The fifth characteristic of our Authentic Selling model is all about being Empathetic. That is the E in our AUTHENTIC acronym.
When I think of empathy, I think of something that goes beyond simply understanding another person and their situation. It’s more what you do with that understanding. Empathy is a deeper feeling of connectedness, and it’s a sense of compassion that inspires positive action.
Being empathetic is a hot topic today in selling. In our model, it is a requirement. This isn’t a touchy-feely emotion. People want to know that you understand their problems and the challenges of getting their work done. I’m sure you’re heard the old adage, “I want you to feel my pain.” There’s a reason why you recognize it.
I’ve worked for years with people who sell in the property and casualty business. For many of these sellers, their job involves calling on a buyer and getting that potential buyer to “fire their broker” and move the business to the seller’s company.
But there’s much more going on in this type of situation. So we talk about the seller being empathetic to the pain associated with ending a business relationship with a current supplier and the uncertainty of changing to a new one. It takes empathy (beyond understanding) to let the buyer know you recognize that moving from one supplier to another is difficult and involves some degree of conflict. It takes empathy to identify the uncertainty that comes with making a significant change.
Empathy also involves honoring a potential customer’s long-standing relationship with your competitor. To come into a situation and proceed to slam a competitor is about as un-empathic as you can get! That doesn’t mean you have to abandon your pursuit of a potential customer. It does mean you focus more positively on how you (as an Advisor) can help that potential customer work better and smarter should their current business relationship change or if they are willing to make a change. Take it slow, go easy and honor your customer’s existing relationships. That’s an authentic and empathetic way to work.