How do you measure and improve your empathy skills as a solution seller?

3 Ways to Measure Seller Empathy + How to bring them together. Simply ask your prospective customers for feedback on the sales rep's ability to understand and relate to their needs and concerns. You can do this through buyer surveys, focus groups, or one-on-one interviews. Empathy is so important throughout every step of the sales process. This specific skill or trait can help salespeople deal with potential roadblocks and obstacles in a much more effective manner.

Empathy will help you understand and ask good questions, but that isn't enough to make you a superior salesperson. You need to act on it. Have you fully understood the challenges they face and the consequences of failure? Are those consequences sufficiently compelling to take action now? Do you understand how solutions look from their point of view (not just yours) and the risks they pose? Can you honestly say your solution is their best choice, and are you sure it would it work? Are they able to make an informed decision, and have you provided the information needed to help with that?

Through working with customers face to face in a range of roles, my body language is important when demonstrating true empathy. Listening needs to be the key to demonstrating empathy, rid you mind of what you might react with until you have listened, noted and repeated back to your customer what you have heard. If there is something you can help with, its always good to re-iterate the challenge back to the customer before you state how you can help.

We all have stressors. We all have deadlines and expectations we are measured against. Your customer/prospect is no different. Understanding what they are responsible for and the impact it has on their lives (personal and professional) is key in helping you change your prospect into a customer. Listening is the only way to gain that understanding. Something magical happens when we listen to people and understand the deeper meaning behind what they are saying. Ask questions around goals, daily impact, personal impact and achievement.

It starts with curiosity. It may begin with a business problem someone is experiencing, and it could (should) grow to a curiosity about the person themselves. How do they feel about it? Do they even see a better way? What are they experiencing personally and professionally? A beginner's mind truly helps.

Can you quiet your mind and listen intently, taking notes to improve your recall? Do you ask follow-on questions to challenge their assumptions and dig deeper into what they are sharing? Do you realize when there is something important they aren't telling you? Do you resist the temptation to pitch a solution before you really understand and can reiterate back to them what you heard, for verification?

Asking open ended questions works - 1) how 2) Why 3) when etc but also knowing when to ask for the order or a date for the next meeting. Listen to the client when they say x y z date works better for them due to holidays etc. Understanding what is important TO THEM in their day to day role can help and to have a general chit chat about personal activities is also good once rapport is built.

Inquiring without baggage is important. Initially you need to mentally leave your solution or proposition at the door. Solving problems at hand immediately skews your interaction down a particular path, blinding you to other elements. Doing this will foster better questions and inquiry.

With permission from my clients I sometimes record our workshops which enables me to see where I am being empathetic. I also am a true believer in the positives of role playing different scenarios with trusted colleagues. When preparing for a presentation I also practise with a colleague and also record myself to check I am using the correct tone and body language. Understanding the client's unique characteristics is key in building a trusted relationship. I continually ask for feedback from a number of different sources to get an all round perspective on my performance.

Get your trusted colleagues to help in assessing your interactions. A second person's perspective can illuminate much that you're not realizing. Role playing helps to build new conversational habits. For example, asking multi layered questions around a topic will help you understand with empathy before you can be understood.

Remember, empathy isn’t some trick to distract buyers from their objections or just dress up the same old vendor-focused sales process. Empathy works when it comes from a place of real curiosity and care about the customer. The skills we use to demonstrate empathy are important, because customers won’t know we care, if we don’t show it. However, all the technique in the world will only get you so far if it isn’t genuine. If you go into a sales conversation grounded in the intention of understanding and helping the customer, they’ll be able to tell the difference and so will you.

I have seen by my results in my sales roles, when empathy is used with customers the better the results. There have been a number of moments when client trust has been tested (for a number of reasons) and these situations will demonstrate the importance of empathy and how quickly you can turn a negative issue into a positive one.

The trick is to not confuse empathy with sympathy, its not enough to agree with what you are told but instead use curiosity to understand where the client is coming from. Curiosity enables sellers to dig deeper and helps the client understand their own pains better, don't be afraid to challenge. Remember, great sales people ask great questions.