Using Diagnostic Services" and "The Power of Empathy."
What do you think of the manual? Tell us in the comments below.
This story originally published on Mashable here.
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