by Usman SheikhHow to Show Empathy to Your Team and Customers
How to Show Empathy to Your Team and Customers
A good business leader, a marketer (especially a marketer), or an entrepreneur knows how important their team and customers are to the success of their business.
One of the most effective ways to show your team and customers the love they deserve is by showing them empathy on a daily basis. Not only that but having empathy is just a good skill to have as a leader and business owner. So, how do you show it?
So what is Empathy?
Here is a good description as any:
Ever hear the old saying: Before you judge a man, walk a mile in his shoes? This saying that has been around since 1895 by a poet named Mary T. Latharp that really tries to signify the above definition in a better metaphor.
So why we should care as leaders or marketers to walk in someone else’s shoes exactly? How can use this soft skill to help our team and customers and grow our business?
Let’s get into it and answer some of these questions in greater detail!
Show Empathy To Gain Alignment & Grow in Business
Doing good business is about keeping good lines of communication open with your peers, leaders, team members, stakeholders, and customers. The better the communication line, the better your chances of succeeding. Chances of success are further amplified when people take the extra step by showing empathy in their daily interactions. If you take a moment to understand the concerns or point of view of others, the easier it will be to find a compromise that works for all parties engaged.
Why is Empathy Important For Digital Marketing?
To market, is to attract. To attract is to understand. To understand is to be empathetic. (I am feeling philisophical today)
Wow. See what we did there. We just used logic to back into the main reason why digital marketing is tied to being empathetic.
Without being empathetic, we can safely say, you cannot be a good marketer, let alone a digital one. How can get in a customer’s shoes and talk about their pain points so they get attracted to your solution offering? How can you create value?
Lets break it down further and get into some of the tactics within digital marketing.
Do we need empathy in web design? Believe it! A good designer cannot design or and a good copywriter cannot write any meaningful copy if they are understanding and empathetic towards your customer.
How about SEO? Absolutely! Writing content that only speaks to bots and not your target audience has stopped working on Google since the AltaVista days!
Social Media? Email Marketing? Advertising? Well, we hopefully do not need to elaborate more here.
You get the point. Being empathic = being good = good for business.
So what can we do as leaders to be more empathic to our team members and customers?
Providing ample days off of work – team
At Web Worx Labs – our number internal rule is – “Family Comes First”.
We live by this rule. Anyone who needs time off for family, vacation, and just deal with personal or health-related errands – gets one.
So a significant and obvious way of showing empathy is by allowing your team to take days off of work without penalty or punishment. You would be surprised how many businesses do not allow this for their team members. And they wonder why their team members don’t stick around!
This simple act shows that you understand that sometimes, your team is going to need to take a break, or they may get sick, may have a family emergency, etc.
This culture and providing this privelage shows that you have empathy!
Show Gratitude
Empathy comes in a wide variety of forms, sometimes it’s not just about sharing pain, it’s about letting your team or customers know that what they are voicing to you is appreciated.
This shows that you care about them as people and not just workers or clients. Let them know that you appreciate that they came to you to discuss the matter at hand and that you want to help however you can.
Listening to your team and customers
When a customer or team member comes to you with a concern, be sure that you are actively listening. Shut off your headphones, tell that person on the other line that you’ll call them back, close the door to your office, and listen.
Devote the time that they need to speak with you to them instead of trying to multitask through it.
Or better yet, actually listen instead of just hearing and looking for a counter. Listening properly takes work.
Be understanding
Everybody goes through hard times throughout their life. If a customer who bought your product tells you they need to return it for whatever-reason, be empathetic.
Listen to them and understand where they are coming from even if you have never been in their shoes. Oftentimes, showing that kind of empathy will actually keep that customer coming back even if they do return your product, solely because of how you treated them!
Be relatable
When you listen to your customers or team, don’t forget to also relate to them. Let them know that they are not the only one’s who have experienced what it is they are feeling or dealing with. This is classic empathy; it shows people that you too are human and have ended up in similar situations. You don’t have to lie but be relatable. Let them know they aren’t alone!
There is no script
Lastly, we want to say that there is no script for showing empathy. There is no right thing to say or correct way to word something. Empathy is about actively listening to someone, understanding, or relating to where they are coming from, expressing that feeling, and encouraging them through it. Just be kind, honest, and open, that’s all there is to it.
Empathy At Web Worx Labs
At Web Worx Labs, being a customer centric organization that understands the need for respect for every individual. We look to treat our customers, staff members and each other with care.
It is this care that is the cornerstone for our success over the years and has helped us get repeat and referral business.
Learn more about our values and our team in our About Us page.
Got Questions? Thoughts to share? We would love to hear them.
Reach out or comment below.
From a start-up helping local small businesses, over a span of 5 years, Usman has built Web Worx Labs to be a leading provider of digital marketing solutions that employs 15+ full-time employees and has customers in over 30 countries.
Outside of work and his passion for all things digital, Usman is a proud father of three, loves running and is an avid reader.
Follow Usman on LinkedIn or Twitter as he is always sharing tips on strategy, branding, marketing and analytics.