Evangelism and the Apple Store

Alex Frankel worked several mall stores and collated his experiences in a forthcoming book, which I haven't read, its not out yet, but he has a short article at Fast Company. He was impressed with the Apple Stores and their training. They look for passion when they interview. And he was mentored on the job.

I shadowed other workers as they executed the company's three-step sales process. They explained to customers that they had some questions to understand their needs, got permission to fire away, and then kept digging to ascertain which products would be best. Position, permission, probe. All this sets the employee's on-the-job attitude. At an Apple Store, workers don't seem to be selling (or working) too hard, just hanging out and dispensing information. And that moves a ridiculous amount of goods...When employees become sharers of information, instead of sellers of products, customers respond.

Also individual interaction is the goal that sells the product.

Apple does a lot of other things well. Employees are taught how to work together because customers notice when employees don't get along. Apple floods its retail zone with staff because the bottom line suffers every minute customers wait for help. By the time I got to Apple (my last stop), I knew that dress codes (like Gap's) were bogus and uniforms that match a job (like at UPS) are critical. Apple requires staff to wear tasteful company-issued T-shirts and lanyards. Employees also hand out business cards as in high-end clothing stores, an act that calls them out as individuals in a way not typical of traditional retail.

Is there overlap in the methods of the kingdom of God for His church and missions?