Tweet

Empathy: An Endangered Sales Skill

Guest post by: Linda Richardson

Article Overview: ALL agree that empathy is the ability to exhibit interpersonal sensitivity about another's concerns and understand another person's perspective. Clearly these two abilities are absolutely essential in sales success. But is empathy is in trouble?

Empathy: An Endangered Sales Skill

What is empathy? How important is it to you in selling? While experts in psychology and social services are still trying to come up with a definitive definition of empathy, ALL agree that empathy is the ability to exhibit interpersonal sensitivity about another's concerns and understand another person's perspective. Clearly these two abilities are absolutely essential in sales success. But it seems empathy is in trouble. Research at the University of Michigan showed that college students today are 48% lower in empathetic concern and 34% lower in perspective taking and while the decline has been going on for 20 years, there has been a rapid and dramatic decline since 2000 - in the last 10 years. Reasons the experts sight are technology (video games, social media ...) and hyper competition which takes the focus from connecting and relating to others.

So what does this decline in empathy mean to today's salesforce?

A decline in salespeople's ability to be empathetic to customers, i.e. show they are interested in the customer's concerns and see things from customers' perspectives, creates a serious gap in a salesperson's ability to build relationships - the #1 reason why customers by from a particular salesperson.

So check out your Empathy Quotient by taking this short Empathy Inventory. Jot down your responses and then check your score.

What exactly would you say to a customer who says:

1. Our team was impressed with Bob's presentation and I appreciate how much you put into preparing him. We're every eager to get going. When can we get started?

2. You missed our deadline and it made me look bad. When will the order be shipped?

3. Jane's leaving couldn't come at a worse time. It's left me in a lurch. What kind of resources can you offer to help us get over this hump? And what will it cost?

4. I have to cancel our meeting. I got a call from my daughter's school. She may have to have broken her arm. Let's get out our calendars and set another date.

5. I was really counting on this. I thought we could move ahead on the project for this quarter. But we have to put it off until the 3rd quarter.

6. I'm ready to move ahead. But for internal reasons, I feel compelled to pass this by our CTO.

Now assess your response and give yourself empathy points for each statement if you:

1. Before discussing when you will get started, did you tell your customer how happy you are the presentation went well (5 points), reinforce you too are eager to begin and thank him/her for the compliment. (5 points)

2. Before you addressed the missed deadline and what you will do ASAP, did you apologize (even if again) for the delay (5 points) and acknowledge your concern about the position this has put the customer in (5 points)? Also if this were a major problem, did you think of a way to compensate the customer? (5 points

3. Before you answered the questions, did you express concern about the customer's disappointment (5 points) and as appropriate did you ask what kind of support would be most valuable (5 points)?

4. Before taking out your calendar, did you express concern about the customer's daughter (5 points)? Maybe even suggest you'd call to set the meeting and not take time now (5 points).

5. Before finding out more about the delay and what options exist to get this back on track, did you express concern about the customer's disappointment? (10 points)

6. How endangered is this sale? Your customer may be facing internal obstacles. Before you probed the customer's need to check internally, did you reinforce and express appreciation that he or she is ready to move ahead (10 points)?

Your score: _____

Interpret Your Score

Points

90-100+ - Empathy Master

80-70 - Empathy Student

60-0 - Empathy Novice

Of course, empathy has to be genuine and not saccharine BUT a high Empathy Quotient will give you an edge in building bonds with your customers and reaching your business and personal goals.

Related Articles
  The Power of Empathy
  Empathy for Your Clients is Key in Communication
  What skills should a sales director possess?
  What Sales Leaders Don't Know about Ego and Empathy
  Don't Fake An Orgasm
  Sales Coach: High Level of Empathy In Selling Important?
  Close Faster By Wearing Your Prospects’ Shoes
  EMPATHY SELLING
  Sarah Palin Belongs on Fox Not Discovery
  “Empathy? I hate that touchy feely stuff”
  Why You Need Empathy to Be an Innovator
  Are We Born with Customer Service Skills?
  The Importance of Empathy in the Workplace
  Inspirational Leadership: It's About Them, Not You
  Salesmanship and Empathy
  Nothing Happens until someone Sells something!
  EMPATHY – CAN YOU WALK A MILE IN THEIR SHOES?
  Presentation Skill
  Empathy
  Sales Success: Do You Have the Top Qualities of the Most Successful Sales Professionals?

