We hear a lot of chatter about showing customer empathy in selling. Tapping into customer emotions early is an important key to winning deals. When we make customer connections with empathy, we’ll identify problems more accurately and get to the right solutions faster.
So what exactly is customer empathy? It’s simply the skill of understanding and relating positively to your buyers’ thoughts and feelings.
Why is empathy so important to us as sales leaders?
Showing empathy allows us to relate to our customers on a much deeper level so we can learn their needs, solve their problems … and build trust in the process.
So how do we go about unlocking customer empathy?
1. Listen Actively
Listening actively demands we laser focus on what our customer is communicating to us. When we pause regularly and provide ongoing feedback, we show we are hearing and understanding them. We make our customers feel much more relaxed and comfortable. Comfortable customers are willing to share more information about their needs … and are more open and receptive to us and our product solution.
2. Respect Customer Emotions
Respecting customer emotions means giving our customers the time they need to reveal the problems they’re currently experiencing … as well as any frustrations they may be feeling. It also means being sure we don’t rush through our sales process before the customer is ready to listen.
3. Confirm Customer Emotions
Confirming our customers’ emotions simply means restating their issues using their language and terms. Result … we show that we care and understand their issues completely. We boost their receptivity and confidence that we’ll be able to provide them a positive solution for their needs.
What’s The Takeaway?
Unlocking empathy guarantees we’re able to relate to our customers on a much more human and emotional level. When we ignite emotion in our customers we’re on a sure path to winning more deals.