Sympathy versus Empathy

How do you feel about this coming year? Does the idea of it fill you with hope and light? Are you forecasting a bumper year? If you are, congratulations! In that case what follows is possibly even more relevant than it might be to those less optimistic and who might be wondering just how bad things can get.

It’s this, would you agree that it’s one thing to be bumptious and sales driven at a time of economic growth, but quite another to be pushy for sales at a time when your market is struggling. How welcome is a push for additional sales going to be to a customer base that’s facing a bleak future, or that’s even unsure of what the future holds? May we suggest a different approach, a change being sympathetic to being empathetic?

Sympathy in the present climate sends a message that says, “We’re sorry if business is difficult of life is tough but, hey, you’ll feel a lot better if you buy from us.” Empathy, on the other hand, employs a very different approach. It says, “We understand, we want to make life as easy as possible for you. What can we do to help?”

?Perhaps now, then, is the time to look after, support and give exceptional service to customers, helping them through hard times. One way to do this would be to think of yourself as being a customer of your own business. In that circumstance, what would you like your supplier to give you / offer you / help you with that would make a difference? And, incidentally, draw you closer to them in a supplier/ customer relationship…Would, for example, requiring a smaller deposit; extending payment terms; paying for return postage; adding 10% more goods for free make a difference?

How would you know? Ask! When did a supplier last pick up the phone (or, heaven forbid, call in), just to shoot the breeze and see how you’re doing. Remember business lunches? Somewhere along the line we’ve forgotten that good business is based on relationship, and a true relationship is empathetic, wouldn’t you agree?