Article Tags: Linda Richardson, Sales Training, The Richardson Company



Related Forum Posts
Online Sales and Marketing vs Traditional - Hi Evan, I am noticing that many of the posts in the Sales/Marketing section deal with online marketing, SEM and and SEO and Affiliates. I was wondering if it might be a good idea to separate that section into two; 1) Online Sales and Marketing; 2) Traditional Sales and Marketing
Re: Online Sales and Marketing vs Traditional - [quote="ltrahan":31w9r2iz]Hi Evan, I am noticing that many of the posts in the Sales/Marketing section deal with online marketing, SEM and and SEO and Affiliates. I was wondering if it might be a good idea to separate that section into two; 1) Online Sales and Marketing; 2) Traditional Sales and Marketing[/quote:31w9r2iz] I second the request...
Re: 21 Ways To Get New Customers In A Slow Economy - Thanks Evan, Your ideas are full of wisdom required for a time like this. I`ll like to add another idea to your list : Update your Knowledge and Sharpen your Skill on a daily basis. The economy may be considered slow,but customer awareness is on the increase,therefore,if the pocket (disposable income) of the proposed new customer is of any interest to you,then you must stay ahead by at least one step in your skill and knowledge. The 21 ways as listed by Evan is a sure way to increase in knowledge and sharpen you skill.
Pitch Like A Girl: How a Woman Can Be Herself and Still Succ - Pitch Like A Girl: How a Woman Can Be Herself and Still Succeed Ronna Lichtenberg 2005 From the inside cover: "As a woman, you probably feel uncomfortable when it comes to promoting yourself and asking for what you want." WHAT IN THE HECK IS THIS, I asked myself when I read that. Women are the fastest growing business owners in the US and Canada, there are t housands of women executives and CEOs - though not as many as might be expected, admittedly, yet the book opens with this surely out of date stereotype. However, as she continued to give examples of women who had high paying jobs but were routinely not paid as much as men because it hadn't occurred to them to ask for raises, etc., I decided it was probably true for a majority of businesswomen... Anyway, more of the info from the jacket: "Other books have told you how to get what you want by being more like a guy. Pitch Like A Girl tells you why its an advantage to be who you are and how to do better by bringing more of yourself to work." The TOC: 1. Pink and Blue 2. The Quck-dry Chapter 3. What's In your head that's not in his 4. The Me, Inc Mindset 5. Visioning: Discover What You Really Want 6. Identifying Prospects 7. Pre-pitch homework and heartwork 8. Crafting the pitch 9. Pricing the pitch 10. Packaging the pitch 11. Delivering the pitch 12. Closing Conclusion A Word to the guys The Empathy Quotient The Systemizing Quotient Bibliography And on a side note - non-fiction books without indexes - of which this is one, annoy me.
Hello From Marietta GA! - Hello All! My name is Tim Naylor and I am in Direct Sales! I am glad I have found EC's sites and I hope to learn and share a lot!


Share this article with your friends. Fund someone's dream.

Leave a comment below or share on the left and you'll help support entrepreneurs in Africa through our partnership with Kiva. Over $50,000 raised and counting - Please keep sharing! Learn more.

Newsletter

Get advice & tips from famous business
owners, new articles by entrepreneur
experts, my latest website updates, &
special sneak peaks at what's to come!

Name:
Email:

Popular Articles

Unharnessing Creativity in Business

The Digital Diet by Daniel Sieberg

Too Many Sales Reps Are Wimps

Suggestions

Email us your ideas on how to make our
website more valuable! Thank you Sharon
from Toronto Salsa Lessons / Classes for
your suggestions to make the newsletter
look like the website and profile younger
entrepreneurs like Jennifer Lopez.