THE EMPATHY CONNECTION
Coronavirus.
Racism.
Social Inequalities.
Rallies.
White Privilege.
Protests.
Looting.
Civil Rights.
Police Rights.
Violence.
This last month has witnessed
all of that and more!
Do you feel like our country
has lost its compass for what “normal” is?
Do you feel like our country is
drowning?
I certainly feel like I’m drowning!
How about you?
What about our clients?
Our clients may very well feel
the same way…lost and
unable to move forward.
So what do we do?
How can we help?
When our world spirals out of
control, what can we possibly
offer our clients?
EMPATHY.
Merriam-Webster defines
empathy as: “the action
of understanding, being
aware of, being sensitive to,
and vicariously experiencing
the feelings, thoughts, and
experience of another of
either the past or present without
having the feelings, thoughts, and
experience fully communicated in
an objectively explicit manner.”
In uncertain times,
when things are unsettled,
showing empathy to
your clients is more important
than ever before.
It shows you care…
about your client,
your community,
your country,
your world.
But shouldn’t my business
ALWAYS be showing
empathy?
Of course.
And likely you are.
But sometimes,
especially during times
of stress, conflict, community
displays of violence, and
social discord,
we can ALL use a reminder of
how to be truly
empathetic–in our businesses
and in our lives.
No matter what your business is,
No matter who your clients are,
EVERY business will benefit from
focusing more on empathy
and the human connection.
TRY THESE 6 WAYS TO SHOW EMPATHY TODAY!
1. Listen. Seriously. This may sound
like a no-brainer, but instead of
assuming you can immediately solve
your client’s problems or that you
know exactly what they need for
their business to be successful,
just stop. Listen.
The world is different now and
your client’s business goals may
be different also. They may be
struggling with stress, financial
and emotional hardships, and
bigger business challenges than ever
before–just reaching out and talking
to you may be a struggle right now.
That’s ok. Listen to what they are
saying–just the simple act of
listening may help more than you’ll
ever know. What you thought you
knew about their business before
our world slipped into a crisis
may no longer be true. So listen.
They will love you for it.
2. Understanding. During this
time of massive upheaval, with
increased financial and emotional
constraints affecting pretty much
everyone, this may be a time to
embrace your clients with a little
more understanding.
What does this look like? Rebates,
special offers, bundling services
for more affordable pricing, and,
yes, even giving something helpful
and useful away for FREE.
You need to make a profit, too,
but can you help a struggling
colleague, client or business
associate in some small way?
Help them to move forward
and get “unstuck” during this
challenging time? If so, DO IT!
Remember, empathy is more
than just understanding–
its taking action and acting
in a way to benefit others,
whenever and wherever you can.
And those simple actions that show
you care will do more than you could
ever imagine to grow your reputation,
your business, and your SELF.
Trust me.
3. Referrals. A great way to show
empathy to your fellow colleagues
and business associates is to
provide a referral.
These are tough times.
Business may be down.
People are struggling.
Providing a great referral to help
someone else costs you nothing–
but can make all the difference
to your fellow colleagues and
business owners who are struggling
to keep their doors open.
Don’t think of them
as competition…think of them
as fellow business
associates who just happen to be
working for
different companies–but
working just as hard and struggling
just as much as you are during
some pretty daunting times.
When in doubt, help out!
4. Testimonials. Know someone just
getting their business off the ground?
Or someone who is revamping their
website and looking for ways
to generate more clients?
Offer to provide a free testimonial
sharing your positive experience
with their business!
This doesn’t have to be
long or tedious, just share a
brief anecdote about how easy
the person was to work with,
how their services helped you, and
that you would recommend
them to a friend.
That’s it!
Sharing a simple testimonial
shows empathy to your fellow
colleagues and businesses
in the community–
letting them know that you
understand the struggles and
hardships they may be facing
right now and want to help.
A strong testimonial
may seem like a little thing,
but it will make a
HUGE difference to a business–
especially one just starting out or one
trying to get backon its feet!
5. Resources. A great way to show
empathy is to share your resources.
Remember when you were just
starting out in your business,
finding your way, making
mistakes, and trying to do
better next time?
A fellow colleague, neighbor,
or friend is probably at that
same point RIGHT NOW!
Help them out!
Don’t let them “sink or swim,”
but rather throw them a life
raft floating on your own
experiences!
Empathy and understanding
costs you nothing.
So go ahead…
Share your knowledge,
your expertise, your advice–
freely and openly and abundantly–
Just because you can!
6. Kindness. Probably one of the
greatest examples of true empathy
is showing kindness to EVERYONE
you meet–even, or perhaps
especially, the most
challenging people.
You know the ones: The difficult
client, the gossipy neighbor,
the complaining co-worker,
the overwhelmed, stressed
out family member…
and the list goes on.
But everyone can be “difficult”
sometimes, right?
So cut them a little slack.
Remember, you can never truly
know what other people might be
facing or why they might be
reacting the way they are.
Their experiences and past
experiences may be completely
different than yours. And that’s ok.
Be kind anyway.
I want a successful business,
A rewarding career,
A happy life.
I’m sure you do, too.
But above all, I want to be a
kind, empathetic person to ALL
my fellow citizens.
I want a business that
screams I CARE!
Today.
Tomorrow.
Always.
And it’s that show of empathy
that will make our clients,
our businesses, and our communities
strong and connected–
physically, financially, and emotionally.
How have YOU shown empathy TODAY?
I can’t wait to hear!
See you on the trail,
