You Never Know What Someone Is Going Through | How to Show Empathy as a Salesperson

In sales, showing empathy goes a long way towards building a lasting connection with our customers. You must approach every situation from a place of kindness as you never know what someone else is going through.

With your understanding and support, you can become a valuable figure to those who need it.

What Does It Mean to Say ‘You Never Know What Someone Is Going Through’?

By saying you never know what someone is experiencing, you acknowledge that everyone has things in their life that you are unaware of. Each person has their own struggles and successes, as well as needs and desires.

Our experience with people during our day-to-day lives is only a small window into their lives. It is not fair to assume things about others based on the limited amount we do know about them.

By acknowledging that you don’t know what someone is going through, you can begin showing them empathy, instead of judging and reacting to what you think you know. Your kind acts can mean the world to someone who’s struggling.

How to Show Empathy to Someone Going Through a Hard Time

It only takes a small amount of empathy to make a difference to someone in need.

Here are some ways you can show empathy to someone who’s struggling:

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Active Listening

Active listening is one of the best ways to show empathy to others. When you practice active listening, you are listening with intention; you are fully engaged with what the person is saying, letting them know that you care.  When you actively listen, you will pick up similarities between you and the speaker, allowing you to connect on a deeper level. 

Be Vulnerable

To show empathy you must be vulnerable, and willing to accept your own feelings, both the good and bad. Remember, you’re both humans.

If you don’t let yourself experience your own emotions, how can you expect to understand the emotions of others? When you open yourself up, you allow yourself to build meaningful connections with others. 

Ask How You Can Help

While empathy doesn’t mean solving other people’s problems, being there to help can show that you care and want what’s best for the person. Simple words like “I’m here for you if you need me” can make someone feel supported when they are going through a hard time.

4 Ways to be a More Understanding Salesperson

1. Become Sensitive to Others’ Emotions

For salespeople, connecting with your client’s emotions is critical to understanding their needs. You want to develop the ability to sense what people are feeling by watching both their body language and their words, to pick up on their emotions that may not be direct.

When you can feel into someone’s emotions you will be more understanding of their actions. If a prospect were to take out their frustration on you, you can take a step back and acknowledge where they are coming from to diffuse the situation.

2. Ask Clarifying Questions

By asking questions with the intent of trying to help, you instill a sense of trust in the prospect that you are interested in solving their needs. If a customer makes an emotionally charged statement, follow up to learn more.

For example, if they point out a specific problem, ask, “You said this is a real pain point for your team. Can you elaborate on that?”

This is where open-ended sales questions can come into play to get prospects talking.

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3. Develop Self-Awareness

If you want to be empathetic, you should also look to understand your own emotions and how they may affect your thoughts and reactions. As a salesperson, being self-aware improves your ability to engage with customers and helps build strong relationships.

Everything you say has the potential to make or break your relationship with a client. With self-awareness, you can always respond from a place of understanding.

4. Take the Time to Learn About the Customer in Advance

Taking the time to learn about your prospect before trying to sell to them shows courtesy. You can then approach the prospect with more relevant ideas of how your product or service can help them.

Doing so shows that you not only value their time but also that you are committed to finding a solution, not just making a sale.

Here’s our discovery call pre-call checklist to help:

How Yesware Can Help You Build Better Sales Relationships

In sales, being empathetic means communicating with customers like they are real people, not just a name on a list.

With Yesware, you can make your customers feel understood by sending highly relevant and personalized messages quickly using pre-built templates.