Empathy in Sales

Whenever we come across an individual who works in sales, the first words that come to our mind is street smart, clever, competitive, aggressive, outspoken, extrovert and social, among others. We have defined what a salesperson is and should be. This label has worked so well that even sales associates across industries also feel the same way about themselves!

Empathy in Sales: the predicament

Salespeople have targets, are under pressure to perform and are time-pressed. They go out every day to meet customers. They do cold calling for business development and everything in between to shift business from the competition. While doing all of this with the given constraints above, they become monotonous. Their speech becomes monotonous, their thoughts constrained for each situation.

Every sales pitch or sales call looks rehearsed. The talking increases while listening diminishes. Associates start “pushing” products, services rather than “pulling” a deal off with an irresistible value on the table. The entire process looks transactional and over-the-top without the possibility of a long-term relationship with the client.

The ability to solve problems for one’s clients is one of the biggest asset ones can have. However, the main problem lies in the fact that as soon as the client shares a strong lead with the salespeople, they immediately put themselves in the driver’s seat and start the “I think, you should” or “I think this is the best” conversation. This behaviour is the first step to kill empathy in sales pitches.

Empathy in Sales – Customer first

Unfortunately, most times, clients consider salespeople as prudish and self-serving. Clients do not expect salespeople to listen carefully to their requirements, their pain points and their agony. Salespeople live up to that expectation by ensuring the conversation is all about them and their products/services.

Instead of using the above pitch, what if the salesperson started presenting the value proposition right away or showing how he or she could benefit the client. Better yet, start with the following: “I understand XXX (pain point) has been bothering your organisation for a while, I feel your predicament”

By constantly putting the clients first, highlighting their needs and wants, not only do the salespeople have the ability to surprise the client but also send out a clear message that “I am here for you!” The entire conversation should gear towards only one thing: making the life of the customer better. While this strategy is a great way to convert prospects to clients in a face-to-face set up, it also works when speaking to hot leads over a telephone call.

Empathy in sales – Cold Calling

Empathy is equally important while selling products and services on cold calls. One might argue that cold-calling does not require one to have a relationship with prospects. However, this is far from true. Empathy in sales is a long-term game but it doesn’t warrant exclusions from any sales pitches.

Contrary to popular belief, empathy in cold-calling can lead to a high conversion ratio and generation of immediate revenue. The window to make that impression is significantly low and, it all boils down to the salesperson making the right pitch. In such situations, focusing on creating customer value in the first 30 seconds can help the prospect believe that the salesperson understands him and his pain points.

Conclusion

Empathy with the client is a top-notch requirement that separates sales associates from professionals. After all, Sales isn’t about selling products or services. It’s about focusing on client requirements and selling solutions to those problems.

Empathy in Sales = human touch + value proposition.

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