The Importance of Empathy in Business

Empathy is important in all parts of life, but in the business world, it can get lost with all the focus on products, profits, and the bottom line. But encouraging empathy in your employees can improve customer service. Using empathy to guide policy for employees and for product and service development improves your company culture and helps you build a company that people feel good supporting. Below are some ways to incorporate empathy into your daily business practices and overall customer experience.

Make the Purpose of Your Products/Services Clear

Between stagnant wages, housing costs, and student loan debt, people today have less disposable income than in the past. This has led to a rise in minimalism and avoiding addiction to “stuff”. So if you want to grow your customer base, you have to show them what purpose your products and services bring to their lives.

You can do this by utilizing psychology in your advertising and appealing to people’s emotions, particularly their empathetic sides. If your company is doing something to fix a problem or make the world a better place, people are more likely to support you. Make clear in your advertising that you put people first, and that you listen to what your customers want.

Simplify the Customer Experience

Part of empathy is knowing what people want and why. People want a simple, straightforward experience, especially when dealing with money. If your product is something new, like alternative energy or innovative technology, make a webpage that outlines the entire process. This will let people know what they can expect, which will make them more comfortable in making their decision about whether to work with your company.

Acknowledging that everyone will not be familiar with your products and services and will need explanations upfront is a great way to utilize empathy to improve the customer experience.

Follow Through

People like to feel that they matter even after they make a purchase. There’s no reason not to include a thank you page as part of your online process, whether it’s for sales or contact forms. This should include information about when people can expect a response/shipment, and where to turn if they have questions. This should also be sent in a follow up email.

Checking in with customers to see how their experience is going is a great way to troubleshoot, find areas that need improvements, and make customers feel valued. Customer surveys are a great way to do this, and can also prompt much-needed testimonials and online reviews.

Fostering Empathy in Your Employees

Showing empathy online is important because technology can seem so impersonal. But it’s just as important to have empathetic employees on the front lines, helping your customers. In fact, empathy is one of 6 “soft-skills” you should include as a hiring metric.

You should also continually foster empathy in the workplace, by developing intrapersonal communication skills, hosting diversity and sensitivity training workshops, and asking employees for input on their experiences. All this leads to promoting a positive company culture, allowing your employees to thrive.

These are just some of many ways you can build a company that is empathetic to it’s customers needs. Do you have thoughts on empathy in business? Share in the comments!

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