Empathy and understanding are essential skills for cold calling success. They help you build rapport, trust, and credibility with your prospects, and overcome objections and resistance. But how do you show empathy and understanding in a way that is genuine, respectful, and effective? Here are some tips and techniques to master this aspect of cold calling psychology.
One of the best ways to show empathy and understanding is to listen actively to your prospects. This means paying attention to their words, tone, emotions, and needs, and reflecting them back with verbal and non-verbal cues. For example, you can use phrases like "I hear you", "I understand", "That makes sense", or "I can relate" to acknowledge their feelings and perspectives. You can also use pauses, nods, smiles, or sounds like "mm-hmm" or "uh-huh" to show that you are engaged and interested. Active listening helps you create a connection, show respect, and uncover valuable information.
Learn and understand the requirement clearly. Communication is more than speaking and listening. Key of the communication is to understand what others would like to convey and clearly make others understand what you say. Mindfulness is the important aspect in communication.
This might just be a personal preference but "mm-hmm" and "uh-huh" I feel show that you probably are not listening and are waiting to jump in with something else. Saying phrases like "I understand" and "I hear you" without providing context after can also seem like you are not listening. The best way to actively listen is to respond with relevance to whatever they said. Here's an example of good and bad. Prospect: We are definitely interested in extra licenses, our new starters will be ramped up and ready in 3 months. Good: Ok perfect, that's a pretty decent ramp up time, you must have a smooth onboarding process! Let's schedule something for 6 weeks...... Bad: I understand, should I send contracts now?
Another way to show empathy and understanding is to ask open-ended questions that invite your prospects to share more about their situation, challenges, goals, and preferences. Open-ended questions are those that cannot be answered with a simple yes or no, but require elaboration and explanation. For example, you can ask "How do you feel about your current solution?", "What are the main problems you are facing right now?", or "What are you looking for in a new solution?" Open-ended questions help you demonstrate curiosity, empathy, and value, and encourage your prospects to open up and reveal their pain points and motivations.
My favourite open ended questions: 1. I can reach back out in 6 months but if you don't mind me asking, what will change in 6 months that will make it worth revisiting? 2. You've mentioned this is a priority, what would be the damage if we never got this solved? 3. What information do you need from me to make your discussion with the CFO (or whoever their seniors are) easier?
A third way to show empathy and understanding is to use empathy statements that express your recognition and appreciation of your prospects' feelings and situations. Empathy statements are sentences that start with "I" followed by an emotion or a situation that matches your prospects'. For example, you can say "I'm sorry to hear that you are struggling with that issue", "I'm happy to hear that you achieved that result", or "I'm impressed by how you handled that challenge". Empathy statements help you convey sincerity, compassion, and support, and make your prospects feel heard and valued.
A fourth way to show empathy and understanding is to validate their concerns and objections, rather than dismissing or contradicting them. Validation means acknowledging that their feelings and opinions are legitimate and understandable, even if you don't agree with them or have a different perspective. For example, you can say "I can see why you would feel that way", "I respect your point of view", or "I appreciate your honesty and feedback". Validation helps you reduce tension, build trust, and show respect, and create an opportunity to address their concerns and offer solutions.
A fifth way to show empathy and understanding is to match their communication style and preferences, rather than imposing your own. Communication style refers to how your prospects prefer to communicate, such as their pace, tone, volume, language, and format. For example, some prospects may prefer a fast, direct, and concise communication style, while others may prefer a slow, friendly, and detailed communication style. Matching their communication style helps you create rapport, harmony, and alignment, and avoid misunderstandings and conflicts.
A sixth way to show empathy and understanding is to share relevant stories that illustrate your understanding of their situation, challenges, goals, and solutions. Stories are powerful tools to engage your prospects, evoke emotions, and convey messages. For example, you can share stories of how you or your clients faced similar problems and solved them with your solution, how you or your clients achieved positive outcomes and benefits with your solution, or how you or your clients overcame common objections and doubts with your solution. Stories help you show credibility, relevance, and value, and inspire your prospects to take action.